I too suffered from chest discomfort about five years ago and had two stents inserted. Easy procedure for me; docs talked me through it as I watched on a TV monitor. Now I lift weights, complete metric century bike rides and consider myself a reasonably fit 68-year-old.
That's not to say this is a piece of cake. Any medical intervention entails risks, and regrettably a friend of mine expired after undergoing the same procedure. I wish Sen. Sanders all the best. He is a decent, smart, humble man; I ran into him at the airport a few months ago where he was traveling sans entourage. While I lean toward Klobuchar or Booker, Senator Sanders has put important issues into play and deserves serious attention. Please pace yourself, Bernie.
6
This basically signifies the end of Bernie’s campaign. No one in their right mind would vote for someone that old with a heart condition
15
Hard to see why politicians don’t want to retire when retirement is so great.
116
@Peter Silverman
Hopefully one retires when one believes that what he has to contribute at that point is less than the utility he will derive from being retired. I believe this is a logical statement that will apply to a rational person. So good for you, Mr Silverman. I am sure you derive a wonderful retirement.
Bernie doesn't happen to think that, I believe. And bless hm for that. Plenty of great retirees out there we don't need Bernie to join. We need him!
33
@Peter Silverman
We do not all share your perspective, I'm 70 and still work full time. I like what I do and our 1% economy does not afford me the opportunity to retire. I think Bernie enjoys what he does and feels that he has a good deal more to contribute to the country he so obviously loves.
32
@ Peter Silverman
I meant deserve not derive (auto correct for you!)
6
I'm older than three of the four front-running candidates (I'm including DT), so I speak from personal experience of my and my age mates higher health and cognitive risks faced by the group of geriatric candidates. With Senator Sander's episode, three of the four have displayed or display daily impairments which limit or would limit their effectiveness as Potus. Quite simply, it is time for a younger person to serve as our chief executive. That is an undeniable fact of life.
36
Unfortunately in the Age of Outrage we all too often find that anyone pointing out these very real limitations of elderly people are angrily dismissed as "ageist". Nobody would want to fly in an airplane with 78yo pilots, nobody would want a 78yo neurosurgeon operating on their brain, so why accept a 78 yo president? And yes it's the same thing, as this incident clearly demonstrates.
3
@MEH I admire Senator Sanders for his courage to be outspoken in support of a better America. His flamboyant style, although rankling at times, has awakened people of all ages to the possibility that things just don't need to be as bad as they are. Unfortunately, it has cost him physically. Although I agree that advanced age is a liability on the campaign trail and quite possibly in the Oval Office, I don't hear any of the younger candidates taking up the standard he and Senator Warren have borne. For the most part, the younger set reflects more Mr. Biden's approach of "business as usual," with only small variations, than any real plans to make America better. That's a shame but it is reality that they are not suited to handle the Office of the Presidency. So far, despite some flawed press comparisons, none of the younger candidates are another Jack Kennedy. Get well soon, Senator Sanders and, please, don't disappear on us. Even if you need to drop out of the race to protect your health, you should never be silent.
8
Yes! We know.
1
Even if this means the end of his campaign, look for Bernie to use his experience to highlight the health care crisis and its economic inequities. That’s what a true leader does —keeps up the good fight and works unceasingly for justice.
Best wishes, sir, and quick healing.
23
I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Bernie and wish him a full and speedy recovery. However, for the sake of the country and the world, he should immediately withdraw from the race and endorse Senator Warren, who has the best chance of carrying forward his progressive agenda. The country and the world are imperiled. We must have the most robust, courageous, and visionary leadership available.
61
@ZA
The most robust, courageous, and visionary leadership is... most definitely that of Bernie Sanders. And he has consistency on his side.
11
I love Elizabeth Warren, but I think she should be the one to drop out and endorse Bernie.
10
Warren and sanders have different agendas! Warren believes in meritocracy and is the candidate of choice for policy wonks. Bernie is the candidate for people who believe healthcare is a human right, understands that power decides what plans happen and which don't, not "merit". Warren has changed her brand over the years. Bernie has not. They are not the same.
10
I love Bernie. I supported him in 2016 but it's time for him and his supporters to let go. It gives me NO pleasure to say this. The Presidency is the hardest, most demanding, most stressful job in the world and sadly, Bernie is not physically fit enough to do it.
21
Fair or unfair, this will do him in as far as getting the nomination. He should withdraw and go all in with/for Warren.
22
While not a supporter of his bids for the presidency, I wish Bernie the best and a speedy recovery.
If this isn’t a sign that it wasn’t meant to be, I don’t know what is.
28
I just keep thinking how he would be 88 when he leaves office if elected to two terms. Not happening. Let's move on.
18
The restoration of rule by law, and the regeneration of our constitutional democracy by an ethical and law abiding new President in 2020 requires the continuity of a two term executive.
Elsewise we are starting a new search in 2022.
Therefore: Bernie for HEW, Joe for State and Liz for Pres.
Senator Warren has the mojo for two terms (she would be Bernie's age at the end of her second term) ...and the good sense to pick a young Veep.
19
Hoping for a full recovery followed by a long and healthy retirement from politics.
18
@EGD yes. I hope he and his followers can reconcile themselves to this and support another candidate.
The presidency is probably the most demanding job anyone could have outside of direct combat in war. While age brings many blessings, it also brings limitations. How is it, when Bernie would be turning 80 during the first year of his presidency should he win, can we not have a conversation of what he is realistically capable of enduring - not to mention the risk of a fatal health event in office? This present medical situation forces the conversation, and I think it will end up including Joe Biden.
19
@lilla Victoria--dont you dare question the abilities or capabilities of any Democrat. And do not question the ethics, morals or motivations of any Democrat. They are all above reproach. And do not question the decisions or stance of any Democrat, because regardless of whatever it is, it is always right.
Having undergone coronary artery stenting myself a few years ago I know that it is no impediment to future activity. Nevertheless this event will make many fear that this will make Sanders less electable, and it probably will. I voted for him in the 2016 primary and he may have been POTUS today if Democratic leadership in 2016 gave his candidacy a fair deal. Nevertheless, he is now beyond his sell-by date, as is Joe Biden. Bernie's ideas are all part of Elizabeth Warren's platform and she still has the energy to see the progressive agenda move forward. Now is the time for Bernie to enjoy the rest of his life by endorsing Ms Warren, or at least not competing with her, and allow her to carry the progressive platform into a Democratic Presidency in 2020. I wish him happiness in his future as senator from Vermont.
Relax Bernie, you have already done more to advance progressive thinking in American politics than anyone else before you.
20
Absolutely true. Progressives owe a debt to Bernie (who I supported in 2016) and no doubt he can continue to make a difference in the Senate.
4
While illness can strike at any age, it happens more often in older people. I have listened to Sanders several times and
agree with many of his points. Unfortunately, time is something that none of us can defeat, and I say this as someone in their 70s. A younger candidate would be a better choice for Democrats. I wish Sanders a speedy recovery, but hope he might reconsider his campaign.
1001
@David
All three Democratic front runners are above 70. The entire Democratic leadership is older than Sanders barring Chuck Schumer at the relatively juvenile 68.
Perhaps Democrats should reconsider their age gap. At least Sanders speaks to youth. Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi can't say the same.
By the way, Sanders isn't even a Democrat. Remember that trope?
23
@David
Well , if the politicians could actually think and do the right thing for the American people he wouldn't be fighting so hard for us.
Its up to the people to pull it together, Bernie has been showing us the way for decades, we refuse to listen. As any good patriot he will fight till the end and sacrifice for us.
Are the younger people in this campaign doing anything like that? Booker with the phony if you want me to stay in this campaign please send me money so I can say something inspirational vs having any policies that are workable. My friends on Wall Street haven't delivered for me as of yet. Beto, I was born to be president, my policies are shallow, Mayor Pete my policies' need a great deal of work, but you are just getting to know me. Harris, I change my mind on a regular basis, so tomorrow like Trump I will have a different opinion, Amy, vote for me because I am from the mid west and my other rivals are not as smart as I am. Castro old people should be shoved into a closet and forgotten no matter how much they know and can contribute.
Warren/ Sanders has been meeting, talking to everyone they can for over two years. I trust them over younger candidates who believe they are entitled. We have an entitled con man in the White House now, we dont need anther. People have made decisions on who they can trust with their futures. the polls speak for themselves the younger people just arent in the trust category.
34
@David
The problem is that we are at a crux in our history and society where the people who understand the long history of this country and its past are very few, and the newer progressives do not have the understanding or vision to pick up the baton. The only other person in this race I could vote for would be Warren, and she is great. I also liked DeBlasio, and Steyer seems like he might be a contender. I am not sure about Booker, but the others I can do without.
20
I’m a fan of Bernie, the original, but perhaps this is a good time and opportunity to gracefully pass the baton to his lifelong friend Elizabeth Warren with a ringing endorsement.
Their votes combined will seal the deal.
2037
@Anne
Bernie is still the original, and one-and-only.
You are not a Bernie fan, you are an Elizabeth fan. Go along with the previously-Republican woman instead of the person of the greatest unwavering integrity who is running for President of this USA.
170
@Anne Thank you Anne, my exact thoughts. I worked for Bernie but it is time for him to recognize and endorse Warren as the most formidable force who will succeed in bringing major structural reforms to US and do so with a joie de vivre few can claim.
202
@Nicholas warren has my vote if she is the nominee. She is a regulator which is good, but it’s uncertain that we can regulate our way out of this mess. For systemic change Sanders is the one and only
53
While not an awful condition. it should be disqualifying in a person of Bernie's age. Wonder how his other arteries are, especially the ones bringing blood to the brain. Also, recovery can be tricky at any age. Anesthesia is no joke.
30
@baltcate Stent recipients typically only require local anesthetic at the insertion point (groin or wrist) and a low dose narcotic to ease discomfort. They remain awake and aware through the procedure. Yes, narcotics take some time to wear off, but it’s highly doubtful they put a 78 year old under.
8
While I hope for Bernie's speedy recovery, the Democrats would be making a fatal mistake if they nominate him. Why? Because you can be sure Trump will be merciless in reminding voters that Bernie's health is precarious and therefore makes him unfit for the presidency. After all, look what he did to Hillary Clinton when she became briefly ill on the campaign trail. Poor health is something all voters can relate to, and many would be swayed by the argument that Bernie would be a risky choice for this reason.
Bernie must do what he didn't do in 2016: drop out of the race now and, when another Democratic candidate has been nominated, sincerely and energetically implore his supporters to vote for that candidate.
45
@ALB
Hillary failed to be honest about her health, even something as innocuous as a cold. Staff were even afraid to tell her to drink water when she was obviously dehydrated.
Bernie has been honest about his health, and disclosed health problems immediately.
The key point of contention in this upcoming election is corruption and self-dealing. That's the invective against Trump.
The cleanest candidate the Democrats have, who has shown his wide appeal all over the country is Bernie.
You can't win if you don't run the cleanest candidate you have.
7
I am sorry that this has happened. I will say that my mother has 3 stents and about 6 months after receiving them she hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. Stents are life changers. Still though, I think Bernie's campaign is effectively over.
46
@Pamela G. -- It's only over if you say it's over. Everyone here who has had experience with stents agrees that the person comes out of it even better than before. The people who say it's over for Bernie didnt want him this time to begin with.
11
I wish him well, but this should be a stark reminder to his supporters of the obvious fact that Bernie Sanders is too old to be running for president. Yes, of course this can happen to younger people, but at his age, it's more serious and should not be discounted. There are other younger and well qualified democratic candidates. I hope that Bernie Sanders and his fans will put their support behind one of them.
30
I wish Mr. Sanders a speedy and full recovery from this episode. Unfortunately for his supporters I think that this all but finishes his race in practical terms.
39
This is why “too old” isn’t inherently ageism, when it comes to the presidency. There is a phase in the last years of life in which, no matter how mentally sharp or physically spry you may be, the reality of your biology becomes inescapable. We simply cannot know what looming fatal disaster may be building inside us, because we don’t get hourly CT scans, blood tests, and angiograms. Yes, this can happen at any age on the spectrum, but the numbers substantially increase with advanced age (of course). We can’t pretend otherwise.
21
Bernie should give his tens of millions to Elizabeth and be done with it. Progressives need to united behind one candidate now to win later.
23
@Tammy That being the case, it's time for Warren to go. By the way, did you call for Hillary to bow out when she collapsed on the campaign trail in 2016?
7
I wish Sen. Sanders a full and speedy recovery. Although health issues can arise at any age, serious medical conditions are common in old age. It’s time to pass the baton to younger candidates.
22
No matter what anyone will say it is now apparent that Bernie is out of the race. I wish it wasn't so but this will have a huge impact on his campaign. He should withdraw and throw his considerable weight behind one of the candidates.
20
Hoping for a complete recovery for Bernie!
I supported Bernie in the primaries, but had already thought he was much too old to be running for president. This is another sign. While many people do make full recoveries, the average amount of time that folks need to "take it easy" (avoid becoming over-tired) is 4-6 weeks. This would be an excellent time for Bernie to consider dropping out, concentrating his efforts on finishing out his Senate term, and endorsing whoever is elected as the democratic candidate.
52
A perfect example of why gents in their late 70s shouldn't be running for a job with a potential 8-year time horizon. It puts the party at risk. What if his heart challenges arose after he won the nomination? in the weeks before election day? It would surely impact the outcome of the election. Pretending 80 is the new 40 doesn't make it so. Of course Sen. Sanders only takes out party membership when it benefits him during election cycles and quickly discards it after election day, so he's not really concerned with risk to the party, but Democratic voters should be. VP Biden is in the same boat. The party needs to turn the page even if these hoary doyens refuse. It's not ageist to say thanks for your service, enjoy your retirement.
174
@Alexandre There is always a what if in anything you do. As a person who has lived into my 70s in a very high risk occupation every day is a gift to everyone within my sphere of influence and so is your day as well.
16
@Alexandre Should only healthy people run for President? Or only people who aren't overweight, or have high cholesterol, or diabetes, or other chronic illnesses which put them at risk? Should we force retirement on Supreme Court Justices before they reach 80?
11
@Alexandre: Why do I get the feeling, reading your post, that you are eagerly looking for reasons to criticize Sanders and that his relatively-common health condition is just a new opportunity for you?
Hmm?
9
78 is truly not the new 58. I have grave concerns that all of our candidates 70 years and older are likely to experience age-related health issues that could imperil responsible, competent governing and lead to dangerous instability. Reagan was showing mental impairment during his second term, Biden and Trump strike me as unwell (in my thinking, poor health of the current president could explain much of the constant chaos), Sanders is experiencing heart issues. Younger presidents like Bush 2, Clinton and Obama aged considerably while in office. Bottom line: The presidency is a highly stressful job, and older individuals, including Warren who appears unfailingly youthful, are more likely to be sidelined with age-related health issues, to be possible detriment of the nation.
52
@Claudia U.
What you say has truth to it, but after a risk-benefit analysis, millions of us would rather the best candidate with more age risks, over a lesser one with fewer. Put another way, I'm far more excited about what Bernie could do for this country in two years than I am about what some of the others could do in four.
15
A blocked artery is a plaque issue, not a heart issue.
Sanders’ heart is perfectly healthy.
13
@Claudia U. Reagan was shot and very nearly died...that seemed to accelerate his mental decline...he should have gracefully resigned. Trump has always been a sleaze and con, and NYC tried to warn America! Biden’s health is fine, we need his experience and expertise, especially in foreign policy. Go, Joe!
1
Best Wishes, Senator. Perhaps this is a sign to drop out and spend more time with your Family. No shame.
Seriously.
42
Read Dr O’Reilly’s comment below.
We need Bernie more than ever. His family will be much happier if he runs and wins. We all will be. We love him like a brother, father and even grandfather,
9
I wish Senator Sanders a great recovery. However, I do not share the opinions of those who believe he should resume his campaign for the presidency. This is a wake up call to any one to reevaluate their priorities and spend more time with family. and to be an adviser to younger people. This is a better legacy than continuing on and getting so ill he could be very disabled or yes, die.
44
I truly admire and respect Bernie but a 78 yo man has no business running for President. We’re used to seeing much younger men go gray within a few years of entering the White House due to the enormous pressure of the position. Bernie’s beyond gray at this moment so what other ways will his body show the stress of being POTUS?
51
The presidential office if done probably is a most demanding job. Just observe how the previous office holders aged in office. Trump hasn’t aged because he does nothing. One wonders if it is now the time for sanders to step aside and give his support to another candidate.
22
Seriously, can we Democrats promote a candidate with suddenly demonstrated heart issues and advanced age?
Will Americans vote for a candidate with demonstrated heart issues and advanced age?
How Americans feel about this will determine whether or not Trump is re-elected in 2020. Personally I don’t think that running Bernie for President is worth the risk.
20
First and foremost, I hope he is ok. But secondarily, I think this does seems to be a manifestation of age, and, in particular, why we should be cautious in electing an octogenarian.
52
yeah, it's just that nobody else is willing to go as far as he is, and that's what the working people of this country need. I agree that his age is less than ideal, but that aside, he is absolutely the best candidate for people that have to work for a living
5
@eeeeee Which Sanders himself has done actually very little of...
I'm a huge fan of Bernie, and was firmly in his camp back in 2016. But his moment is, for better or worse, behind us now. I wish him well and sincerely hope he'll enthusiastically pass the baton to Elizabeth Warren.
49
I like Bernie and agree with him on a lot of issues. That said, nobody over the age of 70 (including me) should be President of the United States.
32
@Mark
Except Elizabeth Warren who has the energy of a 25-year old.
4
it's not ideal, but it's what we've got. it's unfortunate to me that the much younger candidates don't recognize the movement that he has started and join in to support the workers of this country... he had the largest fundraising haul of any dem campaign quarter and has well over 1 million individual donations for a reason, PEOPLE (workers of either party and independents etc) want someone to stand up for them.
6
@Mark So that means Warren is out for she will be 72 if elected. That Leaves Amy- we can only hope
Bernie has proven beyond any doubt that he has one of the biggest hearts in America. God bless him and the important issues he has brought to the front of the line.
However, I suggest he pass the baton to Elizabeth Warren, combine their efforts, and take America into the golden era they both envision.
55
@Paul Shindler
I doubt Warren would concede to be his VP, or he her VP. Neither of these people are built for second fiddle positions.
Even first and second violists change positions in famous string quartets (Emerson for example). Bernie goes first, Liz goes second. And we then have another 8 years of Liz. Not a bad deal for America! We will have the best governance since FDR was alive.
5
This will be unlikely to stop Sanders. He may have to reconsider conducting multiple rallies in a single day. He is a driven person. As long as he is cleared to campaign by his medical advisor, he will do so. But, of course, it raises a big question mark about his suitability to serve as President from a health standpoint. Given that question mark, Sanders should graciously lend his support to another candidate. The Democrats need cohesion in the battle ahead. Such an action by him would promote that.
116
@blgreenie ;
Even assuming he does well, it's likely that the party won't want to nominate him because a lot of the electorate will shy away from "old guy with 'bad' ticker."
3
@blgreenie It also creates a huge opening for Donald Trump to bang a drum about Bernie not being healthy enough to be President.
Bernie has to concede that he can no longer seek the nomination and accept the role of elder statesman. Our democracy is more important than any one man.
9
@blgreenie
Speaking as an RN, I strongly disagree. The fact that he has been going full tilt for 5 years straight in SPITE of this undetected problem, is indicative of the stamina and vitality needed for a presidential campaign. Now that the problem has been fixed, LOOK OUT.
30
He is finished as a candidate. Biden's obtaining of a do nothing job for his son paying 100's of thousands of dollars is finishing his candidacy off. Elizabeth Warren will be the nominee.
16
I have been a Sanders fan for years. But campaigning for the nomination and then the Presidency if nominated does not seem to me to be the pathway to a long life. The stress is endless and toil taxing. We need him around for the long haul to keep the Democrats' feet to the fire. He may very well feel much better when he gets some rest and heals. But the numbers don't lie. I hope he does the right thing for himself, his family, and his country. And that is to cease his campaign.
40
Let’s be honest about this.
Having “chest discomfort,” going to the hospital, and having angioplasty and two stents put in for an “artery blockage
= having a heart attack.
It is great that he survived it.
But I am sorry, his advanced age, his now-demonstrated heart disease, and the stress and physical demands of the next six years are very, very serious issues.
He needs to think about what is best for the country.
24
I’m sorry, but a blocked artery is not a heart attack.
His heart is healthy. The blood flow to it was blocked and has now been cleared.
10
@Jerry Engelbach -
Ummm, no.
A blocked coronary artery is the very definition of a heart attack.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106
"Overview - Heart attack
A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked.
...
Causes
A heart attack occurs when one or more of your coronary arteries become blocked."
Sanders just had a classic heart attack.
His heart is NOT healthy.
The man is already 78 years old.
Denial and wishful thinking are not productive.
He is a great man—but he needs to let go of his ego and pass the torch.
At the very least he needs to name his VP partner NOW, so voters know who would likely be the president completing his term!
3
@SRP Actually, no. While arterial blockage CAN lead to a heart attack if untreated, there was no heart attack.
5
Senator Sanders, at the age of 78, should retire at this point. Bernie has a had a long and successful career. He has given America great inspiration. But, at his age and condition, he should be mindful of his age related infirmaries, and the strain that competing for the presidency places on his physical condition.
We want and need Senator Sanders around as long as possible. His being an Advisor to the next President, a Democrat, would be invaluable.
Get well soon, Bernie. Your country needs you for many more years.
29
Blessing in disguise. He will never win the nomination and he just takes away support from the candidates who are better qualified. He has good ideas and should be mentoring younger candidates for the future of the party.
20
@Glencora I can't think of a better qualified candidate than Sanders.
