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Biden Appears Healthy For His Age

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The Associated Press

Published: October 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden appears to be very healthy, with some routine aging issues, but there's no evidence he's had a brain scan to completely rule out another aneurysm like the one that required emergency surgery 20 years ago.

The Democratic vice presidential candidate's medical records, released to reporters Monday, show no reason for concern about another aneurysm: He has no symptoms, has healthy blood pressure of 120 over 78 and seems to have healthy heart arteries.

Biden, 65, mostly has minor age-related conditions to contend with: He takes medication for an enlarged prostate, but a biopsy found no prostate cancer. He takes the statin drug Zocor to keep his cholesterol in the healthy range.

His chief health complaint is chronic sinusitis. He underwent sinus surgery in the spring and uses the allergy medicines Claritin-D and Flonase for relief.

The only blip: The Delaware senator did have at least one, possibly two, episodes of an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation in 2006. Two full cardiac exams that July and November showed no cardiovascular disease, and his doctor at the time implied that the heart fluttering may have been triggered by subsisting on little but coffee during a hectic schedule. Biden was prescribed a precautionary blood-thinning aspirin a day, less caffeine and more exercise.

This type of irregular heartbeat is common, and severe forms can be quite dangerous. A brief episode that goes away without medical treatment in an otherwise healthy person is of little concern, said American Heart Association President Tim Gardner.

"Sen. Biden obviously had a complete workup and passed with flying colors," Gardner said after he was read Biden's cardiac test results.

The health of presidential and vice presidential candidates is an issue every election but it's taken on heightened importance this year because of questions surrounding the well-being of Republican presidential nominee John McCain, a three-time melanoma survivor who at age 72 would be the oldest person to take office as president.

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