I don’t know who needs to hear this, but random trivia can be used to redirect awkward conversation at family holiday gatherings. (see also: What to Do When Your Coworker Brings up Politics).
You likely know that FDR suffered from polio, and that Abraham Lincoln is now widely considered to have suffered from Marfan syndrome. Here are some other interesting facts about the medical conditions of past presidents (let’s not delve into more recent politics):
- John Adams—some speculate—suffered from bipolar disorder.
- Andrew Jackson suffered from rotting teeth, chronic headaches, failing eyesight, bleeding in his lungs, internal infection, and pain from two bullet wounds from two separate duels.
- Grover Cleveland suffered from gout and nephritis, and secretly had part of his jaw and hard palate removed while in office due to a mouth tumor.
- Woodrow Wilson experienced a series of strokes that blinded his left eye and paralyzed his left side, forcing him into seclusion for the remainder of his presidency.
- Warren Harding spent time in a “sanitarium” before he was president. His mental health struggles are thought to have exacerbated physical ailments, and he died of heart failure two years into his term as president.
- Dwight Eisenhower had three significant medical events during his two terms: heart attack, stroke, and surgery for Crohn’s disease.
- John F. Kennedy had Addison’s disease, an adrenal disorder.
- Ronald Reagan—after recovering from a gunshot wound—was treated for prostate, colon, and skin cancers during his presidency. Several years after leaving office he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Four presidents—William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt—died in office due to ill health. (Excludes deaths by assassination).
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Stephanie Weiner
Director, Digital Strategy & Engagement
Association of American Medical Colleges
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