6
I love Bernie and am grateful that his voice is being heard. And, I strongly believe that it is time for him to gracefully step aside. I expect we'll see a strong move of support to Warren (I have moved there), which will then have her be well ahead of Biden. Speaking as an older white guy, this is not the time for an old white guy to be at the head of the ticket when Elizabeth Warren is in the mix.
61
@curt hill I don't want a law professor, I want an organizer in chief. Warren still doesn't have a healthcare plan, and I suspect she'll drop medicare for all in the general.
6
@curt hill Warren is 70. Not exactly young. You've got Beto and Buttigieg, if you trust either to lead this country in the direction it needs to go. I don't. I'll stick with the old guy.
5
I hope Bernie has a quick recovery. However, I also would like him to end his campaign for his own sake--and ours. America needs his clear and powerful voice on so many important issues. I fear that a continued campaign would be so bad for his health that it could cut short his ability to be a leader. Certainly, it would be impractical for him to aim for the Presidency at this point in his life.
22
@Barbara Will you recommend the same to Joe Biden? He has not maintained an active campaign presence, yet makes confused and offensive statements regularly. Additionally, he has had surgery for a brain aneurysm in the past. That is a much graver event to have suffered. This is a routine event. Bernie is otherwise in good health. Please be rational about this.
3
Bernie is the first candidate I ever wrote a check for. It was after his 8-hour filibuster, in 2010. I wrote a few more checks in 2016.
I wish him a speedy recovery ... and that he endorses Senator Warren.
49
Bernie, I love you, man. Please get out; none of this is worth your health. Keep up the fight in the Senate, if you must, and pledge your support for Elizabeth Warren. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
15
Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Sen. Sanders.
I don't think he should come back to the campaign trail. I believe this would be a good time to bow out. I think a 78-year-old with heart trouble is not an ideal candidate.
188
@Upstater agreed. he should stick around and support the new generation.
33
@Upstater He is incredible, a living inspiration, a leader. even if he decides to pull back. We need him in so many ways, and maybe it's better that he save himself rather than re-join the race.
46
@Upstater Agreed. Running for President is an incredibly draining endeavor these days. And his health would be used against him, valid or not, were he to be nominated. Don't forget how a couple of minor incidents were used against Hillary.
51
78 year-old with cardiovascular disease? This is not an ideal physical profile for a presidential candidate; this is not nothing.
76
A blocked artery is not heart disease.
Buildup if plaque is normal with aging. It can affect the heart if it stops blood flow.
The stents have restored his blood flow to normal.
His heart is just fine.
17
@Frank I thought almost all 78 year olds have cardiovascular disease
1
@Jerry Engelbach A blocked cardiac artery means, by definition, cardiovascular disease. The pain was due to poor perfusion (insufficient delivery of oxygen rich blood) to a portion of the heart muscle because of the blockage; if the lack of oxygen is severe enough for a long enough time, that portion of the muscle can be damaged, even killed (myocardial infarction).
The article doesn’t go into the severity of his episode.
6
I assumed Biden would win the nomination because I could never see how Warren and Sanders wouldn't essentially split the liberal vote. What a difference a day makes.
Bernie should accept the role of elder statesman and resign from the campaign. His health precludes him from being the nominee.
95
@Sparky Or he could just follow the Ornish Protocol.
@Sparky You are right but you have to give him the gratitude of being willing to risk death to fight for the nation and her people he believes in!
3
@Sparky
Lol...
Actually, with his stents in place now, he's in better shape than previously.
His previously was putting staffers and other candidates to shame in their attempts to keep up with Bernie.
Do you toss your car when it needs a new battery?
No, most of us simply replace the worn out part.
Many of us older folk have stents and bionic knees, hips and shoulders too.
Bernie is now stronger than he was previously.
Lol...I'd say look out America, here comes a reinvigorated mensch on a mission.
With his legion of supporters at his back.
Power on Bernie~!
5
I wish Bernie the best and a speedy recovery.
He deserves a good rest! Campaigning and fulfilling the office of President is grueling. We should respect his contributions and respectfully ask him to step aside.
76
Bernie Sanders has had three periods of time in the past year where he has been unable to continue campaigning, let alone discharge the duties of the office of the President. As with any octogenarian, I am certain these instances will increase over time. The United States public deserves a President and candidate who has the physical fortitude to perform the job every day as is required.
Bernie Sanders not acknowledging his age or health and removing himself from the race is a disservice to his supporters and to the office of the President. Is his intention to regularly invoke the 25th Amendment when he falls in the shower again or has another blockage that needs surgery in a couple of years? And who knows what other complications will come with the extreme stress of the job itself, let alone campaigning for it.
40
@Tyler Lones He's in his 70's, not 80's, if you want to use big words, look them up.
3
@Robert
If you want to make lucid arguments maybe YOU should look the big words up.
Sanders will be 80 when and if elected president. That makes him an octogenarian.
1
I wish Senator Sanders the best for a speedy recovery. I deeply appreciate all he has done to champion fairness and to pull us back towards center. Perhaps this will serve as a warning for him to retire gracefully now, and lend his considerable support to Elisabeth Warren, who will hopefully win the DNC nomination with Stacy Abrams as her VEEP.
37
@Emily Kane Here! Here!
1
I'm not a fan of Bernie, but one can only wish him the best in this situation.
He should stop raising money and start campaigning, less intensely, for another candidate.
51
He is the best candidate for the people though... why would you say that?
5
@Patrick, no matter who, vote blue. Wish them all well.
2
First, like all thoughtful people, I wish Senator Sanders a quick and thorough recovery.
I share some of his ideas, though not all. However, the various health issues mentioned in this article will make him an easy target for Donald Trump's tweets and the impersonations at his rallies. To the extent that potential voters pay attention to what Donald Trump has to say -- which for some, is "a LOT" -- this might lead to another four years of President Trump.
Better that Sen. Sanders discontinue his campaign, and endorse another candidate. He can wait to endorse someone until the primaries begin, or at least before the general election.
He can continue to advocate for causes he believes in, either as Senator or as a member of the next administration.
25
Will this be enough to show why we should not have 78 year old presidential candidates?
43
@Carl M, this happens to 48-year-olds too.
I'd take Bernie Sanders as President working from a wheelchair if necessary. In fact, the last time we had a President who worked from a wheelchair, he did a great job.
Bernie's been campaigning rigorously for months with a blocked artery - imagine what he can do with his new stent!
9
@Carl M
Not even any over 65. Are you listening, Biden and Warren?
@Carl M
NOPE!
2
I hope the candidate makes an honorable exit from the race after a full recovery. Somehow, I doubt it.
40
@Walter mccarthy
A candidate who has prattled on for a generation about poorly conceived policies hasn't a clue about reality. He has acted as if he and he alone has the genuine answer to all of American ills and shows not an inkling of humility to know it's time to leave the stage. Another, yet another pol filled with endless self-regard and hubris.
2
Time for Bernie to call it a day, and retire gracefully..." And researchers have found that stenting chest pain patients doesn't help them live longer or reduce their risk of disease — in fact, heart attacks and strokes can be potentially deadly side effects of stent procedures" Coumadin and other blood thinners help, but they have a down side too, so if Bernie falls again it is difficult to stop the bleeding at a serious cut.....I have Vietnam-era bandages to stop serious bleeds. Still remember heading into the E.R. with a blood soaked towel wrapped around my leg, and a pool of blood under the gas pedal.
22
One suspects that he had a non-Q wave M.I. Will his staff release the results of his echocardiogram? I'd assume that his cath. showed diffuse atherosclerotic disease. He'll now be on ASA, a beta-blocker, as well as a statin for his remaining years. Also--Plavix, or a relative, for at least a year (assuming he got a drip-eluting stent). NO WAY should he ever resume campaigning.
49
That’s a lot of assuming without having seen the patient or any clinical data.
11
@HM
I have two stents. I took those garbage drugs for about a year. You WILL NOT be 100% healthy taking a bunch of pills every day. The pills disrupted my digestion and lowered my blood pressure all of 10 points - if that! Stop eating bread, meat and cheese (90% of days) walk, bike, swim, yoga, pilates. Way, way better than a handful of pills. And stay active Bernie; by going on the campaign trail and reminding everybody we have a President who LIES EVERY DAY!
5
While I wish Bernie only the best, if he were to drop out for health reasons, it might be in the best interests of the country. If he left the race under those circumstances, perhaps his die hard supporters would show up and vote for the Democratic candidate, not sit out the election or vote for Trump or the Green Party as many apparently did last time.
39
Looks like the end of the end of Sander's bid to be the nominee of the party to which he does not belong or with which he does not identify.
He looked sick during the debates, and while Arterial blockages are not serious if detected and subjected to PCI, his ideas do not sound original considering Warren has the same message and seems to be in better health.
Get some good rest and get back to being a good senator Vermonters elected you to be.
15
I like Bernie okay. I mean, I'd take Bernie over Trump any day of the week and twice on Sunday BUT I still remember he never united the party behind HRC. Sure, he had every right to be bitter but look what it helped bring about. And Trump is nothing if not unstable. So the last thing we need is an old man with health issues. Bring on Warren, I say.
30
I wish Mr. Sanders a long life in good health. I am grateful to him for bringing the American political debate farther to the left and always will be. I do hope that he will bow out gracefully, and I think his campaign's decision to not run the ad buy is a strong indicator of this. He damaged Hillary in 2016 by staying in the race too long; let's not make it a repeat by having him distract voters from yet another female candidate. Warren 2020!
22
@Nina RT
G-d, this trope again?!
Sanders admitted that after the April 26 primaries that he was mathematically eliminated (the Democratic Party practice of allowing formally unpledged superdelegates to vote for a nominee makes such determinations inexact), eventually dropping out and endorsing Clinton two months later, a couple of weeks after she clinched a majority of delegates. This is typical behavior for eliminated candidates.
In the '16 Repub. primary Kasich was eliminated in March and Cruz was eliminated on April 19, but both stayed in the race in the hopes of making it to a brokered convention until after Trump clinched the nomination on May 3.
In the '12 Repub. primary both Paul and Gingrich stayed in the race well after they were mathematically eliminated. Paul was more like Sanders in that the impetus for staying in was to affect the platform.
In the '08 Dem primary, Clinton herself was eliminated from winning a majority of pledged delegates sometime in April. However, she stayed in the race through June, endorsing Obama after he clinched the nomination on the last day of the primary season.
So, Sanders behaved exactly as many other eliminated primary challengers, including Clinton herself. Blaming a loss on normal behavior is disingenuous and, in this case, hypocritical.
By the by...sexism is a poor look from either side.
Should we accuse you of antisemitism? Yeah, didn't think so. But you are ok implying misogyny huh.
Nice ally. Nice big tent.
Not.
4
Maybe he’ll drop out of the race and hand his support to Elizabeth Warren. Which is what he should’ve done for Hillary Clinton.
334
@David G.
What a bunch of low lifes - kick him when he’s down?
51
@David G.
Considering the election result maybe Hillary Clinton should have dropped out for Bernie
115
@David G. During the general he did endorse Clinton and campaign for her. He wasn't the one who told her to not bother campaigning in Wisconsin or Michigan.
48
In tennis, there is game, set and match. Warren had been winning many games in the first set. This setback to Sanders ( whom we must all wish the most and best wishes of
« Get Well Soon! ») is first set to Warren. No doubt she will garner the bulk of Bernie’s brigade and NH will sew up. She has run the most adept ground game in Iowa ever seen by any candidate at any time with such number of competitors vying. If Warren can take first or second in South Carolina v Harris or Biden, then she is up many games in second set going into the big March Tuesdays. If she takes the majority of delegates on Tuesday March 3 after successes in Iowa, NH and at least a second place in SC. It is two sets to none. Onto the nomination, and the final match against whoever is the Republican looking to remain in the WH ( Trump or his VP Pence ).
5
He needs to drop out. It might be true that ordinary people can go back to their former professions within a day or two. However, running in a political campaign is physically and mentally arduous. He will be around 80 when he becomes President already with a serious health issue. He should do himself and his country a favor by dropping out. Elizabeth Warren is carrying the flag on Bernie’s progressive issues for the most part. He should drop out, decide which of his three homes he’s going to recuperate in and become a footnote in history and a question in a trivia game ten years from now.
The annoying part about this article is the headline. Do I think bernie should be higher in the polls if he wants to have a confident win against Biden and Warren? Yes of course but His campaign is doing pretty dam good and that has nothing to do with his health. I don’t understand why “raising questions about his candidacy” is necessary to add in a story about him being hospitalized. It makes me sick that even when the man is sick in the hospital, you use cheap tactics like this in the attempt to take him down.
1
Elizabeth Warren will be by to take your temperature and your voters, Bernie. Sleepy Joe has one less far left adversary to best. Watch out if Trump says anything nice to you or about you. Since you always claim you want to do what's best for the country, why don't you say, " OK I'm 78, that's seventy eight, two short of 80, and I have severe coronary heart disease which required major surgical intervention, and Now for the good of my country and party, I'm withdrawing from the race and endorsing....." That might happen in an alternate universe but.....
In March 2002, at age 62, my husband's heart was 90% blocked. As the VA heart surgeons were at a conference, he was sent to Tucson Heart Hospital. He received a stent. Two weeks later, it failed; he received a second stent. He had a slow recovery because, as a 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran who shared is working space with those where Agent Orange was stored, he was overly exposed to the chemical's damage. His list of health challenges would never see him playing baseball like Bernie did last August. A stent is a tool that has to be viewed as a part of the entire body and nothing more.
Coronary artery disease is one of the leading diseases that faces American's today. I am not surprised at his age Bernie required treatment. If he follows his post-treatment plan, he will do great.
Instead of driving our focus towards age, perhaps we should scrutinize the mental capacities of our candidates. Bernie's heart is not what I would be worried about, I worry about mental acuity and again, I believe Bernie is sharp as he has ever been.
Our "very stable genius" on the other hand? I worry a lot about that. A LOT MORE.
1
I really doubt Sanders was on Medicare. That is for the great unwashed he seeks to represent. I think members of congress receive far better insurance than those on medicare. He is a phony but I wish him well. Retire to the Shore houses you own and live the good life. Your day in the sun has passed. You did well. Enjoy it if you can. One stent is pretty minor but it is a warning.
1
Age is not just about a number it is about vitality and energy and lucidity ....Bernie can run rings around these other candidates. I stand with Bernie Sanders...he recreated the platform that every one of these candidates now pitches, but his remains the best, they all are copies of an original and Bernie is also the most trusted politician in the USA w/ a solid record of actual tangible accomplishment not just rhetoric. Kamala Harris supported Bernie in 2016....my dream team remains Bernie & Kamala ...and Warren would be the great lioness in the Senate where we need her. God bless Bernie Sanders...and Jane Sanders would be wonderful FLOTUS...quite refreshing compared to what we are currently stuck paying the bill for.
This doesn't change anything for me. Bernie still has my vote 100%. Every candidate is imperfect in some way/in many ways. I'll take Bernie's "too old" over the competitions "too lame" and I ain't talking about their gaits. As many folks have said before me, he is a once in a lifetime candidate and the world desperately needs him. Firstly, Bernie is not your typical 78 year old so let's not get bogged down in statistical averages. Secondly, I trust his judgement about his physical abilities and his choice in VP if indeed something were to happen that would require a changing of the guard.
17
Bernie might decide to continue with his campaign but, after this news, he has no chance of winning.
His followers love him but many will now back another candidate, probably Elizabeth Warren will gain most of his followers.
There will be talk of love for Bernie, stents, arteries, age also his chance of full recovery, but voters are human and human nature will become Senator Sanders most powerful new
opposition..
Bernie, this is a setback but you still remain a senator with much work to do also a good wife at your side.
Work is a blessing and your ideas are meaningful.
As you recover and continue on, please consider yourself --lucky !
2
@M.W. Endres I see this as a moment where his supporters come together to show their appreciation for Bernie's lifetime of fighting for us. I truly believe this surge, coupled with his recent $25 million in fundraising - #1 among Democrats - will clearly make him the frontrunner.
1
@M.W. Endres - I believe you are correct. In my unread comment on 60 replies to Reader Pick number 1, I point to the extraordinary attack on Warren and the absence of any wait and see position on Sanders health.
I was a strong Sanders supporter during NY Times rejection of him but am now sure -all too?- that BIden won't do and that Sanders would never accept VP to Warren P.
But since we have never been here before I know the end for my America is unknowable.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE on a bus crossing my other country
The most important point I picked up here is, how important it is to choose a vice presidential candidate that is as good as the presidential candidate. Just look at Trump and Pence, Pence the empty suit. I have never seen a man more unqualified to be President if Trump is removed from office. When I look at voting for a candidate I always evaluate the Vice presidential candidate also. That can change my vote. My personal opinion is that the Presidential candidate not get to chose the Vice Presidential candidate, but that individual gets nominate at the convention also. That way we never will end up with a Pence, or for that matter Biden. And you know what, I do not car if they hate each other. I want someone who if necessary may replace the President that I also like and agree with and feel comfortable with.
2
@Per Axel I am with you but nobody talks about this.
I don't need him to have medical issues before I have questions about his candidacy.
Age can be the difference between surviving cancer, heart problems, and strokes, and not. We should lower the age one can become president to 30 and cap it at 70.
1
@TK
From what I see, they should raise the voting age to 35. Kids don’t even begin to grow up anymore in this country until their mid thirties.
At least he finally got some media attention! Take that, corporate Democrats!
2
Dear NYT:
This condition has been previously called a “heart attack” ... Not a generic artery artery blockage. Still the same disease with vastly improved treatment. Even for a political candidate.
1
Perfect incident to use for yet another attack on Bernie Sanders, isn’t it? Everyone familiar with the good old NYT, knows of your fear and loathing of Bernie becoming President. You and the majority of your readership are centrist Democrat and Military Industrial Complex friendly, and it just wouldn’t do for all of your high income taxes to increase just a little with his policy of helping the low and middle income people.
Sydney and company can expect big pay increases for their clearly slanted news piece soon, can’t they?
1
The United States is a gerontocracy, composed of plutocrats, operating in a political system with an autocrat at its head, under the guise of a democracy. Chuck a leaning in there as well for a theocracy, a huge disparity of rights, wealth and opportunity within your society and well, makes you wonder, why do you mob think you’re so wonderful? Baffling.
1
I share the hopes of other commenters that Bernie gets well quickly but he has looked stressed out, worn out, ready to blow during this campaign in comparison to 2016.
His face is always red and he never seems relaxed or in the flow when I see him on different news sources.
Personally, as a person who has always tried to push a piano through a transom (google it), that kind of volitilty takes it's toll on health. So, I'm trying to learn how to back off. At age 66, my doctor told me I probably won't change.
Bernie, aging requires great sacrifice in your case.
Stepping aside and welcoming the younger generation with grace isn't easy but you're there.
I think Warren's too old, too. She is so busy trying to look young and robust it drives me nuts.
Oh, Sen. Sherrod Brown, please change your mind.
1
@American2019
Yes. Warren is not the one to beat Trump: She has a tendency to fib. Democrats just need to get the right one to beat Trump. Sanders would be good, but he's really too old. Please check out Yang, he seems like strong candidate who's sounds too good to be true and the grassroot are listening to him. I hope they would give him more air time during the debate so viewers could scrutinize his words to check out if he's for real or not: Spontaneity is a good indicator to gauge the person's character. If he's a good character, America has already got the one to beat Trump.
1
Why isn't the coverage the same as questions about Hillary's health in 2016? Does the media favor Sanders or are they just afraid of Bernie Bros?
1
This latest Sanders news begins to focus the Democrat race. Sanders is out. Biden is too tainted by recent photos of him with his son and the Ukrainian mess. That leaves Sen. Warren on the stage, and her stock rising. I suspect she will soon come out with plans to have the feds take over programs for the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and Santa Claus. Maybe Mrs. Clinton will be tempted to jump back in. Come on in! The water's fine, the third time is the charm (after having wasted $2,000,000,000), but watch out for the sharks.
2
"Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease " by Caldwell Esselstyn MD. Bernie needs to go whole food plant based and avoid oil of any kind, and sugar.
1
I assume there will be dozens of think pieces about this, in keeping with Hillary’s treatment when she had pneumonia. After all, this is much more serious.
Or do we only do that with women?
2
Bernie is ill (and a socialist), Biden, among many other challanges, including his age, in allowing his son to work for Ukriane and not being smart enough to recognize the apparance (or the reality) of a conflict of interest and Warren, with her persistently misguided native American claims, are all out of contention as Trump or the republican nominee will crucify them over these issues. Meanwhile, an imbecile is running the country and, unless the Democrats or the Replulicans, find an alternative soon, we are all going to suffer through 4 more years if this insanity.
1
Bernie Sanders. For President. End of discussion.
1
That was a sentence. That was not a discussion.
This remarkable and singular gift to the body politic—Bernie Sanders—
Has given his all.
Oh that we could lift the burden of atherosclerotic heart disease from this great and selfless politician.
A physician MD
2
Bernie "represents a new generation of voters despite his age and health" is a headline in today's Los Angeles Times. We know that to be true as well as we know how the New York Times feels about Bernie.
Please Bernie drop out. You are too old. You may feel much better now and then in a few weeks or months have a heart attack, or a stroke. That's what happens to old people. Your health is not going to improve. It doesn't do that at your age. It will only get worse. I'm sorry, but that is the truth.
1
Sydney Ember, I bet you were cheering when you heard of this very minor procedure. Wasted no time putting up another hit piece on Bernie.
Well, all 3 of the front runners are in their 70s. And Bernie has been running marathons for months with a blocked artery. For my money, he will bounce back even stronger!
Waiting for the NYT to cover this man as he deserves to be covered. I hope and pray he becomes our next president.
1
Does anyone here honesty believe that Elizabeth Warren has a chance against Trump? His Pocahontas nickname is devastating and on point. Biden is corrupt and too old. Bernie Sanders is the only one in the top three who can get anyone below the age of 50 passionate about voting.
