Is 80-year-old Joe Biden really fit for four more years?

 

DEMENTIA JOSEPH ROBINETTE "JOE" BIDEN JR.

 

Is 80-year-old Joe Biden really fit for four more years?

 

                              

DEMENTIA     JOSEPH ROBINETTE "JOE" BIDEN JR.

AFTER A FIRST TERM MARKED BY GAFFES AND FALLS, DOCTORS TELL DAILYMAIL.COM THEY FEAR FOR HEALTH OF PRESIDENT WHO HAS SUFFERED TWO BRAIN ANEURYSMS AND HAS A HEART ISSUE THAT RAISES HIS RISK OF DEMENTIA

Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden Jr.

Medical experts have raised concerns about whether President Joe Biden is fit to serve another term after the 80-year-old officially launched his reelection campaign.

They fear Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second stint in the White House, is already showing signs of 'cognitive impairment' and that the stress of another presidency could deteriorate his condition further and raise the risk of an on-screen accident.

The President's first term has been marked by a series of high-profile gaffes, falls and visible signs of disorientation - including stumbling up the steps of Air Force One and falling off his bike in Delaware. 

Biden's yearly physical exam revealed America's oldest President is suffering from seven conditions, including a heart condition that makes the muscle beat too fast, causing dizziness and confusion. He has also suffered two brain aneurysms.

Dr Elena Mucci, a geriatric doctor and American College of Physicians member, told DailyMail.com: 'If I was his geriatrician, I would discourage him from campaigning. I'd strongly advocate against it.' 

Dr Mucci added: 'If you were to survey healthcare professionals, geriatricians, cardiologists, I don't think you will find a single physician who would say it's a good thing for an 86-year-old to with the symptoms he's demonstrated to us already to become a president, both for the sake of his own health and for the sake of his country.' 

Biden has a history of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, which he has suffered since 2003. He takes the blood thinner apixaban, brand name Eliquis, to treat the heart condition.

Dr Mucci said: 'If you open any medical book, one of the symptoms [of atrial fibrillation] is tiredness. 

'That will limit his activity, and not just limit his activity — he physically might not be able to perform all his duties. It's just impossible with these conditions at that age.'

Dr Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York, told DailyMail.com: 'The increased risk is not only from the fibrillation but from secondary effects from the medicine.

'These people take blood thinners and when people take these drugs, they are at risk for internal bleeding or serious consequences from a fall.'

Two months ago, Biden stumbled up the stairs of Air Force One as he headed back to the United States after a three-day visit to Europe.

He fell up the same stairs just two months into his presidency in March 2021. In June, he also fell off his bike while spending a weekend away in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Dr Fischer said the older people get, the more frequent and severe the falls become.

He said: '[If] someone falls and hits their head or hips while on a blood thinner, there is more of a chance of a medical emergency than for people not on anticoagulants.'

'A head injury when someone is an anticoagulant is potentially disastrous,' he said.

Biden's high cholesterol was also noted in his latest health summary, which Dr Fischer said is 'a risk factor for a heart attack, a stroke or kidney disease'.

Dr Fischer said: 'The blood supply to the heart, kidney and brain slowly becomes impaired through the course of our lives. 

'The longer we live, the higher the chances of poor circulation.'

A poll this week by The Associated Press found that just 26 percent of Americans and 47 percent of Democrats want Biden to run for a second term.

Interviews with poll respondents suggested the main concern was his age.

A separate CNBC All-America Economic Survey said 70 percent of people said they did not want Biden to run, mainly citing his age.

Dr Fischer told DailyMail.com: 'In a case like President Biden, there is a higher level of responsibility. 

'He would be the oldest president in history, you couldn't be at the top of your game, in any profession. You can't fool Mother Nature. No one can, try though we may.' 

Biden has been careful not to publicly acknowledge or address concerns about his cognitive decline. 

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