What to Know About Donald Trump's and Hillary Clinton’s Health
— -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's latest attack on his White House rival Hillary Clinton: her health.
Clinton “lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS,” Trump asserted at an event in Youngstown, Ohio, last Monday.
“Go online and put down Hillary Clinton illness, take a look at the videos for yourself,” former New York mayor and Trump campaign surrogate Rudy Giuliani said this weekend on “Fox News Sunday.”
The Clinton campaign knocked the attacks as “deranged conspiracy theories” and accused Trump of “parroting lies based on fabricated documents.”
Neither Trump nor Clinton have released a detailed medical history. In recent presidential elections, candidates have been more transparent about their health.
What We Know About Trump’s Health
Trump “will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” Dr. Harold Bornstein, Trump's doctor since 1980, boldly asserted in a one page statement released last December.
The statement, far from a full medical report that Trump previously promised would be released, also states that Trump takes aspirin daily as well as a small dose of a cholesterol-lowering drug.
Trump, 70, abstains from alcohol and tobacco, the statement notes.
According to his doctor, Trump’s only surgery was an appendectomy when he was 10.
As for Trump’s family history, his father, Fred, suffered from Alzheimer's disease before he died in 1999.
What Trump Has Said About His Health
Trump told People magazine last year that he’s lost 15 pounds from his time on the campaign trail.
For exercise, Trump plays golf and tennis, acknowledging, “I’m not a gym workout guy.”
Trump’s diet, however, is hardly what a doctor, nutritionist or a gym trainer would recommend; he has said he’s a fan of fast food, in part because he likes the cleanliness of fast-food chains.
“The Big Macs are great. The Quarter Pounder with cheese,” Trump said at a CNN town hall in February, adding, “The other night I had Kentucky Fried Chicken.”
But Trump doesn’t seem worried: “I am fortunate to have been blessed with great genes -- both of my parents had very long and productive lives,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
What We Know About Clinton’s Health
Like Trump, Clinton, 68, has not divulged her full medical record. She released a two page health care statement from her physician Lisa Bardack in July 2015.
“She is excellent physical condition and fit to serve as President of the United States,” Bardack wrote.
Clinton’s medical conditions include, according to her doctor, hypothyroidism and seasonal pollen allergies. Clinton also had deep vein thrombosis in 1998 and 2009 and an elbow fracture in 2009.
Clinton’s most notable past medical condition was when she suffered from a concussion in December of 2012. "While suffering from a stomach virus, Secretary Clinton became dehydrated and fainted, sustaining a concussion,” the state department spokesman, Philippe Reines, said in a statement at the time. Clinton took some time off to recover and was back to work in about a month.
Her concussion left her with double vision for two months, forcing her to wear special glasses to help correct the problem. A blood clot was also found near Clinton's brain after the concussion, prompting the use of blood thinners, which she still takes a “precaution.”
As for Clinton’s family history, Clinton’s father suffered a stroke, her mother had congestive heart failure and one of her brothers had premature heart disease.
What Clinton Has Said About Her Health
Appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Monday night, Clinton jokingly told Kimmel to “take my pulse” in response to Trump’s attacks on her health.
In an interview in June 2014, Clinton told ABC’s Diane Sawyer that she has “no lingering effects” from the concussion.
For exercise, Clinton said she does yoga and pool aerobics.
While Clinton is strict with her diet, she allows herself to indulge once in a while. While out on the campaign trail, she made a pit stop at a Chipotle in Ohio.
“I can’t possibly be as disciplined as the Obamas. I just can’t. I mean, I’ve had meals with them — they are so disciplined,” Clinton said in an interview with the newsletter Skimm.
Her one health tip she abides by: using hot sauce.
“I started using hot sauce back in 1992, because I read an article that said it would help my immune system stay healthy,” Clinton said during a “Good Morning America” town hall in April. “I have continued doing it almost religiously and so far so good.”