You think Warren does not touch voters below 50 ? Well, look again, look more carefully.
Bernie's karma is catching up with him. He's been in the pocket of BP for many years, all the while pretending to be the great socialist benefactor we didn't even know we wanted. Another fraud with an outsized ego. This cardiac issue won't deter him either...
1
I wish him well and a speedy recovery. But I also hope he drops out of the campaign, not because of his health, but because his left wing politics and implausibility as a presidential candidate make him a loser against Trump. And another term for Trump is a disaster for America.
1
Wishing, Senator Bernie Sanders a speedy recovery. You are a hero to so many of us with your determination to fight supporting the masses against the filthy oligarchs. Keep up the good fight! Power To The People!
1
Wow, comments reveal all. About 10 days ago the Editor of the NYT Magazine tweeted: Go to the 9/21 magazine and read the 150 comments at Thomas Chatterton Williams article! A first.
Do the same here beginning with 60 replies to Reader Pick number 1.
Very little about the medical issues but harsh attacks on Warren and quite a few seeing Bernie as the "only one".
I suggest that it would be better to calm down and learn more about Sander's health. I have commented on the health questions. If Sanders returns to the campaign then we can get back to a Sanders-Warren discussion.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
What a disingenuous way to open the article. Struggling? Bernie’s raised the most cash in the 3rd quarter so far, has 150,000 new donors and has the lowest average donation. Stop misleading the people.
1
Bernie, enough. Go home and rest. The country needs your voice more than it needs you to be president. And for heaven's sake don't go to a deli while you're recovering, because the soup might be served too cold and you can't get all worked up into a snit with a waiter!
I had chest pain one night in 2008, went to hospital, iwas having an ongoing heart attack, was taken into to er, prepared for catheter lab, sedated, given 6 plavux, had 2 stents inserted under light sedation.i recover but needed a lot of dr visits to get meds calibrated best for me. rest for 6 wks considered typical.asap, cardiac rehabilitation 3 x wk. very tiring. everything was very tiring when you have lost some of your heart function and just accomplishe as much as you used to.
I had two stents placed in a single artery as well. I felt fantastic after the procedure. It was as if two decades of middle age was erased and I was 20 again. After a few days of euphoria and gratitude I had a sense that nothing was right anymore. My heart was healthy but I was a completely different person. Not in a good way though. My edge was gone, my passions did not seem important anymore, and I had completely lost my energy and drive.
Turns out this is a common phenomenon that never gets much coverage. They say it is likely a side effect of all the new medications that CAD patients must take for life. Some say it is as if there was an existential injury. I don't know what causes this post procedure change, I just know it's real.
I never returned to my career which I loved and had much success. I went from the executive floor straight to the SSI line. The Times should look into this post procedure decay that many experience. THAT is Senator Sander's biggest enemy. His actual heart muscle is in great shape today. Will he have the passion when the metoprolol etc kick in?
Lifetime Liberal in Atlanta
Neither Bernie nor Warren could beat Trump. Who else is there out there?
Please, let's let Bernie Sanders decide what's best for Bernie Sanders. The moment we draw an ageist line in the sand, we cross a line that not only is horribly repugnant and offensive to the individual, it is a line that will be here (70? 80?) or there ('80 is the new 70! Shame on you for being an 80-year-old octagenarian!). Entirely subjective, and entirely beside the point.
Even if it means struggling across the finish line on hands and knees, everyone deserves the same respect and 'voice.' Even in this moment of judgement, or especially because of it, Bernie Sanders offers the world a perfect textbook example of human spirit coupled with our collective notions of fair play.
Let him fully participate in the American, and human, experience for as long as he desires.
1
Maybe when Mr. Sanders is out of the hospital it would be helpful to discuss what the role of coronary artery stenting would be under various health care proposals. How will we pay for expensive therapies that have no or modest efficacy? How will we further research these questions?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/health/heart-disease-stents.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
1
Sanders isn’t a good choice without the age and health issues.
3
Get well soon Bernie. We appreciate your gusto and commitment to the right causes. But perhaps you should realize that the time has come for you to step away from such a demanding endeavor as trying to be president. You can still be an effective voice in other ways but perhaps you need to step aside. We don’t want you collapsing. I have stents too and am the same age as you. You will soon feel much better. Good luck.
5
@Sven Goldum seriously? All three front runners are in their 70s! Why just Bernie? Think about the fact that he has been keeping a grueling schedule with a blocked artery and is still standing. Perhaps you could express some confidence? He is the one with the wisdom. It’s time for the US part of Not Me, Us.
3
Too old to run. Trump is too old also. People that age can't grasp the issues facing younger people and are subject to not waking up any day.
2
That’s why millions of YOUNG people are donating to his campaign the little that they have?
2
The ageism comments are disturbing. Sanders has more stamina and drive than most people half his age. He is too busy trying to figure out how to save our country and our planet to retire. Those who dream of a life of leisure after age 65 should not project their bourgeois judgements and preferences onto the life of a great man who is clearly not done going great things. We need him. The world needs him.
8
How and with what facts was this article “updated”? As much as the reporters would like to declare Sanders’ “struggling” campaign over, he will be at the upcoming debate as planned, according to multiple reports that have been circulating since midday, so for at least 10 hours now.
Secondly, Sanders did not have a heart attack. The campaign explicitly stated in writing and through surrogates that he had “experienced some chest discomfort,” and that he’s been resting and chatty since the procedure. Cardiac arrest is much more serious. The patient would likely be in ICU this soon after experiencing one, and hardly chatty, if even awake. In addition, recovery time and prognosis would be much too unpredictable for even the savviest of campaigns to cover up.
Interpret the campaign and its message however you must, but at least get the medical information right.
3
Animal fat is a specific, credible, and immediate threat to his life, so Secret Service can shoot anyone trying to bring him a Ben And Jerry's pint. A vegan diet is the only thing that reverses heart disease, everything else just manages the decline.
Ageism is apparently the last acceptable form of discrimination. It's been amusing to observe the morbidity police hovering about Biden and Sanders trying to detect signs of senility or worse.
6
I can't stand Sanders, but I wish him a speedy recovery and I definitely do not think his age should be a factor in whether he wins the nomination. The fact that he and his followers don't understand basic economics and can't do math should. So should his inexplicable tone deafness on gender equality.
2
You gotta love Bernie. Never misses an opportunity to get his message across. I wish him a speedy recovery!
4
While it is a setback , Bernard Sanders is still King ( see his campaign donor numbers for corroboration) and I do not think he will sit back unless there is major structural damage to his heart based on the tests, the results of which we do not know. I have professionally seen many people doing well for several years after stents were put in. As another reader suggested, Sanders has to pace himself , take rest , and live a healthy lifestyle. The campaign ahead , if she chooses to go ahead , will be very tough psychologically and physically and he will lose some supporters but just wait and see the crowds he will now draw - there will be incredible and tear down the barricades and be like nothing we have seen till now !! Bernie for President 2020 !!!
3
I love Bernie and his policies and his way of being. I wish he would get behind a younger candidate and help him/her win the presidency. It's a shame how he was treated last time around by the DNC - but even then I wondered how he could withstand the pressures of the presidency.
1
Age and health are minor differences between these candidates (especially between the top three). In contrast, didn't Elizabeth Warren run a faux senate campaign in order to gather money and political power for her true objective, the presidency? Did she allude to any of this on the campaign trail in Massachusetts? Isn't this the same phony maneuvering that Hillary did in NY? Bernie's integrity is so far above the others, in my book, that he'd have to be in an iron lung for me to look elsewhere. And with Tulsi Gabbard as a running mate the future would look pretty bright to me.
7
Bernie is the heart of the progressive movement. In a few days he'll be back on the campaign trail. But Bernie, switch from bran flakes to oatmeal. Too much salt & sugar in prepared cereal. And turn down those Iowa corn dogs.
5
I had a 50 - 50 chance of dropping dead on the street 22 years ago. I had one artery 90 per cent blocked. Today my heart doctor tells me to come back every two years. So far so good!
That said: Get well Bernie but it’s time to drop out of the race for President.
3
In 2008 John McCain came under scrutiny for cancer, his age and the effect it would have on his ability to govern as POTUS from Democrats. The Republicans are going to pounce on Sanders if he is ever the nominee and that is on top of his policies. I was pro-Bernie in 2016 but this time around he should never have entered the race. Neither should have Biden. Both are too old and both seem to have been driven by ego instead of their better judgement.
2
My 30 yr old son had a stent ten years back and I recall he was back at work 2 days later, better than ever.
1
Bernie is 19 days older than me! I have slowed down a bit due to arthritis, but otherwise lead an active life. Bernie has been an active man, both physically and mentally. A stent procedure is known to increase blood flow and actually make people more energetic than before. I hope this episode does not crop up as a factor in the elections as all major candidates including Trump are septuagenarians.
3
If Bernie had a heart attack, which may have been what happened, wouldn't it be wise for him to drop out? My grandpa had one at 65 and was not allowed to do anything vigorous for 6 months.
What a great man Bernie Sanders is !!
He has upended the "business as usual", standard in our no longer representative of the people government, and it's deleterious and adversarial cost, to the poor and the middle-class; he has caused the Democratic Party presidential candidates to embrace the idea that the wishes of the people count, and regardless the self-serving relentless attacks from the monied elites and corporate America, he never once weakened in his beliefs that our America is an America specifically built by its people, and for its people, regardless of etnicity, race, skin color, religious persuasion, and sexuality.
An honest-to-goodness great American, who can be one of the best Presidents ever to serve our terribly fraught nation.
May he live long enough to have the American Dream become reality for the tens of millions of Americans who deserve no less.
1
Even though I'm behind Elizabeth Warren this time (and her embrace of Jay Inslee's climate/energy plans, in particular,) I have immense respect for Bernie Sanders, who I supported in the 2016 primaries. I wish him a speedy recovery and all the best in his continued honorable public service.
In June of 2018, I drove myself to the hospital because of sluggishness, indigestion and an odd numbness in my fingers (the chest pains only came later.) It turned out that I had an arterial blockage and a single stent was the procedure I suddenly found myself facing. My surgeon informed me that, had I simply stayed home and attempted to sleep it off, I would have eventually slipped out of consciousness and died.
Two days in the hospital and another week at home was what I needed to make a complete recovery. But I do now have to take daily medications, watch my salt intake (mine was particularly high, despite an otherwise healthy diet) and I do pace myself more carefully than before. Ones outlook on life does change after a procedure like this, but it is a modern medical miracle that life can also return to such a relative normal state so quickly.
I should also mention that I have medical insurance through my workplace. I didn't have to chose between debt or bankruptcy. Every American should also not have to make those hard choices.
1
Last year, very soon after riding a bicycle solo throughout Southeast Asia averaging about 100km per day for months, I went to a doctor for a checkup only because I started with new insurance and simply wanted to make use it.
53 at the time, I felt pretty lucky at how healthy I'd been my whole life. My doctor suggested a heart CT scan because of my age and family history and because it was a fast and cheap test. One result led to another test, then another, and in a week I was scheduled for two stent insertion procedures to address significant blockage in two arteries. I learned A LOT about the potential of arterial stents and life expectancy afterwards.
Of course I don't know Sanders' exact condition, but if he puts half as much energy into being president as he does campaigning, the country will be well-served by his service.
2
If it weren't for Bernie, The National Discourse never would have progressed as far as it has. Most Americans support his ideas on Health Care, a Living wage, quality education for all and for all of us to work for the common good. He has fought Wall Street and elite politicians all of his life.
He is the real deal. Bernie, all alone in 2016, pushed the DNC platform to again work for the average person. He has already changed the National political landscape by pushing other Democrats in politics to remember what Democrats are supposed to stand for.
Let us hope for a speedy recovery and from there it is up to Bernie.
2
Most people (voters) are guided by idle supposition. They are not prepared to continue to dig for the facts or any change that has occurred.
If the idea that Bernie Sanders has a heart condition is put in their mind, then he no longer remains presidential material.
That's not the way it should be, but that's the way most people are, generally.
This is not a political issue as much it is a human nature issue. Most voters are human more than they are-political.
Bernie is out of the race. I wish him well because he is a good person. I even agree with some of his ideas.
This is not as much about Bernie as it is about human nature.
For better or worse, Bernie is out as a candidate for president.
I wish the best for him and and for his good partner in life--- Jane.
2
If elected, Bernie would turn 80 during his first year in office. We have all seen the before and after pictures of those elected to the presidency. The job immediately takes its toll. While I wish Bernie the best, I hope he steps aside and lends his powerful voice and message to the campaign....from the sidelines.
2
@Tom Q so that one of the other two seventy plus year olds can take his place? At least Bernie’s mind is clear and sharp.
1
There aren't many occupations that match the physical toll being a full time candidate takes. One that comes close is a touring musician. The constant travel, the stress of performing in front of a large audience, the attention paid, in this case to every note instead of word. A friend, a well-known musician in his early 60's experienced similar symptoms and had 2 stents inserted. He took less than 2 weeks off before returning to his grueling schedule, which he has kept up for more than 2 years so far. All of the arm-chair doctors jumping to conclusions forget one thing because they haven't experienced it themselves- the power the brain holds in healing when someone is doing what they love to do. I'm not a Bernie supporter but I wish him well and have no doubt he can recover and still be a a healthy and energetic president.
3
I am an avid fan of Bernie Sanders and love everything he has to say. I feel he’s the only politician who speaks the truth and has a vision for what could be to really make America great again. It saddens me that his age and health have come to this. Is he the best candidate today? From an ideologic point of you, yes. From an age and health point of view, maybe not and that makes me sad. When will America see great leaders once again?
1
I recover cardiac stent patients every day and am so grateful for recent advances in medicine. What was fairly recently a painful open heart bypass surgery is now usually a relatively fast procedure in the interventional radiology dept....home the next day if not the same day. Wishing Senator Sanders a speedy recovery.
I certainly wish Senator Sanders well. If Medicare for all was in place, he may have had to wait several months for his procedure. It is also possible he would not have received the procedure at all due to his age.
We are all equal, in the end.
The myriad injustices of the preceding years are a tragedy that is too readily tolerated.
Bernie Sanders is a fine man who has the courage and decency to champion the rights of the less fortunate and walks in the footsteps of a great man who spoke of compassion and love.
Live long and may you and your principles prosper.
Peace be with you and get well soon Senator Sanders. You are an essential voice in your advocacy for the common good.
We all owe you a debt of gratitude. Your work opened the eyes of millions of Americans to what's needed for the US to strengthen our democracy.
1
Great informative article. I saw on social media Sanders was ill, but until I read this article, had no idea what happened. Thank you. Healkng prayers to Senator Sanders.
With best wishes for a full recovery, one has to wonder about the wisdom of an almost octogenarian seeking the most demanding job in the world (unless all you do is tweet and play golf). While admiring a long career in public service, he does not need to be remembered in the context of Alice's, slightly altered poem, You are old, Father Bernie.
1
My specialty is the psychological care of medical patients. My thoughts are with Bernie as he recuperates from this health scare. His health is the top priority. Coronary artery disease is a life threatening condition.
How can he minimize the risk of a heart attack which could be potentially fatal or merely incapacitating? The stents help to keep occluded arteries open, but the same factors which led to the blockages will still operate & more atherosclerotic plaque deposits will develop. Controlling high cholesterol (if present), treating high blood pressure, exercising faithfully, keeping one's weight down, & not smoking are all components of a plan for better cardiac health. Medications are effective for cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking cessation, & weight reduction, if any of these are needed in his case.
Another factor which must not be overlooked is how lifestyle impacts the course of a person's illness. Stress greatly increases cardiac demand. Anyone with coronary artery disease is well advised to take concrete steps to reduce stress.
Hence, it would be prudent of Bernie to withdraw from the campaign now. He can best promote his goals by endorsing the one candidate who most closely supports the policies Bernie advocates. Endorsing Elizabeth Warren now will help to unify the party behind her & maximize the Democrats' chances of defeating Trump in 2020. I supported Bernie in 2016, but 2020 is not his moment. His health warned him of this; I hope he listens.
1
Mr. Sanders looks angry and exhausted all the time. Clearly, his heart is giving him a message, and I hope he heeds it, for his sake as well as the country's. It's time for him to find some peace and enjoy the rest of his years on Earth. Let someone new take over.
1
Had a stent inserted in my coronaries two years ago.
Have been back to work quickly, and I’m trying hard since then to keep an emotional distance to my work, when there are hefty blood-pressure rising circumstances.
I hope Senator Sanders gets well soon, and can continue his work - however, we love him for not being the cool and unemotional type.
Take care!
1
The information I saw said that nearly two million people receive stents each year. The majority are men, average age: 59. My cousin got her stent when she was 45 (she just turned 70). Bernie Sanders appears healthier than many Americans who are obese or have diabetes.
I remember when I was a kid, President Eisenhower had a heart attack, he was 65. Both Bill Clinton and George W Bush have stents.
I would bet on Bernie's health over the current President's any day.
1
If I were Bernie, i ll just retire.
But knowing his personality.
Also, it depends on what his cardiologist says and how he responds to the stents.
I wish him well and a full recovery.
He is not my first choice as President, but he has done so much to make our country, truly great.
1
Best wishes Bernie. You are one in a million as a candidate and as a citizen, and add much to the dialogue and fiber of the democratic party. Rest up then get back soon!
I had an arterial blockage a bit before I was at Bernie's age and at 82 my cardiologist at Harvard installed a pacemaker. Neither of those events had any effect on my general health, nor on my physical or mental abilities and I'm 90.
People, including doctors often look at me and say frankly that they can't believe I'm over 70. The reason is simple. As a society we've grown up on statistics and charts that define norms and normal. We then assume everyone is at the middle of the stats or should be. Someone like me, even at my age could run for and be an exceptional President because we're at the far top end of the chart as many people are or have been. I still work hard, long hours, full time!
I'll never forget a video of the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer at 103 with his latest design for a new building that was just as avant-garde and brilliant as what he had done in all of his spectacular life!
Bernie Sanders is an exceptional man. His stents won't decrease that exception at all and he would make a great President of the U.S. His critics will grab on this, because that's what critics do, but then Sanders himself is a critic - of bad leadership - not exceptionalism.
37
@Anonymot
Not Bernie ! From Dr.'s reports and knowing him, he'll be
in the race.
1
@Anonymot
But you’re a regular joe, maybe retired when you got your stent. You’re not running in a hotly contested physically and mentally grueling campaign. Nor are you the president. It’s ridiculous to use examples of people living ordinary lives to predict how Bernie will fare. One thing we know is that we can’t have a president in his early 80’s in the WH with these kinds of health problems.
1
@Anonymot Thank you! I'm a little more at ease. Good health to you! Bernie 2020
2
After the way the Russopublicans went after Hillary Clinton for having the flu, this may cause a lot of people to think twice about casting their lot with Senator Sanders.
13
It is only for the headline writers at the New York Times that Bernie's brief hospital visit raises "questions about his candidacy". To tens of millions of ordinary Americans, his brief hospitalization means something entirely different. For them it raises no questions whatsoever about his candidacy. Quite the contrary. The story of his heart, in fact, affirms what they know: that he is all in, he is doing everything he can, and because of this, he is the best candidate for President of the United States.
30
@Christopher Mark Theodore ...
Given the amount of stress that the Republicans will put Bernie through while destroying his far-left Socialist policies I would prefer to vote for liberal candidates who are less likely to attract so much stress and less likely to be subject to major heart events while in office.
@Christopher Mark Theodore At least he has a heart, unlike Trump!
Bernie is the only candidate in this race who supports universal health coverage for this country. I pray this event doesn't allow the media to destroy his candidacy because we need our healthcare system fixed and NOT with a doomed to fail "public option," the system you will receive from Kamala, Yang, Tulsi, and Warren. Pray he pulls through this with full health, he is all we have...
18
@Ryan
Medicare for all is NOT universal coverage. You need to have gap coverage, prescription drug coverage, and dental, which will you will pay for out of your pockets. Even then Medicare only covers 80%. It really is not significantly better than ACA.
Single payer and universal coverage pay for essential basic care and would not require additional expensive insurance to cover essential care and treatments.
@Ryan several other candidates support Medicare for all — certainly warren, and I think booker and yang (need to double-check that). Bernie is one of the few, but not the only.
@Ryan No, he's not all we have. Remember: "Not me. Us."
The man is too old for what he is about. Forgive me if I speak plainly. He is wasting our time and doing a disservice to our country.
I (somewhat) like Bernie, I do not (completely) disagree with his positions -- but the one thing for which I would admire him most would be were he to wake up and smell the coffee.
Bernie, dude, ain't gonna happen. Fought the good fight, now it's over.
22
@Brian
The same holds true for Biden, Warren, and Trump then. And if age limits are good for presidents, then they are good for Congress and the Supreme Court.
I am of the opinion that politics is not a career option and we need strict term limits on all elected and appointed offices. We would have far better governance.
2
Brian, dude, who are you to say it's over? Some people seem to enjoy breaking "unfortunate" news to others or declaring 'it's all over'. A referee would be a great job for them - or probably any job that let's them declare anything.
1
Don’t be so dramatic- this guy has two stents in one artery- he is 79- I had a total of four stents in my heart when I was 59. That was ten years ago. I am 69 now and have been living with CAD for years. Heart disease is called a silent killer because you can have it for years as I did and not know it until you are in the back of an ambulance with chest pain. Take care Bernie. Be well!!!
11
@old lady cook ...
You are absolutely right.
We don't want a President in the back of an ambulance with chest pain.
Thank you for sharing.
"Mr. Sanders’s hospitalization is likely to intensify the focus on age in the Democratic race-"
"Intensify"? Uh-uh: "intensify" means 'make more intense;' whereas - since one of the two mainstream parties advanced Biden - there has been little mainstream "focus on age" compared with the last election when Sanders was two years younger than Biden is now.
4
@Jackson they are absolutely shameless.
