After releasing additional medical records, Bloomberg calls on Sanders to do the same
WASHINGTON – Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign released new information about his heart health history while calling on Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., who suffered a heart attack last year, to do the same.
According to a letter from Dr. Stephen Sisson of John Hopkins, provided to USA TODAY by the 2020 Democratic contender's campaign, Bloomberg recently underwent cardiac stress testing with a stress echocardiogram that showed his left ventricular ejection.
The results showed, according to Sisson, that Bloomberg's "left ventricular ejection fraction was 60-65%" and was deemed "normal", as well as his left ventricular cavity size.
Ejection fraction is a key measurement of heart health, as it gauges how much blood the heart pumps. A low measure suggests a major heart attack with significant tissue damage.
The letter notes Bloomberg, 78, "underwent coronary stent placement surgery for a blocked coronary artery in 2000" but that there is no evidence of lasting damage to his heart.
Stu Loeser, Bloomberg's spokesman, told USA TODAY in a statement, "Releasing this single scientific number about heart health could start to put to rest any concerns about Senator Sanders' secrecy about his recent heart attack."
"Mike Bloomberg's doctor shared Mike's number, will Senator Sanders ask his doctor to do the same?" it concluded.
Sanders, 78, suffered a heart attack in October during a campaign event. He had a blockage in one artery and two stents were inserted, his campaign said at the time.
He said recently at a CNN town hall that he would not disclose any further information than what had already been released by his campaign, and has insisted that the letters shared were sufficient.
On Dec. 30, he released three paragraphs from two cardiologists and a two-page letter from a primary care doctor proclaiming him to be in good health. However, some cardiovascular doctors have stated Sanders hasn't released enough information. According to NBC, Sanders’ campaign in December failed to include measures of the senator’s left ventricular ejection fraction.
Sanders had previously pledged to release more "comprehensive" records.
If either Sanders or Bloomberg is elected, he would be the oldest president in history.
A previous letter from Sisson stated Bloomberg annually "undergoes thorough health examination and testing", including that of cardiac stress testing. He developed an irregular heartbeat in 2018, for which he takes a blood thinner. He also takes a beta-blocker and medication to control his cholesterol.
However, the doctor claims he is "in outstanding health."
The issue of heart health made an appearance on the Democratic debate stage last week after a battle that broke out earlier on the campaign trail between the camps.
In an interview on CNN, Sanders' national press secretary, Briahna Gray, said questions about his medical records and his health were equivalent to a "smear" campaign and claimed Bloomberg has had "heart attacks in the past."
Bloomberg campaign senior adviser Tim O'Brien compared the claim to those from President Donald Trump, slamming it as a "Trumpy lie."
Sanders was asked at the debate in Las Vegas whether his decision to withhold additional medical records despite suffering a heart attack in October undercut his vow for transparency.
Sanders noted that he had released some documents and tried to quickly shift attention to Bloomberg. Bloomberg fired back that the operation was 25 years ago.
The additional heart health records were first reported by CNN.
Contributing: Nicholas Wu, John Fritze, Rebeccah Morin, Ken Alltucker
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Bloomberg calls on Bernie Sanders to do the same
