Sen. Bernie Sanders Has Stents Inserted To Treat Heart Blockage, Postpones Campaign Events

The Associated Press: Sanders Has Heart Procedure, Cancels Campaign Events For Now
Bernie Sanders’ campaign said Wednesday that the Democratic presidential candidate had a heart procedure for a blocked artery and was canceling events and appearances “until further notice.” The 78-year-old Vermont senator experienced chest discomfort during a campaign event Tuesday and sought medical evaluation. Two stents were “successfully inserted,” and Sanders “is conversing and in good spirits,” according to the campaign. He’s recovering at a Las Vegas hospital. (Riccardi and Neergaard, 10/2)

NPR: Bernie Sanders Has Heart Procedure, Cancels Events Until Further Notice
The news comes as Sanders was preparing for Wednesday campaign events in Nevada, including a "Medicare for All" town hall in Las Vegas. It also comes less than two weeks before the next Democratic primary debate, on Oct. 15 in Ohio. As of January 2016, Sanders had "no history of cardiovascular disease," according to a letter from Sanders' doctor released as part of his 2016 presidential campaign. (Kurtzleben, 10/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Bernie Sanders Had Stents Inserted To Open Artery Blockage
Mr. Sanders later tweeted to thank well-wishers and said he was “feeling good.” He also said his experience underscored the need for his Medicare for All health-care proposal. (Collins, 10/2)

The Washington Post: How Serious Is Bernie Sanders’s Heart Problem? This Is The Stent Procedure His Doctors Just Performed.
The medical problem Sanders experienced — though it can be serious if untreated — is a common affliction in men his age. And the procedure he underwent is one of the most routine performed by cardiologists. “This is a common procedure. It’s very safe. People recover quickly,” said Steven Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “I’ve treated businessmen who go back to work the next day. I’ve had patients in the U.S. Senate who have gotten right back to work. Although, if Bernie were my patient, I might tell him not to work 16 hours a day for a little while, just to make sure recovery goes well.” (Wan, 10/2)

The Washington Post: Bernie Sanders Undergoes Unexpected Heart Procedure, Postpones Campaign Events For At Least A Few Days
The Democrats are vying for a chance to face President Trump, 73, who was the oldest person in history to be sworn in as president for the first time. Although Trump’s physicians have given him a clean bill of health — sometimes extravagantly — he pointedly enjoys fast food and avoids exercise, despite holding one of the highest-pressure jobs in the world. (Janes and Sullivan, 10/2)

The New York Times: Bernie Sanders Is Hospitalized, Raising Questions About His Candidacy
Mr. Sanders has largely avoided scrutiny of his age and his health. But he and his rivals will now be under increasing pressure to release detailed medical records as Democratic voters try to settle on the best candidate to take on President Trump, who is himself 73. Mr. Sanders, Mr. Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is 70, have all said they would release their records before the first voting starts in February. (Ember and Martin, 10/2)

The New York Times: Is Age Only A Number, Even When You’re Running For President?
Presidential campaigns always reflect the hopes and fears — or, as political strategists call them, the “kitchen table conversations” — of the voters who cast the ballots. And this year, along with health care costs and college affordability, stagnant wages and immigration, the contest also reflects another issue, one that strikes at the heart of a country where the highest share of the electorate will be older than 65 since at least 1970: How old is too old? (Lerer, 10/2)

NH Union Leader: Top Heart Doc: Sanders "Could Be A Model For The Country"
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders could be back on the campaign trail in a few weeks, after undergoing a cardiac procedure Tuesday night — but he may have to change his lifestyle, according to a top cardiologist at the New England Heart & Vascular Institute. Dr. Louis Fink, executive medical director at Catholic Medical Center’s NEHVI, said Sanders is now considered a cardiac patient, after two stents were placed in an artery to relieve a blockage. (Wickham, 10/2)

And on the campaign trail --

The Associated Press: 2020 Democrats Put Focus On Guns Amid Impeachment Fever
Democratic presidential candidates reiterated their call for gun control Wednesday and urged Americans to keep up the fight for change, sidestepping the issue of impeachment in Washington and whether it will divert lawmakers. (Ronanye and Price, 10/2)