Wishing you the best Bernie <3
1
How will we go on? How will we spell BREADLINE without BERNIE?
3
I had a heart attack about 4 years ago, prompting doctors to insert a stent in one artery. I was out of the hospital after 2 nights there, and I was back at work in 4 days. I have been at least as active since then as I was before, and started working out at a gym. Most work days, I walk 2 miles to work amd 2 miles back, even on hot summer or cold winter days. The heart attack has made me more aware of my need to take care of my health and physical condition, but it has not restricted my activities at all.
17
I'm one month younger than Bernie and in good health...for now. When you're over 65, you can be diagnosed with a problem that is totally manageable now, but has the potential to become very serious in the "near" future. Even though your brain is sharp, your body is breaking down. The other side of the coin is that the brain's function can begin to decline, especially if you've had serious health problems. In general, I think we have to be careful when candidates are 70 and older. We should not disqualify them, but we need to be watchful and not minimize or dismiss problems we see. Otherwise, we'll have a country run by a shadow group in the WH, on behalf of an unwell President. I have to wonder how much of this went on with Reagan! Both the president, and presidential candidates, and sitting SCOTUS justices should have to take an annual mental acuity test after the age of 70.
8
Biden and Bernie should both tell voters they are running as one term presidents only, whose major goal is to replace Trump and to begin the implementation of their agenda, and then leave the rest of the work to the next generation. For us to believe they will run for reelection at age 82 is absolutely delusional.
9
I've favored Sanders' proposals, but people in late 70s maybe shouldn't run for such an important stressful job that will last 4 or 8 years. Same for Biden.
The whole nation awaits 1st normality, then reforms. Difficult, given our severe polarization, as the other party constantly attacks and undermines any policy that will benefit the citizen majority---on health care, gun laws, taxes, regulations, climate change-- and basic rule of law.
We're at such a turning point, that the next president must deal with one of the biggest challenges in our history, to clean up after the worst president in our history and his party who have no principles to even moderate him.
Then to start long delayed reforms in our government's responsibility to We the People. It's time to bring America into the 21st century. Since millions have been conditioned to vote against their own interests, it's a tall order.
Now we need to elect a leader with excellent health and energy to fight for the reforms that America has been deprived of, after we've been insulted and exploited throughout the Trump regime.
10
@Meredith
Got to love the Dem. policy of gov.
"Not today, but soon. Honest."
Incremental nothings.
Tweaking the system just enough to continue business as usual, (corp. cash) while tossing pablum to the voters.
Sorry, guys, can't try for better...because we're pragmatic and negotiate away everything while enriching our donors (corp. cash).
Lets just kick the can down the road for another 4yrs. We've been doing such for decades.
What can go wrong?!
…and here we are.
1
Speedy recovery, Senator Sanders, so you can fight the Good Fight. Thank you for the work you do, to help us all live a better
life.
16
Get well soon, Senator Sanders. Come back in good spirits and good health without having to worry about hospital bills bankrupting you, and then keep on pressing for Medicare for All so that no American is forced to declare bankruptcy on account of a hospital visit.
15
Dear Bernie, you are full of "heart" for so many struggling people and worthy causes. Now your own heart has needed care. Rest up and know so many people are wishing you well - you are a brave and vigorous public servant and we rely on your integrity.
19
Which coronary artery? Why two stents? Diffuse disease? High LDLs? These are potentially important unanswered questions, among others.
2
I think if Bernie let a 78-year-old put his stent in then he should continue running for president. There are probably very few people who would want a cardiac procedure or operation done by a 78-year-old doctor.
8
"Sanders’s hospitalization is likely to intensify the focus on age in the Democratic race, even as much of the public debate has..."
...until now, disappeared in mainstream media since one of the two mainstream US parties advanced, Biden, a similarly aged mainstream political candidate.
4
Bow out gracefully Bernie. You have contributed so much but a four year POTUS stint is a stress ball. Do not let your ego shorten your life. Not worth it.
6
NYT, of course, tries to create the impression that Bernie is done...
They tried hard to downplay him when competing with Hillary - everybody remembers...
32
Bon Voyage, Bolshevik Bernie, Pied Piper of the Millenials. Try to cut back on the Ben & Jerry's.
5
He can be on a heart/lung machine receiving dialysis but as long as his brain is good, I'm voting for Bernie.
24
@Joe Lane
Me too... thanks for this much needed antidote to all the "time to gracefully bow out" comments.
1
@Joe Lane -
As Sarah Palin would say:
“How did that work out for ya last time?”
You and your Bernie-forever and Jill Stein ilk are responsible for getting us Trump.
Proud of yourselves?
Oh please how much does NYT hate Bernie, nearby is suddenly a new piece on is age just a number when running for president. You know it really is strange to keep bashing Bernie every chance you get, but this is really low. And what makes my blood boil is that I know it is group think but it is selfish still the same. Here is a real hero of the people and he has fought for them for over forty years and instead of honoring him for NOT taking big donations and doing mostly things for corporations or the ultra wealthy which causes even a greater concentration of wealth for the one percent, he goes in pretty much alone and keeps on fighting for basic human rights and against corruption. Mainstream media likes the elites and access to them, and with out even thinking about it trashes the enemies of the greediest. Is that really supporting a democracy! they are impressed by who gets the most money from corporations. And they know full well of the strings attached. Shameful!
30
@cheerful dramatist
Amen. The corporate media only covered him because he is so popular with the people, instead they over cover the idiot showman currently in office.
Two stents on monday, nite in hospital, back in the surf on LBI Tuesday. Nothing to it.
8
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a ride!'"
-- Hunter S. Thompson
Back off and let the man do his thing.
26
Gracefully bow out and endorse Elizabeth Warren. Will be a good way to unite the party.
14
@Suzanne
I've lost count how many times I've read the word "gracefully" in these comments... So patronizing, so sanctimonious.
I don't see what's "graceful" about telling Bernie to quit in such a dismissive tone right after a medical procedure with no knowledge of his long term prognosis.
I'm sure Bernie will do what is best for the country. Maybe you'd like to read this thoughtful article for a better idea of important differences between Bernie & Warren, just so you know what you're asking for:
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/09/the-prospect-of-an-elizabeth-warren-nomination-should-be-very-worrying
1
Get well, Bernie.!Getting the blood flowing as it should will help, but remember what is important for you!
I had a traditional AVR 3 years ago and I awoke felling much better immediately! Do rehab if it is suggested!
10
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Bernie!
17
Bernie Sanders is not destined to become president. But he will be remembered by history as a scrappy fighter and honest soul. May he recover beautifully and continue to contribute to national discourse.
14
I’m a medical doctor and a lifelong Democrat. In 2016, I supported Sanders with my money and my primary vote. It is with gratitude and respect, therefore that I say this: Bernie must withdraw from the race.
Without knowing the details of his medical history and the details of the event for which he is currently being treated (though my suspicion is that it was an ST-elevation myocardial infarction), it isn’t possible to quantify his risk of death or disability, but at 78, following an acute coronary occlusion, the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events within the next few years is well above zero, and the fact is that people don’t want to vote for someone they think might die or suffer a disabling stroke before the end of his first term.
Sanders has already had a dramatic effect on American political discourse, and I for one thank him for it. He has made what seemed impossible possible. But now it’s time for him to put his ego aside and make way for others to carry his vision forward.
29
@Aaron Walton
I appreciate your comments and perspective as a physician and Bernie supporter.
I strongly object, however, to your telling Bernie to "put his ego aside". Perhaps you can't imagine what might motivate someone like Bernie Sanders, but to reduce it to "ego" is extremely disdainful and unfair to Bernie and offensive to his supporters.
And which exactly of the current candidates shares his vision? Warren comes closest in some policies, but there are fundamental differences in their visions. Bernie has inspired many younger people and maybe some day, they will be able to carry his vision forward, but sadly that looks like a very long time away.
1
@Jean
Seriously? Sanders is *definitely* motivated to a significant degree by ego - as is every candidate for high office...and every artist, every scientist, every business leader, and, I can assure you, a hefty proportion of physicians, including myself. It’s not an insult to suggest Sanders has a big ego; it’s a statement of the the obvious, as plain as the fact that he has white hair. And the reason I focused on Sander’s ego is that it is ego that might keep him in the race against the interests of the Democratic Party and Sander’s own progressive agenda.
1
I had a heart attack 6 weeks ago and received a stent a couple hours later, spent two days in hospital, and now am on 4 meds plus a baby aspirin for a year or so. Am doing a 12 week rehab program to boost endurance in a target heart rate zone. If anything I have more energy. I am thankful for our free medical system. My total cost to date is $56 for 3 mo supply of meds. The hospital was at no cost. I am 68.
18
@Cris Ilton
May you continue on to a full recovery. I am envious as the same diagnosis would cause financial hardship for many here in the US. The poor, uninsured, or rural Americans might not have made it to a hospital.
Some day the US might move into 2nd world, but I am not going to hold my breath as my insurance doesn't cover Emergency room visits and their related charges. Until then I will continue to find a way to get around Canada's strict immigration policies that discriminate on age and US citizenship.
@Cris Ilton
Yes, NOT 78 and not running for President. See how it is different?
Bernie should have been president now. Alas, it looks like it's going to be Warren. Thanks Bernie for all you have done for our nation. I wish you a full recovery, but it looks like you have to take care of your health first, and your family.
15
@Joe
If Warren gets nominated, Trump will win in 2020. You may cheer her but I wonder if you would still cheer when voters disillusioned by the harshness of reality turn away from Democrats.It is known that Trump supporters are enticed by alpha male personas. This include those who appeal to the public because they seem original--Warren has not been consistent in her claims to earn the merit of authenticity. On a whole, the public does not easily forget when someone lies, despite no one talking about her tendency to fib. Electing the 'new' Warren based on her gender and endorsement from the mainstream media may boost the lefties' ego ride. But I am afraid, her win will be a myopic ride. General public views her as an elite who conjures the likeness to Hillary. Warren is a chameleon who has the backing of the mainstream media behind her. Those right wings look for appeasement towards their reality. Despite the mainstream attempt to turn a blind eye to Warren's flaws, those public 'off the grid' kind don't see her as one who is a part of their reality.
1
For those of you who haven't had someone close to you or you yourself have a cardiac stent procedure, the procedure is over in about an hour but you are pretty much immobilized for the first 12 hours and very sore for 24 hours from the site of the insertion of the catheter that sets the stent/s in place. Sleep the first night is problematic and as soon as you do slip into sleep, an orderly is there to draw a blood sample, followed up an hour later by another who administers an EKG. You are sore and not ready for Prime Time for at least a few days,
4
I had an arterial blockage requiring stents. The accepted name for this event, as I understand it, is “heart attack”. I’m still alive and functional, or so, at least, I maintain.
9
A 78 year old man with confirmed coronary artery disease and stents can lead an extremely active life, can run a business, work as a senator, head an organization. What he should not do is take on the extreme stress and duress of being president of the United States. It is that simple. I think most voters will think this as well.
22
People of all ages get stents, so that alone isn't disqualifying for me. That being said, I still think being President in your 80s is really a stretch. I would really prefer someone a bit younger as the position is so stressful. But best wishes to the Senator and hopefully he is feeling much better after this.
12
The average weight time for a high priority angioplasty in Ontario Canada is 14 days. Bernie got his procedure for one clogged artery done in one night. He totally benefited from the US based system and shorter wait times for people of affluence. Just saying.
6
@Arch
People of affluence get good medical care in any country. Skid Row Bernie would have died in the US system. Poor Bernie might have died wishing he was on the waiting list in ONT. Blue collar Bernie would be worrying how to pay the bills and considering bankruptcy assuming he has insurance.
I would not wish the US medical system on anyone. It is not the best in the world. Canada and Germany are far better. And yes, I have experienced all 3.
@Arch -
14 days for an ongoing heart attack?
Simply not true.
Get out Bernie. Your body is talking to you. Listen to it.
17
Nice hit job Times, a stent procedure is simply that, a procedure, not even surgery. He'll likely feel 20 years younger from it. It is an out and out lie to say Sanders campaign is in question or trouble. You guys are starting to sound like Politico for Christ's sake...
33
You’re wrong, CAD at his age is very serious and we certainly would want a president this age with cardiac issues.
9
zero chance of staying it the race
5
Just a quick pit stop. He'll come roaring out of the pits back onto the track with even more vigor. Put the pedal down! Go, Bernie, go!
19
The New York Times quickly flashed the news of Bernie's huge money haul yesterday and then disappeared it. Let me guess that this will remain on the front page in a very prominent place for the next 2 weeks.
21
Are arteries not the vessels through which blood flows from the heart to other organ tissues? The caption under a depiction of an artery suggests that blood flows from the arteries to the heart.
@Bluegorilla -
These are the arteries that supply blood to power the heart. When they get a blood clot blocking them—that is a heart attack. Without the oxygen that the blood provides, some of the heart muscle begins dying.
As mentioned in the article, it looks age is coming to his brain for Joe Biden, which is much more serious.
5
Why is ‘raising questions about his candidacy’ added to the title? Gossip news?
18
Bernie is way too old and too socialist to be president
8
Stints are an improvement to physical health. Think about it; Bernie was already the most competent candidate along side Tulsi Gabbard before the stints, and now he has MORE oxygen to his brain!
Now compare THAT to a finasteride-saturated orange rock with NPD?
10
All that finger pointing puts a great strain on the heart.
5
Biden and Harris are going all the way. No socialist will get elected.
4
@as
Harris is a nonstarter. Check out her record as DA and Cali AG. She is not even close to being fit. We need someone who will not discriminate based upon skin color/gender and will not violate peoples' rights.
Since the article discusses septuagenarian Presidential candidates, why wasn’t 73 year-old Trump mentioned?
18
Call me both ageist and aged (I'm fourscore) so I should not be totally ignored on this topic of discussion.
They are good and decent men, Bernie and Joe. But they should not be President of the United States of America. Neither should The Donald, although he is neither decent nor good nor even human, for that matter.
The country needs a fresh infusion of youthful energy and ideas. These will never be found North of 75. That's just the way it is. Ps-s-s-st, I know this to be true. It's not just me on the downslope of the age curve; it's my friends and family, too.
12
Bernie's out, soon to be followed by Biden. Warren 2020
3
Hazardous occupation. Wilson: stroke, incapacitated. Roosevelt: HTN, massive stroke, probably MIs. Reagan: Alzheimer's dementia while President. Nixon: Psych breakdown while President Clinton: coronary Art. Disease, cardiac stents. Dick Cheney ( arguably running the White House during Bush's Presidency/Iraq War): numerous MIs, several stents, CABG - now has heart transplant. I am sure there are many more that I dont know about. ( The mental functioning incapacities are what concern me!).
5
It's time for the three septuagenarians Bernie, Biden, and Warren to step aside; it's for the good of the country.
4
O Father in Heaven - I pray a speedy recovery for Mr. Sanders. But with all due respect to Thee, Thy did but smite the wrong candidate.
20
Get well soon, Senato Sanders! You are not my first choice, but I very much respect your convictions and the city vigor and stamina you are showing. I find the Times’ coverage of Sanders, Biden, Warren, and Pelosi ageist and I suspect their main crime is to not belong to the demographic the newspaper’s advertisers find appealing. I’d rather be led by senior citizens who have lived out their principles rather than plausible, manicured Yuppies. And of course the caveats about age never are addressed to the Republican President and his behavior, only to the Democrats who whatever their differences are men and women of conviction and honor.
7
Congratulations to Bernie for making it to 78 before he needled a stent....and congratulations to Big Pharma for giving us stents in the first place.
1
@Diogenes The first stent was patented in 1972 by Robert A. Ersek, MD based on work he had done in animals in 1969 at the University of Minnesota. Not Big Pharma.
16
Get better Bernie.
That said, this election is reminding me of the Mel Brooks movie The Producers. You know when the young ladies are dancing with their walkers. Maybe for the next debate, Bernie, Biden and Warren, you know?
Oh, come on it's funny.
1
Dear Bernie, I love you!! Your chutzpah, your determination, your unrelenting fight to make democracy work for all of us has changed the whole focus of progressive politics.
Recover quickly & rock on, Dude.
24
wish him well in his retirement-
1
Bernie Sanders with stents or Donald Trump becoming increasingly unhinged? I prefer Bernie ASAP.
12
Bernie, you rolled the ball all the way up hill and now you can watch the fruits of your labor ripen and nourish our country. Relax, your dreams will come.
3
This is a sign. He needs to quit!
2
Even with his heart problems, Sanders is infinitely more fit to be President than Trump, who has no heart.
20
BSB has never had a real job, is a socialist and would be a disaster for out wonderful country!
3
I'll credit Bernie for starting a movement and motivating a new generation of young voters.. But I hope he decides to sit this one out, rest and retire. Furthermore, Joe Biden is just about out of gas too. We do we put are political future in the hands of old people? If Joe and Bernie were to drive a car, I guarantee they'd drive 45 mph on the freeway with the left blinker on...
Elizabeth Warren can carry the torch from here .. YOU GO GIRL!
11
The news reports of the stent procedure for Mr. Sanders fail to mention that with increased blood flow from the stent opening a blood vessel, the whole body then receives more blood. In turn, overall vigor increases in the patient. So we may expect a re-energized Mr. Biden to emerge from his stent procedure.
3
@John Fuller why would Biden be energized by Bernie’s stents?
3
@Ginger My error. It should've read "Mr. Sanders."
1
Our story..4 years ago. Loss of endurance the tell. No pain, loss of endurance. Internist James J. Heffernan MD BIDMC, informed late Thursday, called 7:15 Friday: take Mrs. Lewis to UVM ER ASAP. Do not leave her alone. Arrived at nine. Tests. Diagnosis: 3 stents. Left ventricle. Monday offered. I said, if not Saturday, it’s BIDMC. Saturday then scheduled. 3 stents. Dr. Wm. Terrien showed a film of his work. Barbara Lewis was home Sunday night. With renewed vigor. Oxygen level up. Nearing 84, she’s going strong. Incredible. Stents medicated to deal with clotting. Six month exams are good practice. Patient discomfort indicates heart damage.
Bernie Sanders had a heart attack. That is what an artery blockage of the heart is. Instead of parroting press release, it might be reasonable to take the time to have this information reviewed by a medical professional. Words matter.
I don’t dislike Sanders and outcomes after heart attack can vary, but reporting this as an “artery blockage” is misleading because people don’t know what that means.
9
@jess The EKG’s and the serial enzymes will document a myocardial infarction. If one displays cardiac symptoms such as angina or an anginal equivalent and is stented before an MI can develop, there will be no tissue damage.
5
An artery blockage is not necessarily a heart attacking if taken care of early enough, with no ischemia and no damage to the cardiac muscle. That being said, Bernie out!!!
2
@jess
You can have artery blockage without a heart attack. You can't have a heart attack without an artery blockage.
Stop lying to people and open a biology book.
6
Whether or not he stays in the race, Bernie is a good egg and I hope this will be the last of his medical emergencies for a long while.
10
You know who's a better version of Bernie Sanders? Andrew Yang. He's basically Bernie 2.0. Check him out if you've never heard of him. He's the leader we need for our future.
3
Thank you, as this is the one spot of humor in all this. Yang is Bernie 2.0? Yang has no experience, no policy beyond his Willy-Wonka $1,000-a-month plan (which has no details, so what stops, say, your landlord from raising your rent $1,001 a month?) and no history of supporting workers, the marginalized, the left behind. Comparing Sanders to Yang just reminds me what a trivial, self-aggrandizing fraud Yang is, and how Sanders is still the best progressive choice for 2020 and our survival. Even with a stent in a vein, Bernie has more heart, nerve and brains than every other glad-handing smooth-talking ex-republican sleazy-cheezy-breezy Neo-liberal Democratic candidate for President. Andrew Yang is a future Trivial Pursuit answer at best; please keep his name away from Mr. Sanders.
1
Bless you Bernie. You have fought for people like me, and for my family, your whole life.
Of course the Democratic Party hopes you will go away so that there's no one left to ask impolite questions of the oligarchs, Wall Street crooks, and poseurs who profit from government.
May you be back in the fray as soon as possible.
14
I hope Sanders will not be consummately selfish and continue to run. He needs to step aside for someone younger and healthier. I can't stand his policies but if I had to choose, Elizabeth Warren has the same terrible economics but can take out the current president without dying of a heart attack.
5
Pain indicates damage. Loss of energy is the tell. Moving quickly avoids tissue damage. Stents increase oxygen flow. The left ventricle was pivotal in our case. That’s the widow maker. For detail, call us. We will spell it out. Step by step. UVM has a good surgeon with experience. We used him. Do not delay.
2
Mr. Sanders works relentlessly for the country, god bless him, and hope he gets the good rest and is back on his feet, smiling big and beautiful!
7
Dear Bernie,
I hope you read the comments here and feel how much people love you and care for you.
So well deserved this love is! You gave us so much and we can only write about how much we love you and want you to get well soon.
As a scientist, I wish I could know the amount of energy that such love could pass on to you but I am still trying to understand quantum gravity :-).
Anyways, hope you are resting well and will come back to us more invigorated than ever.
Be well my dear favorite politician ever. We are all praying for you, my choreographer wife, my violinist daughter, and my architect daughter. We all love you.
9
Had two stents in 2015. Now 73 and feel great. Power walk six days a week. Doing a 3 day, 10 mile a day walk for breast cancer at the end of the month. The procedure will only make Bernie feel better.
7
I am an employment discrimination attorney. I represent people who have been discriminated against because of their ages.
People writing comments don’t even realize how discriminatory their remarks are when they say that they don’t want candidates who are in their 70s. Do they realize this is like saying, for instance, I don’t want candidates who are black? Or I don’t want candidates who are females?
Do the comparisons seem inappropriate? they’re not. In each example, all people in a certain demographic are being lumped together as if they all share similar characteristics.
