US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had a heart attack, his campaign reveals
- The 78-year-old senator experienced chest discomfort at a campaign event in Las Vegas and was taken to a hospital, where two stents were inserted
- He has been discharged from hospital and says he looks forward to ‘getting back to work’ campaigning
The 78-year-old was at a campaign event on Tuesday when he experienced chest discomfort and was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a heart attack. The senator was transferred to another hospital where doctors inserted two stents to open up a blocked artery in his heart, according to a statement from the Las Vegas doctors.
The doctors, Arturo Marchand Jnr and Arjun Gururaj, said the rest of his arteries were normal.
A blocked artery can cause a heart attack, which means that an area of the heart is suffering and in danger of damage because it’s not getting enough blood or oxygen. An artery-opening procedure like the one Sanders had, and placing stents, which are tiny scaffolds to keep the artery open, restores blood flow and helps prevent future problems.
The statements from Sanders and his doctors do not indicate whether his heart suffered any permanent damage, or the extent of any damage. The sooner blood flow is restored, the better the chance of survival without damage, which is why cardiologists urge anyone thinking they might be having a heart attack to call an ambulance.