Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reveals he suffers from autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis

The condition causes muscle weakness, and can result in drooping of eyelids, blurred vision as well as weakness in one’s extremities

Duterte has also said previously he suffers from daily migraines and ailments including Buerger’s disease, an illness that affects the veins and arteries of limbs

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP

Published: 8:45pm, 6 Oct 2019Updated: 11:06pm, 6 Oct 2019

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has disclosed that he suffers from an autoimmune disease that can potentially have serious complications, the latest condition for a leader whose health has been subject to speculation.

Duterte, 74, was the oldest person to be elected president of the country and questions about his health have swirled since taking office in 2016.

His occasional skipping of events and meetings, as well as him discussing his ailments, has only added to the speculation.

Duterte revealed the condition, myasthenia gravis, at an appearance before the Philippine community late on Saturday during a visit to Russia.

“One of my eyes is smaller. It roams on its own,” he said, according to a transcript released on Sunday by his office. “That’s myasthenia gravis. It’s a nerve malfunction. I got it from my grandfather.”

The condition causes muscle weakness, and can result in drooping of eyelids, blurred vision as well as weakness in one’s extremities, according to the US National Institutes of Health.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during his trip to Moscow. Photo: AP

The condition can generally be managed with treatment, but up to 20 per cent of people who have the disease experience at least one “crisis” that requires them to use a ventilator to help breathe, the NIH said.