Top 5 Presidents with Major Health Problems

2. John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was assassinated while in office. The exact facts surrounding his death have been hashed and re-hashed, and there are many theories both about the number of killers, the number of bullets, the shape of the exit wound and everything else that surrounds his death. But did you know that President Kennedy suffered from health issues long before he was shot?

JFK was hospitalized numerous times during his life. In addition to the usual childhood diseases and to sports-related injuries, he suffered from spastic colitis as early as age seventeen. He was on steroids to treat this condition. He had hypothyroidism, autoimmune deficiency and Addison’s disease. He had a duodenal ulcer. He was on testosterone pills when in the White House. At the time of his death, and unrelated to the shooting, he was suffering from adrenal inflammation.

None of these issues are necessarily indication of disqualifications from serving as president. Being ill is not in and of itself a disqualifier. It is only when the mind is affected that medical issues rise to the point of precluding someone from serving. But a transparent administration ought to share medical facts with the public.