Not all people in their 70s are unfit to be president, even if you, the writer, happen to be in your 70s and happen to feel worn out.
Some people at a much younger age are already too unhealthy to serve in an executive capacity. I believe Warren Buffett is well past his 70s and is still doing a great job.
Take a moment and think about what age discrimination is. It is pre-judging people about their abilities, based on their age. As we know, there is not always a direct correlation between the two. The federal age discrimination in employment act was meant to protect against exactly the type of stereotyping that we see in these well-meaning comments.
Decide whether Bernie Sanders is healthy enough to run for president. But don’t base it on his age.
Stop unfairly discriminating based on age. (I am in my mid-60s and have been representing victims of age discrimination for about 35 years.
16
@Scott O’Pottomus Thank you for this. I stand chastised ( and I am an Internal Medicine MD).
5
I wish him well. This incidence gives support to my proposal that there must be an upper age limit to run for president. We are talking about, mentally and physically, the most challenging and taxing job on this planet. It is for a much younger man or women. I am to be 81 soon, in perfect health. I spend 2 to 2.5 hours at the gym every day. But, I am also aware of the fact that I am not physically and mentally the same person I was when I was at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 75. When we are 65+, anything can happen any day and any time, the older we are the higher that probability. We cannot fight the dictates of our biology. Let us hope that Bernie will take this call seriously, end his campaign and enjoy his remaining years with his family. The same goes for Biden and Trump.
5
I’m an admirer of Bernie but not the “Bernie-Or-Bust” mantra of many oh his followers. By sitting out the 2016 election, they may have helped put Trump in the WH. We cannot afford to have a single eligible Democratic voter sit this one out. Look around you, the stakes are too high. (And yes, I understand that Hillary didn’t run a great campaign—nobody does when s/he loses).
5
Ms. Clinton lost on her own, no help required. Voters Suppression also didn't help. But suggesting Bernie Sanders voters made Ms. Clinton lose is a disingenuous lie created by corporatist 'Democrats' who badmouth a Fighter while money from the financial services businesses and private insurance companies Mr. Sanders would regulate, tax or destroy floods their pockets.
@JJR I would rather have a “corporatist ‘Democrat’” in the WH than Trump any day. Bernie is worth millions and owns several houses. That’s rich for a Socialist. Progressives can’t even decide amongst themselves what to have for breakfast. We know what good came out of the Bolshevik Revolution. Not much. I agree that we need to get corporations out of our government, shut down lobbyists, provide affordable universal health care, strict gun control, and a new Green Deal. But it is not a “disingenuous lie” that many Democrats sat out the election, not just Sanders supporters, because Hillary didn’t have the correct Progressive credentials and she was too monied. This is a tired and pointless argument. Bernie is 78 (and Biden 76), and he has a tired heart. Slogans don’t win elections. Votes do. A few more in Wisconsin, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, and we wouldn’t have had this Living Nightmare of Donald Trump.
1
Not to trivialize this operation, particularly at his age, but non-emergency stent placement is an outpatient operation these days. I predict Bernie will be back on the campaign in a week.
6
Most politicians really are retired when you see how little they contribute to our country.
Bernie is a exception as his ideas have really taken hold.
9
I am a "yuge" Bernie fan. I think the DNC stole the nomination from him in 2016.
But I was beginning to worry he was too old for 2020.
Now, based on all the comments I've read here, I see I was wrong. He is not too old - the problem has been ageism (including my own).
Commenters say they want someone robust and energetic -- that's Bernie?
We should not be speculating about Bernie's prognosis. My father had two heart stents put in a few weeks ago -- he stayed overnight in the hospital for precaution and has otherwise had no ill affects.
As the doctors cited in the article and comments note, the stents themselves aren't an issue -- a person with stent(s) can in fact be healthier then those without.
I'd be very happy to have Elizabeth Warren as president. I'd be happy to have anyone except the repugnant orange one win in 2020. But if Bernie wants to keep fighting -- I'm going back to supporting him. I'm not going to second guess his health based on ageism or medical-procedure-ism. Sometimes stents are just stents. Please stop all the un-informed speculation.
7
The contrast in language and drama between the coverage of Bernie's cardiac condition and Hillary Clinton's brief cold during her campaign speak volumes to the gender bias surrounding issues of age and illness. Bernie is older than Clinton and his condition is more serious. But where the NyTimes discussion around Clinton was bloated with hyperbole, the discussion of Bernie is technical and bland.
7
My husband had 3 stents in his arteries Sept. 13th and 16th, one was 95% blocked, one was 85% blocked and his LAD artery was 80% blocked. He went home the next day and is fully recovered in less than a week.
7
I hope Bernie gets better—and then fails to get the nomination. The candidate whose age is really affecting him most, at least mentally, is Joe Biden. And that’s the area where it matters most. It’s not ageism to point out that aging will have an impact on you. But people age differently. We have to judge case-by-case. Seeing as Klobuchar won’t be the nominee, and certainly not Delaney, Joe Biden is the only candidate remaining who isn’t intent on allowing the leftist zeitgeist to dictate every move he makes and every word he speaks.
But what kind of mental shape will Biden be in in three or four years? With Bernie, age-related cognitive decline is marginally noticeable; but with Biden it’s blatant, notwithstanding the fact that’s he’s never been the sharpest, most on-point speaker.
I sometimes wonder what Kamala Harris would be like in a more moderate political environment. She seems to be faking it, to an extent, much as Hillary Clinton was in 2016, trying to appease our vocal leftists. What seems to be true is that we’re headed to a place where lavish social spending and near-isolationist foreign policy will be expected from the voters.
The consequences of both will be felt in the future. Let’s see what Iraq, with its growing economy, looks like the next 10 years, and then let’s see what Syria looks like in the same timeframe. American “imperialism” will be missed, perhaps, only when the ultimate consequences of its absence are clear, much as with fiscal rectitude.
One artery blocked means that other arteries have plaque inside them. When plaque tears off the artery wall, it narrows or blocks the artery and can flip off a clot which can cause problems downstream. Plaque in the arteries to the brain can break off and cause a stroke. Not a good sign. If I were Elizabeth Warren I'd have a carotid ultrasound and if it's normal I'd publicize that fact: no clots to the brain, no stroke.
2
President Warren can use Labor Secretary Sanders input when crafting domestic policy.
1
I thought it was nice how our president said that even though we are on different sides of the aisle and we may be campaigning against each other that he wishes him a speedy recovery.
2
It's disingenuous to say this has raised questions about his candidacy. Stents are routine heart procedures that about a million people undergo every year.
6
He is a fine person and I wish him well. Half of him would be better than many, although there are many worthy candidates vying for the nomination.
1
I hope Bernie gets well.
He is keeping Warren more honest than she might otherwise be.
And honestly, Warren is different to Bernie on foreign policy and taking corporate money in the general election, which she has said she plans to do.
Warren is not the same as Bernie.
8
The only reason Mr. Sanders finds himself in the position of having to use a stopgap measure to save his life from a preventable disease is because the public, as well as physicians, are not being properly informed about our animal based diet. But this is to be expected in a for profit system of governance where all are equally sacrificed upon the alter of capitalism.
Additionally, so what if Mr. Sanders is of advanced age. He is still better than the alternatives and may have the sense to understand that if the oligarchy is not incline to help save the America people from its illicit greed who, or what, is going to save the oligarchy? Or, does the oligarchy falsely believes that it can simply create its own version of "Elysium", or some dystopian society and live happily ever after?
We need Sanders to continue, or someone who, at least, understands that infinite growth models ultimately cannot survive in Nature!
I'm very sorry to hear this, and I hope he is doing well. Bernie Sanders is a remarkable man. He has done a lot for the state of Vermont, for the Democratic Party, and for our country. He is an extremely intelligent man who has a remarkable level of compassion for the people he serves. He has incredible integrity. Thank goodness there are people like him in Washington in these days, when it is all too easy to give in to cynicism and despair. I can't help wondering if this means the end of his campaign, and that it may be time for him to slow down. If so, I hope he throws his support behind Elizabeth Warren. I also hope he stays on as our beloved senator.
4
Part of the medical costs for the stenting procedure performed on Sanders will be paid for by Medicare. Insofar as he has highlighted improving US medical coverage, it should be pointed out that a secondary medical carrier is needed to pay for that part not covered by the goverment. Unfortunately, those without any medical insurance may incur crippling expenses for this and similar procedures.
3
I've said this before -- Bernie is too old to be running for President, and he needs to get out of the way of more viable candidates. Yes, he's got a decent platform, but so do other Democratic candidates.
5
This is not certainly a big issue. Hope he recovers soon. However he must be very careful about side affects.
I don’t understand why people in the age group of 40 - 50 are given chance to contest at high level all over the globe. I hardly find a few young people like Canada P.M and New Zealand P.M.
Bernie Sanders is a great man, who wants to do something good for the people of his country but a long way to go anyway.
I wish him not only speedy recovery but success as well.
1
I love Bernie's commitment and idealism,but I doubt he will be nominated as the Dem candidate. It's not easy getting old and Bernie does more than most people in their 70's. I wish him well. He's an important voice in our government whether you agree with him or not. I hope he will live many more years and add his views as a Senator at the very least.
1
As a healthy vigorous 76 year old, I feel for Bernie and for all of us. Bernie stands head and shoulders above the other candidates in my estimate, but he may not be able to complete the campaign. We should heed his voice. If EW is the candidate she should heed his voice. We cannot make the needed reforms without grassroots support, and we need leaders who can rally and focus that support. Yes medicare for all in Bernie's vision and a green new deal. That's what we need and we deserve leaders like Bernie to help get us there.
4
I disagree with Bernie on almost every issue. However, I respect and value his honesty and consistency.
Time to take a moment away from the news cycle and wish him a speedy recovery.
8
Bernies voters are more aligned with Warren. If Bernie drops out for which I think he has to now after his medical emergency Warren gains. Trump has not mentioned Warren's name in months because he wants to run against her. Warren knocks off Biden Trump runs against Warren. Warren wins the popular vote but Trump wins The Electoral Collge and the Nightmare continues. Taking Company-sponsored healthcare from 180 million workers sure ain't a winning game plan to win in 2020. Sure hope I am wrong.
2
I had a stent placed in my left coronary artery about 2 weeks ago. I never had a history of cardiovascular disease and actually passed my recent physical with flying colors. Needless to say, these events are not always obvious or predictable. I feel much better physically since receiving the stent and my overall energy level is significantly higher. My cardiologist emphasized the importance of following up the procedure with cardio-rehabilitation, which involves various heart rate elevating exercises while a nurse monitors your blood pressure, heart rate and ekg. I do this 3 times a week and will continue for at least several more months. Apparently, health outcomes are significantly improved by following this kind of regimen. Each person is different, but stress can contribute to and exacerbate cardiovascular disease. I can’t imagine subjecting myself to the kind of stress endured during a political campaign that’s taxing for a completely healthy individual. On the other hand, I have friends who have received stents and we’re back on the tennis court in a week or 2.
3
The title says his episode is "raising questions about his candidacy" which is not true. There has always been a bias against Bernie and favoritism toward Warren. Bernie is fine. He'll be better than ever.
8
We are contemporaries. I had a stent placed in my right coronary artery in May. I fortunately got to the hospital quickly. The procedure was done as soon as I arrived at Brigham and Woman's Hospital one of the best cardiac centers in the country.
I followed up with weeks of cardiac rehab under supervision using treadmills and ellipticals and "graduated" this week after 26 sessions. I feel much stronger, I am able to walk the 5 flights of stairs with ease rather than taking the elevator. My energy level has greatly improved and I continue to work part-time managing a convenience store in my senior complex. The psychological support from my family and at cardiac rehab. was priceless and Medicare and Mass. Blue Cross completely covered the cost of over $70k. Bernie will probably have to come to terms with the new reality and may resist the idea of withdrawing. My advise is to be an active voice but let the younger candidates have their turn at this Circus Maximus. If he is on Plavix, a blood thinner, that may require some lifestyle changes but the trade is small.
Good Luck Senator. 50 years ago we would have been a statistic.
3
I was alive for 29 years before any politician inspired me enough to pay attention. 40 now and Bernie remains an inspiration. I hope he recovers soon.
7
This will end his and Biden's candidacy as well as Bernie. His supporters will mostly go for Warren. Now all we have to worry about is the 70 year plus old Warren. Most effective world leaders come into their positions in their 50s. Just look at global corporations who are good at picking effective, experienced and educated leaders. All three front running Democrats would fail to make the cut.
2
@Tammy Are you the great Criswell? I supported Bernie 2016 and support him now. He will be back better than ever. I would rather vote for a piece of paper than the hypocritical, lying Warren.
3
For those who are anxious to see older candidates exit the stage anyway, this news will support their concerns whether they're warranted or not.
I wouldn't be surprised if Sen. Sanders reappears on the campaign trail in the not-too-distant future with even more gusto than he had before. After all, he'll just be getting more air. Glad he can keep on fighting for us!
4
While wishing him the best, waiting times for stents in the UK can be weeks and for CABG’s months. He is the beneficiary of a system upon which he has only heaped scorn, and yet Sanders is a beneficiary of US health care and innovation.
I saw a bit of film of Bernie at a "Cosmopolitan" magazine event from past few days (I think Stephen Colbert used it in his Mon. monolog [maybe]).
Anyway, the first thing I thought was ... Bernie didn't look good.
At all. He was so very red in face, and I wondered if room was wicked hot or what.
With this news, aha, there is clarity ... expect he's been feeling 'less than' for a while now, and this was the culprit.
Wishing him a full & uncomplicated recovery.
5
I wonder if Bernie realizes that his lifelong consumption of animal products was largely responsible for his atherosclerosis? Essentially, his atherosclerosis is an indictment of his environmental policies, as well. The almost universal government support of farm subsidies that are used to lower the cost of animal products to consumers also results in more total greenhouse gas pollution than all the US transportation industry combined.
Regardless, I wish him well and a speedy recovery.
3
Reading below all the accolades and praises to Senator Sanders, let's not delude ourselves. There is no way the American electorate will vote Bernie into the Oval Office now.
While I hope the Senator's health improves and he lives for many more years -- his condition indicates he is neither equipped to continue a strenuous campaign over the next fourteen months nor then serve in the high-pressure office of President for four years.
5
I hope he's comfortable, resting, and that the stents foster better health and well being. I do hope that during this time of recuperation, he is whole heartedly considering (absolutely no pun intended) that now may be a good time to step out of the race, for his benefit and for the better of the country, leaving the way for a younger and more robust candidate to harness the reigns.
I've felt from the beginning of the primary race that he and Biden are past the tipping point of an acceptable age to run. I don't mean to be insensitive or callous of his circumstance, but this just confirms my better instincts.
Elizabeth Warren can certainly pick up the baton and run with might and certainty. At 70 she appears bright, energetic and vibrant, and if she picks a good Veep to run along with her she'd be well on her way. (Cory Booker please!)
But to Bernie, thank you sir for all you've done and all you do, and please valiantly consider stepping off the campaign trail.
6
I worry less about Bernie Sanders as a candidate than I do about those who refuse to say anything about the state of their health through the grueling - and seemingly eternal - campaign season. Two stents do not mean the end of a man's political career. After all, we have others in the race with far more severe histories of heart issues, etc. who have made nary a mention of their health concerns OR age.
It hardly seems unusual that a person might need a bit of medical attention and a few days' rest after campaigning and working non-stop for almost five years on the campaign trail. Bernie is human, after all, not an automaton.
1
Trust that Bernie will recover soon. His wit and candor are needed to keep everyone focused on what's really important.
2
Bernie you are a great guy, but not the one for this moment. Do the right thing this time and strongly mobilize your adoring fan base around Liz Warren. Sanders and Biden are just too old for this gig. Warren is on the edge, but appears to be indefatigable. Personally I would want someone younger, but she seems to be the right one for this urgent challenge. BTW, I am 69, a lean and mean athlete and in the 95th + percentile for physical and mental condition in my cohort, and in no way do I feel up to this particular job.
5
I wish Bernie well, as much as I do not support his policies. However the irony of someone who just benefitted from a short wait time in the ER—at least partly due to a less-used private system—advocating a public system is inescapable.
1
I had a stent placed in a small coronary artery in late June after experiencing recurrent 'chest discomfort' (angina) while exercising. I had suspected cardiac problems for about a year and viewed the procedure in positive terms. I was relieved, thinking the problem would be 'solved' and I could begin my 69th year healthier than before. And while my cardiologist assures me this is the case, the post-procedure medication regimen - prescribed to decrease blood pressure, heart rate, blood's clotting capacity and 'bad' cholesterol - was a shock to my system. Think epic nose bleeds, frequent bouts of dizziness, a persistent tiredness and joint and muscle pain that led me to stop taking a statin 20 years ago. Most of these side effects decreased with time and decreased doses of these life-saving medications. But I still don't have the energy I had before the medications started and the statin-induced aches and pains are tolerable but not pleasant.
Recommendations for Bernie - While the procedure is itself remarkably benign, the post-procedure treatment program may not be. Give your 78 year old body time to adjust to the medications, bring any side effects to the attention of your doctor and don't be surprised if you tire easily, especially in next month or two. I'd suggest that you take a month, maybe two, off to make sure that your body is ready to re-enter the stress and physical challenges of a presidential campaign.
Good luck. You've done a great service to the country.
1
Bernie Sanders is the most consequential politician since Ronald Reagan. He has changed the conversation in the Democratic Party from GOP Lite and timid incrementalism to full-throated progressivism in the proud tradition of FDR and Harry Truman.
I look forward to the senator’s return to the campaign trail and the resumption of his fight on behalf of everyday people.
6
I wish Sen. Sanders a full and speedy recovery. He owes it to himself, his family and the Democratic Party to end his candidacy immediately.
2
I’m the same age as Sanders. I’ve had 2 scents inserted on 2 occasions. It was almost a non-event. I was home in a day or so and felt much better. Back to all my usual activities. Able to swim a mile comfortably
1
I am the same age as Bernie, 78. I never had heart trouble either, until about 8 weeks ago. I was sobered by my experience, am taking a new medication, and am adapting to the new normal. I would not want to be running for President, let alone face the prospect of going at full strength for 4 years serving in office. I wish Bernie would step out of the presidential race. And honestly, I think Biden is too old, too. Both will make excellent senior statesmen and advisers to the next Democratic president!
4
The Times does not appear to like Sanders.
...casting uncertainty over a candidacy already struggling to win new voters?
The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders raised $25.3 million from 1.4 million individual donations in the third quarter of 2019, the largest fundraising quarter of any 2020 Democratic White House contender thus far.
This sets a new all-time record for small donations in American politics, eclipsing the previous records set by President Obama during his 2008 and 2012 campaigns when he reached the million donation mark at later stages in those campaigns.
7
Not going to waste my time anymore watching these "debates," which are seemingly mostly opportunities for celebrity "broadcast journalists" to preen and for each candidate to try to get a couple of words/points in edge-wise.
31
@Cowboy Marine Sorry...wrong article...meant for the 12 candidates qualify for next debate piece.
Best wishes. Such stents have done wonders for many people I've known, especially when done early enough to avoid heart damage, as it seems here.
When are candidates are in their 70s, as are Warren, Sanders, and Trump, we've got to expect some of this.
The wonder is that people under such stress have not had more of it, and some of the younger ones too.
27
Don’t think you need to worry about Trump. Yes- I would worry about Sanders and Biden. You saw what Trump did Hillary back during the 2016 campaign.
I "lubs me sum" Bernie Sanders. So much so that I would love to see him as a two term President.
However, I myself am 71 years old, also in "good health" such that I can do the math. Bernie is now 78. If elected, he would be
80 in his first year in office. If he were to be a two term president, clearly, he would be 88 years old the last year of his Second Term.
Functionality at different ages must be taken on a case-by-case basis, but we do know that MOST people pushing ninety ARE struggling with physical and mental decline and decrepitude.
Elizabeth Warren is now 70. If she won the election, Elizabeth would turn age 72 six months into her first year in office. If she had two terms, Warren would turn 80 during her last year in office.
Elizabeth understands Bernie's Platform and differs only slightly in many aspects. Warren not only *understands, but literally *terrifies Wall Street, which I find to be one of her most admirable qualities.
Bernie would be my *first choice, but Bernie is now a calculated gamble !
Going too young with a candidate, however, includes the *obvious reduction in human wisdom earned only BY "time in grade".
I think Elizabeth Warren qualifies "just under the wire" on the question of age. I like Mayor Pete, but he is clearly a candidate for "later on".
I love Bernie, but I don't want to gamble on him expiring in office when he refuses to "pace himself" on the campaign trail in an effort to make people forget he is almost 80 *now.
32
@Nominae
Just a further confirmation of why a President should pick a quality VP running mate, not Trump who picked a candidate just to attract votes.
If Barack Obama was a candidate for "later on," give me more of it. Please!
1
I wish him well but this brings up the age issue with him and Biden. Hopefully it helps Warren.
19
My dad had a triple bypass surgery because of a blockage and then went on to live eight more years only to commit suicide. Ironic and hardly a reason to count Bernie out.
15
my ex has had several singular stent operations; it has worn him down and I wish he would retire and enjoy whatever time he has left.
1
I am truly sorry to hear about your Dad, but his story is "hardly a reason to count Bernie in either."
1
Did he get immediate treatment using the evil Capitalist system or did he have to be put on a list and wait a few months like a Socialist system?
32
@Ilpalazzo :
I'm assuming this was rated like the emergency it is-same as it would be in Canada, Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, etc etc. All of those countries have first rate cardiac cath labs and treat emergencies immediately.
4
Which system do you refer to? My experience with emergency care in the UK and Italy was immediate and excellent. Additionally I knew everyone in my community was receiving excellent care. Win win.
5
Clearly, you need to learn more about how universal public healthcare actually works. Moreover, at Bernie's age, he will benefit from "socialized" treatment for his current condition, just as you probably will when and if you turn 65.
