Dwight Eisenhower's Health Issues
On November 25, 1957 (56 years ago yesterday) President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a mild stroke. It was one of a number of serious health issues that the 34th President suffered from.
Eisenhower had been a heavy chain smoker. He stopped smoking in March of 1949 on his doctor's advice, but years of heavy smoking had caused some damage. On September 24, 1955, while vacationing in Colorado, Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack that required six weeks' hospitalization. During that time Vice President Richard Nixon, Secretary of State Allen Dulles and Chief of State Sherman Adams assumed administrative duties and communicated with the President to the extent necessary, mindful of his health. Eisenhower was treated by Dr. Paul Dudley White, a leading cardiologist, who regularly informed the press of the President's progress. Many believed that the heart attack meant the end of Eisenhower's political career and prevented him from seeking a second term as President. But instead of eliminating him as a candidate for a second term, his physician recommended a second term as essential to his recovery.
As a consequence of his heart attack, Eisenhower developed a left ventricular aneurysm, which was in turn the cause of the stroke he suffered on November 25, 1957. This incident occurred during a cabinet meeting when Eisenhower suddenly found himself unable to speak or move his right hand. The stroke had caused an aphasia (an impairment in the ability to speak or understand speech).
Eisenhower also suffered from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine, which necessitated surgery for a bowel obstruction on June 9, 1956. He was still recovering from this operation during the Suez Crisis that year.
The last three years of Eisenhower's second term in office were ones of relatively good health. But after leaving the White House, he suffered several additional and ultimately crippling heart attacks. A severe heart attack in August 1965 ended his participation in public affairs. In August 1966 he began to show symptoms of cholecystitis (an inflammation of the gallbladder). He had surgery for this problem on December 12, 1966, when his gallbladder was removed and found to contain 16 gallstones.
After Eisenhower's death in 1969, an autopsy unexpectedly revealed an adrenal pheochromocytoma, a benign adrenaline-secreting tumor that may have made him more vulnerable to heart disease. Eisenhower suffered seven heart attacks in total from 1955 until his death. Eisenhower died on March 28, 1969 in Washington, D.C. from congestive heart failure.
Eisenhower had been a heavy chain smoker. He stopped smoking in March of 1949 on his doctor's advice, but years of heavy smoking had caused some damage. On September 24, 1955, while vacationing in Colorado, Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack that required six weeks' hospitalization. During that time Vice President Richard Nixon, Secretary of State Allen Dulles and Chief of State Sherman Adams assumed administrative duties and communicated with the President to the extent necessary, mindful of his health. Eisenhower was treated by Dr. Paul Dudley White, a leading cardiologist, who regularly informed the press of the President's progress. Many believed that the heart attack meant the end of Eisenhower's political career and prevented him from seeking a second term as President. But instead of eliminating him as a candidate for a second term, his physician recommended a second term as essential to his recovery.
As a consequence of his heart attack, Eisenhower developed a left ventricular aneurysm, which was in turn the cause of the stroke he suffered on November 25, 1957. This incident occurred during a cabinet meeting when Eisenhower suddenly found himself unable to speak or move his right hand. The stroke had caused an aphasia (an impairment in the ability to speak or understand speech).
Eisenhower also suffered from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine, which necessitated surgery for a bowel obstruction on June 9, 1956. He was still recovering from this operation during the Suez Crisis that year.
The last three years of Eisenhower's second term in office were ones of relatively good health. But after leaving the White House, he suffered several additional and ultimately crippling heart attacks. A severe heart attack in August 1965 ended his participation in public affairs. In August 1966 he began to show symptoms of cholecystitis (an inflammation of the gallbladder). He had surgery for this problem on December 12, 1966, when his gallbladder was removed and found to contain 16 gallstones.
After Eisenhower's death in 1969, an autopsy unexpectedly revealed an adrenal pheochromocytoma, a benign adrenaline-secreting tumor that may have made him more vulnerable to heart disease. Eisenhower suffered seven heart attacks in total from 1955 until his death. Eisenhower died on March 28, 1969 in Washington, D.C. from congestive heart failure.