by Felix Richter, Statista.com
— this post authored by Niall McCarthy
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was diagnosed with a lung infection and chose to keep it a secret.
A look back into the history of presidential health issues shows, that many presidents had been fighting often more severe and in some cases incurable diseases.
For example, Franklyn D. Roosevelt had been infected with polio, resulting in a paralysis of both his legs. He hence financially supported research, which led to the creation of a vaccine. He guided America through World War Two.
And then there’s John F. Kennedy, who, despite his youthful image, wasn’t the healthiest president in office. Kennedy kept his diagnosis of Addison’s disease, an incurable disorder of the adrenal glands, from the public. Still, he mastered the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Those are only two examples of presidents whose health wasn’t in the best of shape. The below infographic shows that other men in the Oval Office did their job despite suffering from ill-health.
This chart shows some of the health issues of selected U.S. presidents over the last 85 years.
You will find more statistics at Statista.