Facts! They're so darned inconvenient.
7
maybe with his change of heart, he won't be such a fan of Hugo Chavez' policies going forward
11
“None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs. Medicare for All!” -Bernie Sanders
5
@KR how is that working out in Venezuela?
Oh. They are starving. And fleeing.
1
If it were not for for profit drug and medical devices stents and other life saving miracles would not be available. Bernie Sanders should have refused the stents on principle. He could have showed those nasty terrible capitalists how a true socialist lives.
14
You do realize most research isnt paid for by the drug companies and medical device companies, dont you? That research is paid for by grants they get from the US government. Taxpayor dollars, otherwise.
5
@Reader In Wash, DC ....The first use of a coronary stent is typically attributed to Jacques Puel and Ulrich Sigwart when they implanted a stent into a patient in Toulouse, France, in 1986. Oops.
4
@Reader In Wash,
You seem to be confusing the need for health care with over-pricing by corporations. In fact, in Canada and most of the rest of the western world, health care is socialized.
Your comment makes no sense whatsoever.
4
The stars keep shining on Elizabeth Warren.
19
She can’t win.
2
He has ok ideas and wonderful ambition but his opportunity passed a decade or two ago. It’s time to bow out.
19
Barry Sanders would have been waitlisted in Canada. Average time: 8 weeks in BC; 36 in Quebec. Last year 12 people died in Quebec while waitlisted for surgery. And that’s in Canada. We generally do socialized medicine well. Under his plan he’d have had it much worse. Except that he’s a big deal politico so he’d have jumped the queue.
As a US senator, he has access to the best docs in the country, in real time, and for free. Under his plan, no private insurance, no choice of docs, or real time service.
You've got to love the hypocrisy.
27
Cardiac surgery wait times depend on urgency and are comparable toU.S. Ever try to get a quick appointment in the US with a neurosurgeon, or neurologist or an orthopedist for that matter. You can't.
4
@Dred -- one can safely assume that Sanders was seen on an emergency basis. Do they have a 36 week wait to get into the ER in Quebec?
4
Time out. What if he was more like the Average (uninsured) American? Let’s not pretend like he is a typical civilian trying to make ends meet who was saved by our awesome healthcare system. If it were me or any other one of the tens of millions who are uninsured in the United States...it would be a death sentence.
If we get Medicare for all, others who are not so famous will not get the same treatment. They will be judged to be too old. Same for dialysis. Bernie does not have the same coverage he wants for the rest of us in the barnyard.
16
@Idahodoc
Well, I have a veteran brother who recently passed away. He was also a teacher with great insurance and under a doctor’s care for heart issues - no stents, no by-pass, didn’t even recommend he get his teeth cleaned. He died under the private healthcare system. Medicare can’t be that bad. And why is it, some never receive proper care?
@Idahodoc ...Which of course explains why Canadians live longer than citizens of the U.S.? It would help if people who trash government-run single payer based their objections on facts.
2
The perils of aging, and the perils of the American diet.
But what is more perilous is losing Bernie's passionate, and humane voice in an American political ecosystem which trends not only toward toxicity, but cold aloofness toward the common person.
Bernie deeply understands the common person and is their most eloquent and energetic champion. May this most uncommon political sage experience a most uncommon recovery.
22
I would hardly call a raised voice humane but I don't know your background so maybe he sounds kind.
Bernie Sanders is a true American hero. He has changed the tone of political debate by making the issues of the poor and working class the center of the conversation. The Democratic Party had forgotten that people who work for a living and sometimes struggle was their real constituency for a long time. Bless Bernie for his efforts and may he make a full recovery soon.
26
@Barbara Elovic And yet he has never passed legislation. So what has he accomplished?
I am sorry to hear this about Senator Sanders and I wish him well.
I hope he posts the full bill from that hospital in Nevada as a public service and describes his government provided health insurance details that go with it.
How long did it take for the insurance company to pay the hospital? What did the Sanders family have to pay?
People from around the world could submit their own bills for similar services. Americans need to see the differences with their own eyes.
The reason Americans are still
not provided with quality national health care is because the whole medical system in the US is a patchwork shrouded in secrecy.
Reports that Americans like their
private health insurance are greatly exagerated by the fact that wealthier Americans probably do like their private health coverage, but most Americans are not wealthy.
I would like to see detailed experience descriptions from people who like their Health Insurance company. What do they pay? What does their employer pay? What has been their experience using it?
We can't have an honest duscussion about health care in the US until we completely understand the full range of
options that people have now.
Bernie would be doing us a real public service if he could submit
his experience to the NYT for an
investigative analysis. Examine everything line by line. Track each line item to where it leads,
forwards and backwards, from the supplier through the hospital
to the patient. Break down where the money goes.
20
I like Bernie and sincerely hope he recovers and feeling well soon. But this can’t be a surprise at this age. The average life expectancy is about 78 years. Aging is a fact of life.
The presidency is probably the most demanding job in the world. A job that requires the wisdom that comes with age and the energy that comes with youth. The “sweet spot” is likely somebody aged between 38 and 68.
10
@Ted A if Trump can do it, anyone can
He's far from my first choice, but I certainly respect a man who has fought this hard for people like me.
Get well soon, Senator.
18
My father had a heart attack at 77 and had some stents put in. He is now 92 and has never experienced any further heart trouble. Several doctors have commented here that Bernie's health is now actually a SAFER bet than some other candidates' because he will be carefully monitored and because stents actually do improve quality of life. Watch a video of Bernie playing basketball sometime. He is clearly healthier than Trump. My own heart is broken right now, but I'm thrilled that so many doctors are sure that he can recover and come back better than ever from this.
29
not your insurance covering all these over the top care, right?
He and Elizabeth Warren are not that far apart, ideologically. Best if he drops out. He has contributed to an enormous degree to the nation's understanding of important issues. And he will continue to, in some capacity.
10
He is the one.....have Warren as the VP. She can do it in four years.
3
15 years out on multiple stents, couldn't feel better. Aggressive three mile walk every other day, the only life change I experienced was feeling better and a more thoughtful diet. And, of course, I lived to see all sorts of wondrous events. Go Bernie!
25
I am saddened by this news. Bernie Sanders gives me inspiration. I went to see him speak here in Iowa. There were so many great people and ideas discussed that day.
I have wondered if his constant work load and traveling without rest, would take it's toll. I think fish oil makes the blood platelets pass through the arteries a little better, because it's slippery. The first company to ever come out with fish oil is Shaklee, with there Omega Guard. They did the research on Eskimos who ate whale blubber and would have a heart attach or stroke and not even know it, because of the fish oil repairing the torn artery immediately.
Bernie Sanders is loved by many, including me, I hope for a full recovery for him. He's got a lot of good in him. I'll never forget, when the 🐦 sparrow landed on his podium.
18
Get well Bernie. Your life is most important. But I’m afraid it will be the end of your presidential run. Clinton was pilloried for fainting. You gave us lots of progressive ideas that will move into the mainstream, and can help, when you feel better, support whichever Democratic candidates win the nominations for President and VP.
8
Senator Sanders is too old and sick to continue to run for President.
18
@Mike Murray MD
When did you examine him?
7
@Mike Murray MD too bad HRC hadn't followed that advice
1
Wishing Bernie all the best.
33
Joe, On The Downswing
Bernie, his endgame, spells trouble for Joe -
No youngster is he, tick-tock – watch him go–
No youngster, bye, bye; will he live out his term?
Could punch out his game, that’s our concern;
Health issues aside, those choppers are bright –
With a Hollywood smile Joe’s ready to fight -
‘Put up your dukes,” a youngster at heart –
He’ll battle the Trumpster till he falls apart,
Until the last inning, with mist in his brain
He’ll blunder again, he’s in the slow lane.
3
Very routine procedure these days, this is not a great concern. Good to see Sanders finally get some coverage in the NYT - and he didn't even have to die for it.
29
Just glad he had good health insurance...
10
@Norville T. Johnson
Yes. Your taxes paid for this stent.
Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.
15
I am wondering which people are more selfish--Sanders supporters who want him to continue despite a possible risk to his life (whether a disabling stroke or worse) or Sanders and his campaign staff who keep raising and spending money with this risk that could be used to support a Democratic candidate to defeat Trump.
3
@eeeeee Why do people who disagree just can't say "I disagree" and give the reason why instead of using bad words against the other person. I had older male relatives who pushed themselves for whatever reason to become got completely disabled with strokes which I wouldn't want for any other human being. Also. I see the hint of Senator Sanders being a martyr, putting himself on a cross of sorts for their political cult needs here which is chilling.
Bye-bye Bernie. Deserved or not, at your age you are now "damaged goods." The hard reality is the populace will now turn their heads towards another beginning today. They are looking for what, by knee-jerk reaction, they feel you can no longer deliver. Again, fair or not and your age and health will be THE story about you from here on out.
Be well and heal well, Bernie. But I think this just forced your hand into retirement.
6
LBJ and Ike has heart attacks and finished their presidencies. And medical care is far more advanced today. A bad break for Bernie—but he’ll be back.
12
I hope he gets better. Mick Jagger did pretty well after his heart surgery. Mick was trim and athletic before his surgery, however. Bernie is an energetic fellow, but I wonder how much real exercise he gets.
Wonder how Biden is feeling now. He must be praying for Bernie to get better too. For many reasons, like his own age, and the fact that if Bernie were forced to drop out for his health, he'd be toast against Warren.
4
@Patricia ,
There is only one Mick Jagger. Mick has produced two kids in his 70's.
1
@Jack I think a 12 month presidential campaign is a lot more strenuous than getting someone pregnant.
Well. Bernie is out. Joe Biden Is out, and it looks like Trump is out.
It's a conspiracy to get the old dudes out of running for being president of the most powerful nation in the world. (that's what everybody says)
It's reasonable to elect a younger person for the job.
6
Among Biden, Warren and Sanders, Sanders is the magnanimous one, this shows in his speeches. His fighting spirit seems genuine and he has been consistent in his claims--his policy is distinct from Warren's. It's a pity that he's facing some health issues,otherwise his genuineness is anytime more sincere than Warren or Biden. Scrutinizing Warren's tax plans shows that she leaves a lot of room in her tax policy and she has not consistent in her claims to make her a fighter against wall street. Warren seems more and more like a chameleon whose only eligibility appears to be largely shored up by the mainstream media.
17
Spot on.
5
Bernie Sanders has changed America for the better. Whatever he said about Castro, whatever Warren said about donations, despite her having been a Republican, and Bernie’s Independent streak (as many of us Bernie supporters have noted, his Independence was necessary because of the rightward swing of the Democratic Party over the past decades)—Sanders & Warren NOW make a wonderful team. Maybe they can’t run together because they’re both New Englanders. But, as a 2016 Bernie supporter who started out with Bernie as first choice for 2020 and is now seesawing with Bernie & Warren (she is much more “electable” in debates), I have written to both campaigns urging them to get Bernie & Liz together, to thrash out a plan to fight TOGETHER, not against each other. And now, whether a stent should make a difference or not, I urge Sanders & Warren voters to unite and work with both campaigns to ensure that we ALL defeat Trump. (I still would be overjoyed to watch Bernie being inaugurated—but, yes, maybe we do need him in the Senate. Long live his Medicare filibuster!)
10
I would have loved to see Bernie as the nominee in 2016, but I think his age is an issue this time. This should be the signal that it is time to put a wrap on the campaign and endorse a candidate.
The Presidency, Vice-Presidency, House, Senate, and all Federal Judgeships should have an age limit of 80 for service.
7
Some people seem old when they're young. Some people seem young when they're old. Bernie is ageless. I'm 55, and I love him, but it's my 4 kids (ages 18-23) who first told me about Bernie's health challenge via family group texts. They are so upset, and, to be honest, nearly devastated at the mere notion that he may not continue his presidential campaign. They love him and know him to be genuine, and trustworthy. They feel it deep down in their bones, and I agree.
27
The bare bones: Heart surgery on the campaign trail.
I guess there is a movie version that has him campaigning from a bed in Vermont with an amazing VP choice on the streets. But I'd have to say the reality is more somber: Stop the campaign, rest, recover. Even if Bernie gets well enough, the Republicans already know how to beat him.
Stepping down at this time will hardly be the moment that defines him.
2
By his demeanor in the last debate and elsewhere, Sen. Sanders appears to be a coronary event waiting to happen. He's lucky that this was caught and corrected, but he's tempting fate if he goes back on the trail and continues what looks more and more like a quixotic cause.
3
What would a mensch do? He'd acknowledge the great run he's had in his life, starting from modest means, turn the reins over to anther person who can make good use of his support and add his energies to making the Democratic Party come together for the fight ahead.
What would a politician do? He'd join in the denial used by his fans, insist that there's nothing to worry about, fit as a fiddle, can carry on his campaign exactly as he's done despite compelling evidence that his current candidacy is weaker than needed to win.
5
I wish him a speedy recovery.
My dad just had similar surgery. He is roughly Bernie's age. The recovery wasn't so easy. I think it is time to slow down, Bernie.
6
Bernie has been beating the same drum for 30 or 40 years, and he will forever be credited with bringing ideas regarding universal health care and income inequality into mainstream conversation. This is a monumental contribution.
Maybe time to move off of the front lines, ye great and noble old warrior.
Trump will relish and exploit any real or perceived weakness. Bernie deserves better. Bernie can continue to be an important and positive influence as a talking head on the TV shows.
2
While I would never vote for the man, I certainly hope for the best for him and his health.
10
Said it before and will say it again. Sanders is too old to be President, so is Trump and so is Biden. The mind is just not that strong after 70.
6
I'm no fan of Bernie Sanders, but I hope he gets better fast.
3
Last week Bernie had his original vintage carburetor,
all gummed up and clogged.
Today he’s got a 2019 turbocharged shiny new carburetor.
All of a sudden the new carburetor greatly improves power, speed and mileage.
If I could afforded it, I’d get me some fancy stents too.
8
Bernie is a trooper. Has been for fifty plus years. Best wishes from this long time non supporter for his full recovery.
3
I am truly sorry for the health situation that Senator Sanders faces now. The age of an individual is a general “risk factor” which we would like to deny, but .. if you believe in science ... is a denial in itself. Rah, rah for life always young! Senator Sanders has much to contribute still to civil conversation to advance American commonwealth ... I hope, anyway ... but not as president. He is a good and honorable man, of whom at political level there seem to be many too few. Support for him in speedy recovery ought to be ours to express.
1
Dear Senator Sanders you are much loved and needed rest up get well, fully recover and then become the next President of the United States of America. I and my entire family will be keeping you in prayer. God Bless You!!
9
Bernie there are millions of us out here who wish you a speedy recovery and still pin our hopes you in 2020: because ageist comments aside many of us are able to discern between the imposters and the real deal, you are the only candidate entirely unencumbered by an allegiance to the DNC which has proven time and again over the last forty years it is no longer the party of the working and middle class: I’m doubling my monthly contribution Bernie get well soon!
15
Biden for pres one term, Warren for vice president one term and then for two as president. Sanders for a real Secretary of Labor, Klobuchar for Secretary of State, Buttigeig for H Ed W, Harris for Attorney General, etc. Take divisive egos and wasted money out of the politics, Team Dems would get every vote, take the Senate, conclusively throw out Trump and McConnell, and revamp politics for a generation or more. Given the environmental crisis clock there's no real alternative.
3
@Upstater I would flip Warren and Klobuchar because Warren would be a better Sec of State than a VP. And I'd like to find a spot for Yang. But in reality it wouldn't fly, so I am ok with your plan, especially the part on divisive egos.
1
I pray for Bernie Sanders. He is the very definition of an oxymoron: honest politician. Bernie will fight the good fight until he's taken from this Earth.
13
Do we really need Presidential candidates in their late 70s? Does the Baby Boom get it that "the torch is passed?"
2
Bernie is everything you'd want in a president, and so what if he has a couple of down days. Good heath isn't guaranteed for any of us.
10
Bernie, just get stitched up and hit the campaign trail.
It ain’t over till it’s over.
32
@New World It was already over for Bernie. Get off the trail, hang it up and take care of yourself.
1
Reportedly, the Senator is recovering well following this unexpected but very common procedure. The general prognosis for stent patients is back to work within a few days or a week. Excellent outcomes and enhanced quality of life are the norm. Looking forward to Bernie Sanders returning from this event soon and stronger than ever!
35
I think with Sanders and Biden, we have one term presidents due to their age. If either of these men get the nomination, we have to make sure we have a strong VP to run for the second term. I'm for Warren for president or VP.
16
@Kate Cannon
If you're going to make an age-based argument, you forgot the other septuagenarians in the equations, namely Elizabeth Warren and yes, Donald Trump.
2
@N. Smith
But Elizabeth Warren isn't ill. Trump is. Bernie is. As for Biden, who knows? Age isn't the issue; health is.
A long and healthy life to Senator Bernie Sanders! And thank you for elevating the national dialogue in so many many ways: we are much better because of Bernie's career, campaigns, and questions. Be well Bernie!
27
@M --None of this would be possible with out Bernie Sanders. He is owed a yuge thanks for waking up our country.
6
Bernie we all love you. We want you to be a strong progressive voice and a beacon for young people for years to come. You don’t need to run for President to achieve this. Let younger candidates run. Be their mentor, by all means. But for your own sake, take care of your health. Quit this race.
7
He’ll be fine. He’s fighting the fight that gives his life meaning. He’ll keep going until 100.
9
@Andy
I respectfully disagree with your statement,
"You don’t need to run for President to achieve this."
it wasn't until he ran for president that progressive values became part of the discourse. When he's running, it's that much harder for those in power to ignore. Ultimately, only Bernie can decide if the benefits outweigh the risks of campaigning. For one, I'm thankful that he's sticking with it.
7
we thank Mr. Sanders for his decades of public service, but - time's up Bernie. Can't chance it with the most important job in the US of A.
10
Sadly, he’s the only one with a long consistent record of uncompromising support for ordinary Americans. Everybody else caters to rich donors and postures as heroes of the common man in election years.
No, we need Bernie now.
7
@TylerBarkley
Please educate yourself. It is a stent--common procedure, good outcomes and he will have more vigor.
7
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is our family's bread and butter right now. Hopefully Bernie has the support to transition to a diet that will keep him on the frontlines. Gut wrenching news.
8
Once before, Senator Sanders missed the big picture when he did not go screaming down the hallway, "I'm for Senator Clinton because she won the Primary System and she will be my President". Unfortunately, the fickle finger of fate told Senator Sanders to stand down and modestly and humbly, he should endorse one of your colleagues.
This is because he has coronary disease at a particularly advanced, specific age when any cardiologist would advise a lifestyle change including medicine, (rest) and soon, some calibrated walking and a not-on-the-road diet. However, Bernie has a big ego and might be a dummy once again.
7
@terry brady
it's often repeated that Bernie didn't do enough for Clinton, but the truth is that Bernie was working overtime for Clinton up until the election.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/bernie-sanderss-hard-fight-for-hillary-clinton
It's easier to blame Bernie than Clinton as it absolves all those people who caucused/primaried for Clinton of guilt for pushing a losing candidate.
Bernie absolutely did "scream down the hallway" for Clinton.
10
@John
Bernie was a reluctant, and late supporter and he will be written in history as a leading edge screwup then as now.
1
@terry brady
Hillary would have been out if he had made a stink about her emails in 2016. Instead he did an honorable thing and took it off the national stage. And all he gets from the Hillary people is guff.
4
Be well, senator. If your health requires you to drop out of the campaign, please know many of us are grateful for the ways you've pulled the Dem conversation to the left. It's still pretty centrist, but you did your part. Thank you.
6
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to the phenomenal Senator Sanders.
13
Bernie was the first politician to ever inspire me and pulled me into politics. thank you Bernie for everything you've done for our country and our progressive movement. wishing you the best recovery ♡
27
Is this a hint of things to come if Bernie were elected? This pretty much squashes that prospect though.
7
Time to sit down and take it easy, Bernie.
7
BEST to you, Bernie.
With or without stents you’re the BEST — you, and you alone, started this American people’s peaceful “Political/economic & social Revolution Against Empire”.
15
Mick Jagger, age 76, had a heart valve replaced - much more invasive, serious surgery than insertion of a stent - and, a few short months later, was performing 2 hours a night in an international Rolling Stones concert tour.
Anyone who has seen Jagger perform knows that, when compared to a Stones' tour, a political campaign is a family picnic on a Sunday afternoon.
I'm doubtful that Bernie can win; but this surgery is not what will stop him.
7
It’s silly to compare Mick Jagger to Bernie Sanders. Mick gets up and does his act for a couple hours, during a handful of dates on a tour and then goes home to a pampered rock star life. A presidential candidate is on the go constantly with very little downtime and then if elected is on 24/7 with one of the most stressful job on the planet. (Medicare for All doesn’t happen by magic.) Everyone wishes Bernie well, but this isn’t going back to a full life of an ordinary person, it’s high stakes. Even if his prognosis is good, it’s going to be a tough sell to most (though clearly not all) of the electorate. Joe Biden should pack it in too and they can take up tutoring kids, playing golf or shuffleboard, and attending a some meetings on occasion, not running for President. The next 13 months (not to mention four years) are going to be brutal cleaning up the mess Trump has made.
I’m a few years shy of these guys and I take naps pretty frequently. I don’t even work full time anymore.
5
It stopped whatever dwindling chances he had
2
I’m thinking the Bern has fizzled out.
6
This is what is colloquially known as a “heart attack”.
He had a heart attack.
13
FDR spent his 12 years as president in a wheelchair.
Just sayin
13
@New World
Pretty good point.
But it wasn't recognized at the time (it was hidden).
Now everything is looked at under a microscope.
@New World
Sure, but only because there was no TV then, and virtually nobody knew he was in a wheel chair
@New World
Bernie Sanders is no FDR.
Just sayin.
