During their re-election campaigns, five previous presidents grappled with health concerns.
Presidents such as Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and Teddy Roosevelt experienced health issues.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared that he will not run for president in 2024.
On Monday, the White House press office informed Planet Chronicle Digital that the president's decision to withdraw was not influenced by health concerns. However, several doctors have expressed worry about indications of cognitive decline following Biden's poor performance in the June 27 presidential debate.
According to two medical experts, it is in the best interest of the president's health for him to step down.
Biden is not the only president whose re-election was potentially hindered by health problems or worries.
Here are five others.
1. Chester A. Arthur (21st president, 1881-1884)
Chester Arthur, who became America's 21st president in 1881, suffered health issues due to malaria, a prevalent condition in Washington, D.C. during the 19th century, as per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In 1882, Arthur experienced ongoing fatigue, significant weight loss, and swelling in his extremities, according to the NIH.
Today, it was discovered that Arthur has chronic kidney disease after a thorough health examination.
During his final two years in office, the president's health deteriorated, with symptoms including fluid retention, rigors, nausea, and colicky abdominal pain.
In the 1884 election, James G. Blaine, the then-Speaker of the House, won the Republican nomination, while Arthur sought a second term but ultimately lost.
Blaine went on to lose the election to Democrat Grover Cleveland.
According to the Smithsonian, Arthur passed away on November 18, 1886, at the age of 57.
2. Theodore Roosevelt (26th president, 1901-1908)
In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became the commander-in-chief at the age of nearly 43 after the assassination of President William McKinley, as stated by the White House Historical Association.
Roosevelt was then re-elected in 1904.
In 1912, Roosevelt formed his own "Bull Moose" party and ran for president after William Howard Taft's term ended in 1909.
On Oct. 14, 1912, during a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roosevelt was shot in an assassination attempt outside the Gilpatrick Hotel.
According to History.com, Roosevelt's dense overcoat, steel-reinforced eyeglasses case, and 50-page speech in his inner right jacket pocket slowed down the bullet.
The bullet that punctured the president's right chest did not harm his lungs. Instead, it was left lodged inside his ribs, which made it safer not to operate.
In the 1912 election, Democrat Woodrow Wilson defeated Roosevelt, who was campaigning while recovering.
3. Woodrow Wilson (28th president, 1913-1920)
Woodrow Wilson served two full terms and planned to seek re-election.
The neurological condition that caused the then-president to suffer from strokes before and during his presidency severely hindered him, according to the NIH.
In his left eye, he experienced blindness, and his right hand and left arm were affected by three strokes prior to assuming office.
In October 1919, Wilson suffered a damaging stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side and with only partial vision in his right eye while he was in office as president.
He was confined to his bed for several weeks, the NIH reported.
Wilson did not sufficiently recover from this episode.
In the 1920s, the Republicans sought to verify if he was still capable of performing his constitutional obligations.
Dr. Cary Grayson, the president's doctor, remained silent about Wilson's health status during his re-election campaign for a third term.
Despite his initial plans for a third term, Grayson informed party leaders of his poor medical condition by the time of the Democratic Convention that summer and decided not to run.
In the end, Wilson did not receive the presidential nomination, and Harding, a Republican, was elected in 1921.
4. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32nd president, 1932-1945)
FDR was the only US president to be elected for four terms, serving throughout World War II.
Since his polio-induced paralysis at age 39, Roosevelt had been dealing with health problems, as stated by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum.
Roosevelt was diagnosed with heart disease during his third term in office, but it was kept hidden from the public until after his re-election for a fourth term, according to the NIH.
In 1944, Roosevelt's medical team kept track of his declining health by regularly recording high blood pressure readings.
The FDR Library and Museum attributed the heart complications to the "unending stress and strain of the war."
In 1944, Roosevelt was selected as the Democratic candidate, but he faced doubts about his ability to run due to his health concerns.
Despite winning his fourth presidential election, Roosevelt was "affected" by his condition, according to the NIH.
On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt met with Dr. Howard Bruenn in New York City, complaining of a headache.
Roosevelt’s blood pressure hit 300/190 and he lost consciousness.
The president was declared dead at age 63 after Bruenn diagnosed the event as a stroke.
5. Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th president, 1953-1960)
In 1953, Dwight Eisenhower started his first term and experienced two significant health issues, as stated by the NIH.
In September 1955, he suffered a heart attack and was unable to return to the White House until December due to recovery.
Despite receiving approval from his physicians, the NIH stated that Eisenhower's cardiologists advised against him seeking a second term.
Despite his second major health event in June 1956, which resulted in a diagnosis of Crohn's disease, the president still decided to run for re-election.
Eisenhower underwent a laparotomy and ileal bypass surgery for a bowel obstruction, which was successful.
Despite doubts about his fitness for office, Eisenhower was re-elected for a second term after a full recovery.
In 1957, Eisenhower had a stroke but still completed his term as president.
After leaving office, Eisenhower suffered from multiple heart attacks in the 1960s.
On March 28, 1969, at the age of 78, he passed away due to congestive heart failure.
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