John McCain has not yet released his medical records to the public. McCain is 72 years old, and has been diagnosed with invasive melanoma. In May of this year, a small group of selected reporters were allowed to review 1,173 pages of McCain's medical records and were allowed only three hours to do so, not nearly enough time to perform a comprehensive study.. John McCain's health is an issue of profound importance. We call on John McCain to issue a full, public disclosure of all of his medical records, available for the media and members of the general public to review. http://therealmccain.com/
Why the intense scrutiny as to McCain's age and his various (and numerous) health issues? Simple. He might die. In fact, actuarial tables, the ones insurance companies use to determine your longevity, your insurance rates, and whether they will offer you insurance at all, determine that McCain, at his current age of 72, has a 1 in 3 chance of never seeing the age of 80, which he would be, should he spend two full terms in the White House. Added to this concern is his choice of Sarah Palin, a relative political neophyte with an admitted paper thin resume herself.
Dr. Michael Roizen, developer of the Real Age program, has determined that people age much more quickly while under the intense demands of the highest office in the land, in fact, for every year a President spends in office, he actually ages two, a cause for even greater concern.
Add to this the possibility, although still somewhat rare, of people over the age of 65 exhibiting signs of Alzheimer's, a form of dementia, a condition contracted by former President Ronald Reagan. In fact, some historians claim to this day, that former President Reagan showed signs of early onset Alzheimer's prior to his leaving office.
But these are all generalities. Health issues specifically tied to McCain's present well being are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, vertigo, cataracts, previous bouts with kidney stones and degenerative arthritis. These are common among senior citizens like McCain, and are all being treated with medications, for which McCain takes 6 daily.
A former 2-3 pack a day smoker for over 25 years of his life, anticipated future health issues associated with lung cancer are extremely rare, given he has had no appreciable lung or breathing problems in the past, and the lungs ability to somewhat heal itself.
What is especially troubling is McCain's four previous bouts with skin cancers, including stage four malignant melanomas. There is a significant chance for recurrence of a deep stage four melanoma (which is what McCain was diagnosed with) for the first five years after the diagnosis, and any likelihood of recurrence drops down in year six and beyond. Obviously, this is a significant risk factor that cannot be ignored.
Will McCain, if elected, be able to physically and mentally fulfill the rigors of office for one, or even two terms? Odds are he can. One significant factor to the positive is the age (94), and health of his mother, and genetics do play an important role in determining ones lifespan.
However, when vetting a Presidential candidate, one must look at all factors involved, and at his advancing age, it would be foolhardy to not see the risks involved, and pay closer attention to his running mate. So, if you are considering a vote for John McCain, it is imperative that you have a strong comfort level with the following....President Sarah Palin.
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