4
Bernie or bust
13
@Zejee EXACTLY!!!!
2
Bernie should step aside and let Hillary Clinton take his place.
2
@Jeff I agree...then she can lose for a second time. Go Trump...MAGA 2.
3
Bernie, WeThePeople love you!!! If you have to step down from the race for the sake of your health, please know that you have already started the much needed revolution, to bring our country back to sanity, and it will continue on, till Trump is locked up, and honest democracy has returned! Thank you Bernie!!!
11
Bernie continues to prove himself the Mick Jagger of the Democratic Party!
9
Everyone except for "your favorite President" has tweeted a supportive message to Bernie.
Donald Trump is a sadist. It's far beyond racism, although that's part of sadism. And of course a sadist can't say something positive to anyone in their time of distress.
Get Trump out of here.
16
To someone like Trump, it's one less piranha in the tank.
1
We love you Bernie! Thinking of you.
16
Hey, if Mick Jagger can be out and performing weeks after his heart attack, why not Bernie?
Wild horses couldn't keep him away.
13
@WOID Perfectly put. Rooting for Bernie to become POTUS 46!!! Bernie or Bust!!!
6
Get well soon Bern, we need your voice out there
11
Godspeed to the realest
6
The NYTimes should be proud of themselves, the best and brightest, Bernie, was ignored, and now it’s too late.
6
Bernie ignored? Then explain how the entire party is being dragged over the socialism cliff into oblivion.
6
Get well, Bernie. Hate to lose a fighter like you.
1
Get well, soon, Bernie!
7
Please recover quickly. Next drop out of the insane Cult of Insanity Dog and Pony Show, resign from the Senate and GO HOME TO VERMONT and enjoy life as a 78 year old should !
6
So, it looks like it's #warren2020 by default!
5
Bernie with increased blood flow? Look out everybody!
19
It is time to let it all go !
Take care of yourself Sir , and nominate someone else.
Presidency is not for everybody, you had your sshate in 2016 .
5
Bernie needs to pass the baton.
12
Where are we now? What is the current State of the Union?
Trump and at least 3 more of the president's men are operating outside legal and ethical boundaries. They are implicated and complicit in multiple crimes and coverups.
Trump is clearly clinically unhinged and deranged. His family is corrupt. They don't have good role models or intelligence.
Bernie needs a long, long well-deserved rest. Biden is wishy-washy tainted wet toast.
And yet we have a Democratic lineup of vigorous All-American candidates well able to lead but not able to get the media traction they need to lead. Hello, media.
Lachlan Murdoch needs to revamp his tabloid propaganda noodle corp. Twitter needs to block Trump and his dangerous inflammatory extremist threats that are worldwide.
Every other news corp. needs to put all mentions of Trump below the fold and focus on 2021, the world and America's pressing issues.
And so on. Start somewhere though. Keep it simple. Phew.
1
out thoughts and prayers with you Bernie 💜💜💜
7
Mick Jagger, with recent stents, just finished his summer tour with the Stones. Go Bernie!
10
Frankly, I am surprised that not more presidential candidates have cardiac events given the horrendous diet in which they subject themselves during the grueling run to the White House. From bacon/cheese/refined carb/salted/sugar filled biscuit/breaded thingamajigs eaten at every turn to the applause of crowds and snaps of media cameras, how any of them survive this trial of diet hell is beyond me. How about speaking at a rally and then pulling out a turkey sandwich and a salad, followed by a bottle of water? You're right- he/she would never get elected.
4
Bernie is my favourite of the candidates, but his age is definitely a reason why I would vote Elizabeth Warren instead as they share alot of the same ideas. Now she seems to be pulling ahead in polling (20% vs 16% last I checked) this can only make things worse for the Sanders campaign. All the best to him and a speedy recovery.
3
Just want to send my best wishes to Bernie Sanders for a fast and full recovery. Bernie has done so much for the average American. He continues to be a true hero of the people.
Get well soon, Senator Sanders.
12
Get well soon, Bernie! I'm glad you had adequate health insurance to cover the procedure and access to good doctors to diagnose and treat you. But look, at age 78, the health incident is not going to boost your campaign. I hope if you either choose not to continue to pursue the presidency or do not win the nomination, you ask your supporters to back Elizabeth Warren. She's in top form and would accept your counsel from the Senate.
5
I wish Bernie Sanders a quick and full recovery. I am his age, and he is my hero.
17
Cardiologists stent arteries all the time, all day long. That doesn’t mean that his chest discomfort was because of his clogged arteries. Most chest pain is not cardiac in origin. Most likely, he had some heartburn, and the ED doctor called the cardiologist who said he couldnt take the risk of not stenting the arteries of a VIP. Thus, this episode in now way shape or form has any prognostic value on his future health, assuming he’s healthy at baseline. Remember, as far as we know and from the info they released, he didn’t suffer an MI ( heart attack)
9
@Mark
sure, doctors always do surgery to implant stents when someone has indigestion or heartburn. Delusional!
1
Best wishes to Senator Sanders for a full and speedy recovery. We need all of the New Dealers we can find...
10
Bernie has given me a reason to vote again. All the rest are pretenders. He's the real deal. The Original. Godspeed to him as he continues his journey to the White House.
14
I’m glad he caught this before it lead to a heart attack. I’m happy to hear he’s well and looked after himself. Many men ignore signs like this. I say men because statistically they tend to go to the doctor less. He was wise and he will be ok. Looks like Warren will be the candidate but I’m guessing we may get a last minute entry into the race since Biden is done and voters likely won’t vote for someone with any heart issues. Warren won’t beat trump no matter how much we try to will it.
3
Bernie's health should come first, so even if he can't continue the campaign, his ideas live on and will drive the debate.
We love you Bernie!
2
Speedy recovery Senator Sanders! You are a hero. I hope to see you on the ticket with Elizabeth Warren regardless of which one of you ultimately runs for presidency.
1
Not the news I wanted to read!
A sad day, even sadder after reading this paragragh: "The Sanders campaign had planned to go on air with his first television ads of the campaign this week in Iowa, announcing a two-week $1.3 million buy on Tuesday. An ad tracking service, Medium Buying, said on Wednesday that Mr. Sanders began postponing those ads."
Kind of screams Bernie is re-thinking his candidacy at the moment.
I wish him a full, and speedy recovery.
2
Does Bernie really want Trump to be able to say something honest in a debate -- that he's the healthiest and youngest candidate on the stage?
1
Hope Sanders recover quickly and well but he need to step aside and take it easy. Can't be a president if you have a health issue. Too much pressures, look at Trump he's going to jail after he leave the office if he don't make a deal if he resign.
3
Stints are not a big deal. They are a way of correcting age or poor lifestyle (Not the Senator's issue) issues in the cardiovascular system. He will most probably be fine.
2
@Max Deitenbeck He's 78 years old.
2
@J. Faye Harding and trump is what, 76?
Trump is 73 and not wearing it well. He’s too old too along with Biden.
I wish him well. But it may be time for him to drop out. He will make an outstanding member of the cabinet in the upcoming Democratic administration.
2
I sincerely wish you a speedy and complete recovery Senator Sanders. I also sincerely wish that you immediately quit your run for President and endorse Senator Warren. All will not be lost as you most likely will find yourself with a plum position in her cabinet.
2
The slogan, "Not me. Us." is ironically important here. He is an icon now. The fact of his election to the presidency, and the affirmation that it would represent could be more significant than his actual service as President.
Get well, Bernie. You've given your life to serving us. You might just give us your last gasp and I will selfishly accept it for all that it is worth.
4
Of course, this NYT's article - when discussing Democratic candidates in their 70's - would add only Joe Biden. God forbid they should suggest that Elizabeth Warren will be in her 70's should she assume the presidency in Jan, 2021.
2
@Michael Lindsay
Liz Warren has about 20x the health & energy of Bernie. She looks 50; he looks 80 or 90.
Bernie's views are not mine, but I do hope he is feeling better. I had four stents inserted in 2017 and it does help. He is hardworking and passionate if nothing else. He is in my thoughts and prayers.
3
Bernie is the BEST I have supported him and worked fo his campaign in the last election and even supported his campaigns for the House and Senate.I want to support him this time !!! I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he is back in the fight soon we need what he wants for the people of this Country !!!!
7
I play golf multiple times a week with various men and women of retired age mostly. Quite a few have had stents placed in and they were like new people. They were pushing their carts previously and playing well...with the new blood flow they are easily walking and playing better; all of them almost within the week.
Sen. Bernard Sanders has been the energizer bunny for over 5yrs campaigning now. The man was/is infatigable. One can only imagine how much more energy he'll have with a full heart working at 100%.
This is actually a good thing. He was very fit and energetic previously, he's just been tuned up better than ever.
Got to love the classics; cars, men/women and music.
Power on Bernie~!
NotMeUs
10
With his laser like focus on healthcare, how could Mr. Sanders not have known that he had blockage in one of his arteries? A few years ago I had an echocardiogram at GW hospital, which my insurance mostly paid for, and it showed that I was free of all blockages. Doesn’t Mr. Sanders get a physical once a year?
6
@David H
Bernia has opted out of the Senate healthcare plan. He gets all his medical care in Canada.
@David H my thoughts exactly. I assumed incorrectly that everyone at this level of politics got checkups at the get go. Guess not. Thanks for bringing it up.
Sending my best to Bernie! Take care of yourself b/c the country needs you! My father had stents put in and has lived for over 15 years post surgery, this is all good and we need Bernie healthy for all of us. I have no doubt he will be our next POTUS! Feel the Bern!
5
Despite this, we know Bernie’s heart is in the right place.
2
Leave the medical advice to Senator Sanders’ doctors and trust that Bernie wouldn’t proceed unless he felt it was wise to do so. He doesn’t need us commenters to make the call for him like a bunch of back-seat nervous nellies.
Dick Cheney served as President for 8 years with a bum ticker that makes Sanders look like a spring chicken. (I doubt you have the patience to read all of the “Health problems” section of Cheney’s Wikipedia page.)
Take a chill pill. Bernie gets it better than you think you do.
8
Simply this: Love the guy.
11
35 is the minimum age for the presidency. we need a maximum age. how about. . .70? its painfully obvious that neither biden nor sanders is at the top of their game. they've both been in decline for years. we need a leader with their full cognitive capacity, who can at least still string together coherent sentences. one with the strength and tenacity that only more youthful years can offer, such as warren, harris, or buttiege.
4
Add to your list that Trump is also too old.
1
@carloscastenada well, that leaves out trump.
1
Bernie wants to run the Fed but can not even run his own health plan i.e. recommended testing would have found this out much sooner
You don’t know anything at all about how he manages his health. But of course you take this opportunity to throw a brick at a man who works tirelessly for Americans.
2
Wish you well Senator.
9
And trump thought the DOW decrease was due to impeachment.
1
I love you, Bernie Sanders! Get well!
8
Glad he’s OK but guess what....there goes his candidacy
4
That's some good health insurance!
2
Best week Elizabeth Warren ever had!
3
@Dan
If Warren gets nominated, Trump will win in 2020. It is known that Trump supporters are enticed by alpha male personas. This include those who appeal to the public because they seem original--Warren has not been consistent in her claims to earn the merit of authenticity. The public does not easily forget when someone lies. Electing the 'new' Warren based on her gender and endorsement from the mainstream media may boost the lefties' ego ride. But her win will be a myopic ride. General public views her as an elite who is similar to Hillary, a chameleon who has the backing of the mainstream media behind her. They don't see her as one who is a part of their reality. Those right wings look for appeasement to tranquilize their reality. So, you may cheer her but I wonder if you would still cheer when voters disillusioned by the harshness of reality turn from Democrats and give their votes to Trump.
3
I am a n ardent Democrat. One thing America does not need is another old, angry, white man with heart problems in the White House. You gave it a shot and it didn't work out. Time to hang it up Bernie.
5
Sending healing thoughts and keep up the fight!
7
It is time for Bernie to remove himself from the pack.
5
If there were a god, the headline would be, "Trump hospitalized...and cancels events."
But we know there's no supernatural father at the helm, for so, so many reasons. Just one is that torture promoter Dick Cheney lives, despite numerous heart attacks and numerous surgical interventions. Including a heart transplant!
2
I loved Carter as prez and after and he is a sharp & mighty 95. Bernie’s just a whippersnapper but he has my vote!
6
Speaking from experience, he’s now a “new” man. Whoever comes out on top, has my blue vote.
6
Get well soon, Bernie!
6
We love you Bernie. Get well soon.
5
Get well soon, Bernie!
7
The current occupant in the White House, can't remember the dudes name but he is not exactly a picture of health...
https://www.dailycamera.com/2018/01/19/joe-turnbow-md-president-trumps-physical-exam/
2
This will end Bernie's campaign. At 79 with heart issues on election day 2020 who could vote for him? Only those who truly want Warren as she would be his likely VP. Who wouldn't want to be Bernie's VP? In all likelihood you may get to be president before his term ends.
Biden is also about done. And as for warren, let's not forget this issue, which she carried on for 20 years: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-apologizes-for-calling-herself-native-american/2019/02/05/1627df76-2962-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html
Next best choice: andrew yang
All the best to the Senator. We know nothing will slow you down, Bernie!!
5
I certainly wish Sen. Sanders well. That said, should he decide to drop out, is it safe to assume the bulk of his support will shift to Sen. Warren?
1
@Steve No, it is not.
This is our nightmare scenario--Biden, Warren or Bernie get the nomination and then have a myocardial infarction(heart attack) the week before the election. TO :God and their doctors --please take care of our candidates.
Bye bye, Bernie.
You rolled over like a puppy to the establishment crook and let us all down in '16.
I wouldn't have voted for you this time.
Medical reason is a better excuse to drop out of the race so I don't have to feel bad not voting for you.
Wish you get well and enjoy a healthy and happy retirement.
1
O valiant fighter for the little guy! Please direct some of your indefatigable determination towards your recovery. You have changed the face of American politics forever, and for the better. From the days when I marveled at the 'socialist mayor of Burlington,' to your relentless shoving of the Democratic platform towards the needs of the people, you have worked wonders.
A true champion of the people! Rest a bit. We need your voice, and we'll keep your seat warm.
428
@Bohemian Sarah Hear, hear.
35
@Bohemian Sarah
Yes, indeed. That said, I don't plan to vote him, but he has my respect and gratitude. Get well soon, Bernie!
12
@Bohemian Sarah --I predict he will be back like a tornado. I've never seen a senior with so much stamina. Wish I had it--I'm only 71!
32
Reality check: really old candidates, if elected, become even older Presidents. The older you are, the more fragile your health.
The leading three are all 70 plus, though Warren looks and acts 10 years younger, and women statistically live longer. All of this makes whoever is on the ticket as VP more worthy of attention.
3
God bless you, Bernie! You've done a Herculean job over the years in bringing progressive issues to the front. Now, dear, take it easy and enjoy the rest of your life in leisure as a revered Elder Statesman. Turn over the hard work to Liz who will carry on for you!
1
During the last debate Bernie Sanders did not look or sound good though he was still sharp and on point which is more than I can say about the other elderly gentleman on stage. I thought to myself that he’d probably skip the spin room but no there he was first in line gleefully laying into Anderson Cooper over some misrepresentation of his health care plan.
You just have to admire that drive and determination. I like to think of Sanders as the Cassandra of American politics a statesman fated to speak the truth only to be ignored.
Get well soon, Senator. Whatever you choose to do going forward, In my book you’re an American hero
4
No Democratic Senators or left leaning indies are allowed to expire prior to the trial in the Senate. Get well soon Bernie.
1
I provide my own direct experience based on havng had 2 stents put in my LADA and 1 in my circumflex by two different interventionists here in SE. My n=1 story says, slow down Sanders and company.
Fletcher Allen cardiology in VT gave me a cardiolite stress tess 10 years ago when I was in Vermont. I had experienced substantial discomfort when running after years of running without any such symptoms.
Diagnosis: Stunned myocardium related to an event that I think was a race in Rhode Island. I took the information including imagery back to Sweden and was soon scheduled for examination to identify the possible blockage sites and, if so, stent insertion.Three sites were found, two in LADA, and after 2 stents were in, procedure had to be ended for that day.
A month later, back to get stent number 3 in circumflex. Interventionist closed the femoral artery with a starclose clip, said I could ski in 7-10 days. I did.
This may seem to say, Bernie, youll be up in "running" but I suggest we wait a while. I had stunned myocardium; we do not know if Sanders heart muscle is damaged. A cardiologist I consulted several years later told me that Cleveland Clinic research found that the first months are critical as new tissue in the stent area develops.
I add one more concern. Bernie's esophagus has been challenged by acid reflux. Has he had a gastroscopy to look for Barrett's esophagus?
He needs the works.
Only-InSweden.blogspot.com
2
@john - John it took me a minute to understand your reply suggesting I have gone too far.
Good reason to write more about SE Universal HC and Bernie's/my situation - I am older than Bernie - 87.
I have Barretts and it was discovered because of the remarkable care I have been given here by my local clinic doctor. That point is made because Republicans squawk about Death Panels in UHC-the opposite is true.
Next point: I can go online at 1177.se, log in with Bank ID, and see my entire detailed medical history since that system was created. That history shows me or researchers who access anonymously how a particular condition develops and evolves.
I understand, I may go too far in suggesting that Bernie be studied as I have been studied, but he might benefit from that and one or two readers of this might benefit from this reply.
Not once as far as I know did any MD in the US or even here ask me about acid reflux. I just thought everybody has that - look at the long display of Tums-type pills in Rite Aid - and that nothing could be done. Years of AR cause changes, maybe even Barretts. Now I know that Omeprazol works wonders, perhaps too little too late.
Lots of research being done on Barretts as concerns the "what's next" question. Imagine if every American presidential wannabe had a record in a national data bank of his or her health history. Wonder what Trump's would show.
I decide not to write anything about Greta.
Thanks
Larry
Well wishes and a speedy recovery. Thank you for your hard work. You have reshaped reshaped the political landscape and narrative. No matter who wins, you have given our nation a gift. Thank you.
26
All good wishes to Senator Sanders for a complete recovery. No matter what happens now, his contribution to our country is very great, and that is how history will view it.
28
Bernie is a true American pioneer. Fearlessly fighting to bring his country, our country into the twenty-first century where everyone will have access to education, medical care, and employment compensation that supports a decent standard of living.
Bernie Sanders led the fight to keep our nation on a sane, just, productive path. In doing so he revolutionized the Democratic Party, and American politics. That being said I think Warren will pass Bernie and Joe Biden as others think likewise. Though the number one mission is that we on the left stand together and back whomever the nominee is.
13
That Senator Sanders had pain in his chest associated with an artery blockage indicates that he has heart disease. The disease is a chronic condition, so he will have to be monitored for the rest of his life. If the stents don't work well, he may be a candidate for a heart by-pass operation, which usually is more effective.
Since he has been physically and mentally fit all of his life, he should be able to enjoy many more years of active service for the education and welfare of his fellow citizens.
9
It’s ironic that Bernie The Lion Hearted has been felled temporarily with a heart problem. Bernie is a true patriot who has served his country exceedingly well and has almost single-handedly moved the national conversation and the Democratic Party to the left, toward the center of American public opinion where it belongs. His supporters, myself included, are all with him, but I hope he makes decisions with his personal well-being in mind. He already has quite a legacy. Get well quick, Senator Sanders. Your country needs you in whatever capacity you’re able to fill.
19
In whatever capacity he continues to serve, but it should not be as president.
Well wishes to the Sanders family. Bernie has changed the entire conversation in the country and is owed a debt of gratitude just for that.
27
It's great to see that a public figure who forcefully advocates for universal health care and insurance will have access to lavish, comprehensive publicly funded treatment.
In America, few things are worse than seeing some Republican who wants to destroy the ACA nevertheless utilize taxpayer-funded health care and insurance. It's like they're trying to be hated. Best wishes to Bernie Sanders for a full and speedy recovery.
8
The office of President of the USA is a meat grinder followed by an acid bath. I believe that it needs a younger candidate. However, Bernie Sanders has ideas and realistic plans. He is ethical, intelligent and compassionate. Any President would be lucky to have Bernie as Vice President, Secretary of State or any number of high level spots. Nothing in his health record is incapacitating. After a certain age, most of us experience acid reflux and diverticulitis. Stents are not a sign of things to come. This is the best time to have cardiovascular disease due to advances in medicine and equipment.
This is Bernie's second campaign and he is keeping up quite nicely. Also, he must rest for several days to protect the arterial puncture site which is where the catheters used in angiography and coronary intervention are inserted. He is not resting because of any concern about his heart. Airline pilots may fly after coronary stents. It isn't over yet.
15
This comes a no surprise.
He is old, over exerting himself and often screaming, growing red in the face.
Biden, who had two aneurysms and most recently an explosion of blood in his eye during the debate, is not in great health either.
Warren would be 71 if elected has promised to release her medical records which she has yet to do.
We clearly need a younger, healthier candidate to take on Trump.
I am supporting Mayor Pete who appears to be the most fit of all the candidates but others come to mind, too.
10
Speedy recovery Bernie.
I hope you cherish your life more now and acknowledge that being President is an arduous job.
Besides, the next President, a Democrat, will need your energy and ideas in the Senate.
7
I wish Bernie and Joe would withdraw and throw their support behind Elizabeth Warren. She is the best qualified to take on Trump if he manages to survive this impeachment attempt.
13
@John S. She's not that much younger.
3
He had the nomination stolen from him in 2016 and now his health has failed him. It’s really unfortunate as like him or not he brought fire to politics.
12
He would still be in the middle of his first term of service. There would be even more prejudice against him running for a second term. The presidency is difficult and most men have aged very rapidly while serving.
1
I wish the senator a speedy recovery.
I see no reason why he should drop out — having a stent is by no means an indicator of impending death, obviously.
Bernie just released his fundraising numbers for the last quarter — more individual donations than any other campaign! Why would he let all those people down? As long as he’s alive, he has a right to fight. We need his voice (and I say this as a Warren supporter).
18
As much as I like and respect Senator Sanders, I think this is the political gods saying, "Enough, Bernie. Go home, head held high."
8
God bless Sen Sanders. Speedy recovery wishes and I'm sure this hardworking guy will be back up and on the trail in no time. But I hope he takes his doctor's advice and lets himself rest a little bit.
7
What will the Bernie or Die crowd do if Sanders steps down? Who will they vote for?
Few who claim that Sanders is the ONLY candidate - the "real deal" - say who they will vote for if he steps down.
2
@JL22 The overwhelming majority of Sanders supporters will do what they did in 2016 that is vote for the Democratic Party candidate even if they do not like him or her.. There will be a few outliers of course but this constant beating a dead horse does nothing to build the coalition that the Democrats will need come 2020.
1
@JL22 Probably Jill Stein or even Ralph Nader.
I am sorry to hear this, Senator (though equally relieved that you will take a few days off the trail to rest). I wish you an extremely quick and most wonderful recovery. And then, please get back on the trail!
You have singularly changed the conversation in this long sick country. Thank you!
13
He's too old, too extreme - he should step back and let Warren run for progressives, Biden and Harris battle it out for moderates. He wasn't doing that well, despite a massive head start, before this news.
4
@SusanStoHelit
Lol...
Naw, just the most small donors; double the closest candidate. Double the amount of single donations, double the volunteers. Still setting the bar for every candidate running on policy's and issues.
Still in the top three, often leading and or in second.
Has enough funds and reoccurring donors to last into the convention.
Lol...yeah, he wasn't doing that well...lol...
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/460935-poll-sanders-leads-democratic-field-in-nh
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461763-poll-biden-sanders-lead-democratic-field-in-california-harris-takes-fifth
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/458059-sanders-leads-democratic-field-in-colorado-poll
4
I've felt all along that Sanders and Biden are too old to be President and this just makes me wish they'd both bow out gracefully and support Senator Warren.
10
Don't give Warren a free pass she too is older than any candidate ever who ran for a first term. Let's go young and dynamic. And anybody but Trump of course.
1
My father had the same exact procedure and same exact stent (two) inserts two years ago.
He had minor chest pain and was taken to the hospital.
It was classified as a heart attack.
The Sanders campaign does not want to tell people that he did indeed have a heart attack. You don't have to be falling down forward and in extreme pain to have one. Sometimes they are silent, and deadly.
Call it what it is. The campaign is just afraid it looks bad that "he can't keep up."
It is what it is. Step down and let someone else take it, Bernie.
8
I hope he can stay in the race. This country needs him
4
Bernie truly cares about the people of our country.
He is a patriot and a great man.
16
@MSO, M.D. I agree, that’s why I hope he will do the right thing and withdraw from the race. He would be an asset to any candidate he chose to support and advise. I think he will do the honorable thing for his country, it’s some of his fanatical,self-righteous supporters who worry me. They seem to base a large amount of their self-identity on his candidacy.
This is awful news, but perhaps it is a sign. Bernie, nothing is more important than making sure your health is good, and that a progressive agenda has the best chance of making it to the White House. Maybe this is the time to fully endorse Elizabeth Warren, and take it easy- The best thing you can do for yourself and for this country could be one in the same...and you will always be a powerful voice for the movement you spawned.
8
The comments here are so touching and optimistic.
They are talking about a politician? Bernie, it goes to show that you are lone in the level of respect people have for your integrity and the good fight you are fighting.
There will never be one like you. You are an inspiration to many people.
Democrats who just started talking like you after 2016 are phony and we can see that.
Please get better and continue to imbue this country with your values of honesty, service and compassion for our neighbors.
16
Whether it is Republican-related or arterial - obstruction is a terrible thing.
3
Wishing him the speediest recovery...I'm voting for you, Bernie!
8
Bernie, get some rest. Time has come for you to coach from the sidelines dear boy. Your ideas are good but a century too late.
Get some soy-corn and enjoy the spectacle that is about to come.
2
I think its all of that great Vermont cheese!
1
Get well soon, Bernie! I hope that you recover quickly.
11
That's it, Bernie will never be the POTUS. He should withdraw from the race and stay quiet.
5
Get well soon, Bernie! The American working class needs you direly. You are a pillar of steady pro-worker left politics amid a ruin of neoliberal shapeshifters.
I have family members who speedily recovered after receiving heart stents. I hope you do too. We will win this together, Bernie.
9
It is important to remember that Biden has had two brain aneurysms, and he has not released his health records. Bernie just had two stents. It seems like the nomination goes to Warren.
4
I LOVE Bernie & without him we wouldn't have the progressive program other candidates have been forced to adopt. This is the only way I see it working out for Dems to win the presidency. I assume discussions are already happening behind the scenes.
Warren & Bernie camps agree he'll endorse her for president ONLY if she adopts his much stronger MFA platform & commits publicly to make him her VP candidate starting now. From what we've seen of Pence Bernie could fulfill that job as partner without risk to his health. A doctor friend whose wife was a cardiologist told me 2-3 years ago that if he won the job would kill him. 78 for a man is older than 78 for a woman cause life expectancy. This solution allows Bernie to reduce campaign schedule YUGELY-- we need him for as long as possible! Otherwise the current very close race & polls between Bernie & Warren would put much more pressure on Bernie.
To counter arguments that even as VP he might not survive 4 years Dems could make speaker of the house-next in line of succession-Adam Schiff or another strong rep who commits to progressive platform. Solves huge issue of which candidate AOC supports.
Berne's campaign can offer refunds to supporters who don't want money he's raised to go to Warren. Combining Warren & Bernie campaigns would knock out Biden, who couldn't survive the general--76 yo terrible baggage Anita Hill segregation lies & now Ukraine. Even if cleared of crimes Hunter & Biden showed TERRIBLE judgment, another Hillary.
1
We're all going to need stents if the articles of impeachment aren't drafted and presented for a vote in the very near future.
7
Love Bernie but he's too old for this. Where are all the young heros; why do the old have to keep carrying the weight of this country on their shoulders? I am not an ageist; but do you think Joe Biden and Bernie really wanted to run? I think they felt they had to because there is literally no one else willing to fight like they have to take down Trump and the corruption in the senate and DOJ. I guess Warren, the school teacher, it is. Hope she works harder on learning to punch and how to take down criminal street punks cause that's what she's dealing with.
5
Nature is telling Sanders to get out of this race, right now (and please, take Biden with you)
8
Get well soon, Bernie. You are the best.
13
Let's be honest here...This will knock him out of contention with many voters, leaving Warren and Biden.
Again not trying to start a fight but I would say most people kind of know that a crackhead son of a VP shouldn't be getting $85,000 a month from companies in the TWO COUNTRIES his father ran policy.
That and Biden's teeth falling out or his eye capillaries bursting along with his gaffes leave just Warren.
She might give Trump a race...But her ideas on:
1. Decriminalizing illegal entry
2. Voting rights for felons without requirements
3. Free education
4. Free medical for all including illegals
5. Chain migration and more refugees
Will not float with non coastal voters.
I see it tighter than last time, but Trump 288-250 for the win.
I believe between him and the RNC they've collected about $350 million for the War Chest.
2
Bernie for President 2020. A genuine patriotic man who loves his country and ALL it's vulnerable citizens in it.
USA has a bad drug addict problem, like other nations around the world who have open borders and have lowered immigration standards and access to treatment facilities for drug addicts. Drug dealers do terrible damage to societies around the world and cost government billions in the anti social behaviour that results from illegal drug taking.
2
In average people "a blockage in one artery" of the heart is called a heart attack.
4
Medically incorrect. A heart attack refers to a myocardial infarction which is the result of a complete blockage that leads to heart damage, abnormal heart rhythms and possibly death. A partially blocked artery means there is less blood going to the heart muscle, not actual damage. Stents are used to prevent a full blockage, not to open a fully blocked artery.
Dr. Dan
5
Very happy to see all of the positive thoughts in these comments. Senator Sanders is an exemplar of what American politics should be--honest, forthright, ambitious, and daring. I'm sure he will be back on the trail very quickly. I never thought I'd be so gung-ho about supporting a 78 year old for the Presidency--but I am sincere in saying that he is the best Presidential candidate that our country has seen since FDR.
Let's make America live up to the Myth of its founding--that all people are created equal, and endowed with certain inalienable rights; that among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
We have an incredible opportunity here (and, a short time ago, an opportunity that would have been difficult to imagine), do not let it pass you by.
Sanders 2018
Warren 2026
Ocasio-Cortez 2034
20
@BB perhaps you can find a candidate who has actually done something. Lizzie has never had any legislation passed and AOC is a one hit wonder.
3
@Jackson
Congress is utterly broken. All they get done is horse-trading. I'm curious who you consider to be an accomplished legislator. What we need is a system reset. These candidates are that.
2
@Elizabeth Carlisle
As a climate activist, I will gladly tell you that... no one believes that. AOC definitely doesn't.
1
Sadly the the writing is on the wall for his president ambitious. I wish him well and a speedy recovery.
10
I wish God Bless Bernie, and speedy recovery.
But I cannot imagine in his age doing this level campaign 2 times, That is a hard work.
11
At least you know Bernie appreciates his very fine medical care - and the fact that he is not worrying about having to sell his house to pay for it.
Sadly, Congressional Republicans and Trump couldn't care less that others suffer as they destroy the ACA and leave so many Americans helpless and facing bankruptcy as a result of medical care.
14
The logic choice for Bernie’s supporters is Andrew Yang, a newer and better version of Bernie updated for the new era of artificial intelligence and automation.
3
Bernie embodies the absolute best of what it means to be a human being, and this has been a source of strength and inspiration to millions of ordinary Americans like me.
So many of the people that parade across the national airwaves are representative of the dregs of humanity, from Harvey Weinstein to the psychopathic politicians and business leaders with their armies of psychopathic attorneys like Rudy Giuliani and Lisa Bloom.
America is a nation that has venerated the greediest, most ruthless people and then held them up as something we could all aspire to, if only we had the intelligence and ambition.
We know we can identify society’s “winners” by how much stuff they own. Worthless people own very little, and worthwhile people own everything.
Now it turns out that a life defined by endless consumerism isn’t just emotionally and spiritually unsatisfying, it’s also ultimately genocidal.
And yet we persist in our destructive pursuits of destroying the planet with the zeal of Ahab in pursuit of his whale. Melville told us how that story ends.
Bernie is out there trying to tell us that there is a better way.
I will always have a deep and profound gratitude for Bernie.
Bernie, I wish you godspeed with your recovery.
The country needs your voice more than ever.
21
Get well soon Bernie. The world needs more people like you. An inspiration to us all.
12
Please get better soon, Sen. Sanders! The country needs you!!
13
Speedy recovery, Bernie. We love you!
12
We love you Bernie! (Makes me despise those who cheated him last go around!)
13
Bernie, Get well soon. America needs you!
12
Who pays for his healthcare?
2
@Mitch C
The least we can do for this wonderful man.
Take your sarcasm for a walk. It is very warm out there in Manhattan. The park is lovely though.
3
While I am far from the socialist you accuse Bernie Sanders of being, many of his ideas are heart felt for the people of this nation. The man does not have an evil bone in his entire body unlike the current occupant of the republican throne. Wishing you a rapid and complete recovery sir!
16
Maybe Jimmy Carter has a point about an age limit for the Presidency
12
@Michael Patlin I’d vote for Jimmy today, as the VP to Bernie’s Presidency.
6
As someone who was once in the cath lab, I remind everyone that it takes very little plaque to break away and block an artery. Bernie was very wise bot to ignore the symptoms, so he could be quickly treated. I wish my friend from Brooklyn a very Happy New Year and the best of health as he moves forward with his very compelling message to the American people.
13
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Bernie!
13
Wishing you all the Best Bernie!
13
Perhaps this past Monday and Tuesday he should have spent his time in observance of his holiday.
5
Unlike Donald Trump and Dick Cheney at least Bernie Sanders has a heart and a brain.
Get well Bernie. This episode will make you Democratic primary ' burnt toast'.
And at 71 years old Betsy Warren is even older than Hillary was.
And Joe Biden as well. Particularly coupled with his son's past efforts to play the international corporate profit man of no mystery while his daddy was VPOTUS.
Bernie Sanders, well, what can one say? The guy has devoted his entire career to bringing our nation to a new, young, progressive century - as it should be - while realizing the past is just that, the past. In Bernie's soul and heart it has always been, and will continue to be, about us. Now that is a real patriot! I wish him, well, and as an old RN, I worry. Mr. Sanders, it is about you now. It is about you taking care of that "ticker." I want you to stick around because we need you in the Senate, more than ever. You have mentored well the Warrens, the Harrises, et al. Heck, you have taught so many of us what needs to be taught to regain a thriving and equal democracy. Take care of you, please.
10
I think this is probably the most prominently displayed Bernie Sanders-related story that I've ever seen on the NYT homepage. Bernie Sanders raises the most money from the most donors this quarter? "Meh, we'll mention it in passing." Old man has heart trouble? "FRONT PAGE NEWS."
Get well soon, Bernie. You're the only hope for our twisted country.
23
So even hospitalization for heart trouble doesn't stop these two reporters from laughing at what they consider too ridiculous for words? Sanders, we're told,
"regales enthusiastic crowds with his calls for “Medicare for all” and tuition-free public college and rails against the corporate and Washington elite".
Yes, how very silly! There *is* no Washington elite! And who ever heard of publicly funded college tuition and health care? Ridiculous!
12
Elizabeth Warren has the stars on her side. She should play Mega Millions this week. Biden is done. Bernie is all but out of the race. Buttigieg could be a problem with his war chest ($$$$). Where are Sanders' people going to go? They have to go with Elizabeth.
10
Unfortunately, an absolute critical blow to his chances. I love Bernie and hope his chances of a full recovery are greater than his chances for the nomination. Let's also hope other candidates pick up his baton and run with it.
6
Please drop out Bernie Sanders. You will need that six weeks rest to fully recover and increase your chances to live to eighty-eight or longer.
The human race is already better because of you. Write or maybe teach part time.
13
@Nightwood Heck, no! If he’s not the Presidential nominee we need him in the Senate.
6
Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery, to our truest man of the People. Like so many of the youth of this Nation, I proudly support you as the moral champion we need to help lead the way for Generation GND.
11
Andrew Yang's supporters (Yang Gang) wish Senator Bernie Sanders a full recovery. May the best candidate win in 2020!
9
So long Bernie. Better luck next time.
4
Blocked artery going directly to his Vermont cheese brain. Blocked with Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Not a Trump supporter just a political poke-ster.
Much younger people have the same problem. Not a big deal, these days. My dad lived with congestive heart failure for ELEVEN YEARS! This is just an easily manageable blockage. Heck, Cheney got REELECTED after having a couple of heart attacks! Bernie will be fine.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=famous+younger+celebrities+who+have+artery+blockages&qpvt=famous+younger+celebrities+who+have+artery+blockages&FORM=IGRE
6
Bernie has done his job. This is an unmistakable warning sign. I hope he will decide to exit the campaign (his odds of winning the nomination are already long), continue to speak out on all the issues, but also relax and go slow for the remaining decade or two that we certainly hope he may have allotted. And I'd also appeal to his voters to move where they may wish, without any particular signal or endorsement from Bernie.
12
I wasn't going to vote for Sanders in the primary, but am hopeful he recovers as soon as possible, and my thoughts go to his family.
8
Speedy recovery and best wishes to Bernie. He is a national treasure and a true patriot who cares about average Americans and the health of our democracy. But more importantly, he is just a sincerely good human being. I’m with him and Warren.
15
Two stents in one of the small tributaries of the coronary artery is a cure for the plaque blockage. With 6 or so months of anti-clotting medication (Plavix?) and aspirin, as well as a statin, Sanders should be fine.
He will be back on the trail in a week with more energy than ever.
8
Wishing the Bern a speedy recovery. I'm still astounded how he's gotten millions of Americans to consider supporting a robust Western European style safety net, while almost singlehandedly reshaping the center of the Democratic Party. Something I didn't think was possible in my lifetime.
However, a graceful exit from the campaign for health reasons may help avoid the type of acrimonious post primary intra-party relations that haunted us in 2016.
9
This great man has gone flat out for decades as a public servant and now, at 78, is starting to show the wear of that devotion. What a beautiful and courageous human being. I wish him and his family well.
14
People of goodwill, regardless of political beliefs, would wish Bernie Sanders, the present leader of the long line of America's democratic-Socialists --- like Eugene Debs, Upton Sinclair and Michael Herrington. But he is the first Presidential candidate to come so close to that goal. His programs have also been adopted by many progressive Democrats, the chief among them being Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Modern medicine has extended human longevity and activity. As a physician and octogenarian, I believe he could continue his services to his causes for many more years. The future of his Presidential campaign however would be made by his family and physicians alone.
5
Seen from Europe, and even more specifically from France, Bernie Sanders is and has been for now long the only American politician deserving to be considered as being from the left, a left the US needs more than the country ever did since the 1930s...
Hold on Mr Sanders.
21
In my view, the senator has not looked well since the last debate when he was so hoarse. It would have been sensible for him to rest up before that debate where he needed all his physical/mental energy but he was out campaigning up to the last minute. Perhaps his staff should have been more cognizant of his health.
Get well soon senator. You may become president or you may not become president but you will always be the leader of a great tradition and movement.
9
I wish him a full recovery. I hope that he will follow the advice of his doctor regarding how long he should take it easy.
Several, in these comments and elsewhere, have blamed the length and brutality of the primary season. There are over eight more months until the Democratic Convention. There are over a dozen other candidates actively running, many of whom will keep fighting until the July Convention. Two candidates have for some time polled well above Sanders. Candidates will within a few months turn on one another - if Sanders later becomes the frontrunner he should expect rough treatment. So the brutality will only increase during the rest of the primary season. Then the Democratic nominee must run against a Cornered Rat in a position of great power, who will be backed by the powers of bigotry, plutocracy, and more. Should the Democratic nominee win, things will get worse for him or her. The Presidency is a hard job, and many leave office looking much older than when they took the position.
3
Bernie,
I had triple by-pass surgery 15 years ago - I'm doing fine. Best wishes to you. I'd have written sooner but I had to do my work-out a the gym first.
Go get'em.
21
interesting, or maybe intentional, how they decide to talk about "democratic voters not wanting to elect a candidate who's in their 70's", but then fail to mention that Hillary Clinton would have turned 70 her first year in office (and would certainly be in the top pick of establishment dem candidates this election), and Warren is currently 70.
5
Women age less quickly than men on a cellular level; hence their longer life span.
This could be a good thing if the improved blood flow results in him having even more stamina and energy than the amazing amount he already has. Go Bernie!
13
Part of our cultural lunacy in America has to do with older age. It is that those approaching 80 or older are capable of leadership, political or corporate, providing that their hearts are beating and they are standing tall. Mandatory retirement age may contain some wisdom. The condition of their brains is not considered as long as they are "sharp," whatever that means. Often they are described as sharp disingenuously for gain of some sort. Bernie may be sharp, especially say his supporters. Who is to know if any of these older candidates already have early dementia, to be more apparent in future years after they move their belongings into the White House? We shouldn't exclude Trump from that question either. Dementia affects decision-making. Do we care?
2
I am not a Bernie Sanders supporter. I hope he recovers well. This sudden illness does highlight the fact that he's an old man, as is Biden. The rigor of the campaign is a test for those who win the presidency. So Bernie has stumbled, should he be removed from the race? If you look at 2016 I think he won't, he'll stay til the bitter end.
Personally, I can't understand why the Democratic Party tolerates him. He is a one note, no details candidate. Yes, he highlighted issues that needed to see daylight. Good for him, but he lost. Then his ego, or something, kept him in the race where he wounded Hillary. She had enough negatives that she didn't need someone running on the Democratic (Presidential) line blasting her constantly. Bernie is one reason I think Hillary lost (not the sole reason).
So I say this. Senator Sanders, go home, rest and get ready to SUPPORT the eventual Democratic nominee for President. Stop tearing the others running down, as he's recently begun with Elizabeth Warren. STOP! If you truly want to restore sanity in the White House and the rest of government you will withdraw from the race and get healthy.
There's no way running for president is a healthy lifestyle. Look at how much President Obama aged from 2008-2016. And he's young!
Bernie, stay home, rest.
13
I am in my 70s. Although I attempt to eat healthy and remain active, "the old grey mare aint what she used to be". I wish Bernie the best, he certainly cares about the people in this country. Pass the baton Bernie, your greatness will never be forgotten.
5
I went through first (3rd.branch)in 1988 @ age 44 and as it reblocked again in 2003 at same spot with one more in mid part,two stents were inserted. At 75,I am in good shape(may not be 100% perfect),just enjoying retirement years with friends & family. Sir,keep walking,work out at gyms and enjoy retirement years. It’s time to let youngsters take care of nation while participating in social wellbeing events to help powerless and people @ bottom of the economic ladder. Wish you all the best for speedy recovery & most healthy years in entire lifetime. God bless you. Phytoist.
3
Every car runs perfectly, before it doesn’t. Humans are no different. After a few repairs, and a few more bills, a good mechanic will tell you it’s time to get a new car. If the car is 25 years old, a good mechanic might tell you you already got your money’s worth out of the car, and get rid of it while you still can. How old is Bernie?
2
I’ve never felt the Bern , but wish him well . Could be heartburn. Put your support behind another candidate that doesn’t have a chance currently .
3
Although he will almost certainly be OK the fact that it was an emergency and that he had two stents in the same artery means he has significant coronary disease probably in all three arteries. HE is probably out of the race for good.
This also hurts Biden bring up the age and health issue
Unfortunately Warren will benefit. I say unfortunately because I think she is the candidate that is least likely to beat Trump, or President Pence
3