Giuliani's Doctor

A "STATEMENT FROM DR. VALENTIN FUSTER, THE MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER, MAYOR GIULIANI'S PERSONAL PHYSICIAN"

"I have been Rudy Giuliani's personal physician for more than seven years.

I was informed late Wednesday evening that Mr. Giuliani was suffering from a significant headache and fatigue. These symptoms can be described as possibly "flu-like."

As Mr. Giuliani's personal physician, I stayed in contact with the doctors at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis throughout the course of the evening. Because of the significant headache, it was important to have as much information as possible and err on the side of caution.

Mr. Giuliani underwent the following tests at Barnes-Jewish Hospital: CT-MRI of the brain, ultrasound of the carotid arteries, and spinal fluid evaluation. These tests all came back normal.

Furthermore, a PSA taken within the past month was negligible or undetectable, and routine laboratory tests were normal. Upon returning to New York City, Mr. Giuliani came to me for an examination and a further test, a transesophageal echocardiogram, which was normal. I confirmed there was no change in his health status.

Mr. Giuliani was not prescribed any medication and I recommended that he lighten his schedule only for a few days.

It is my medical opinion that Rudy Giuliani is in very good health."

Valentin Fuster, M.D., PH.D.

Professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Dr. Fuster serves The Mount Sinai Medical Center as Director of Mount Sinai Heart, the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health. Among the positions of distinction he holds, Dr. Fuster is former President of the American Heart Association, immediate Past President of the World Heart Federation, a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and a former member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Advisory Council.

Comments

So Giuliani was afraid he was having a stroke? Isn't that standard procedure in a case like that? I mean, I know he describes it as flu-like symptoms but that screams turning the plane around because I thought I might be having a stroke.

And you don't need a prescription for asprin.

I hope he stays good and healthy but this strikes me as less than revealing; he should have the treating doctor issue a statement and inform us of his heart health.

This seems very Tsongos like to me, personally.

Posted by Rhoda | December 26, 2007 8:03 PM

Rhoda - I would say Rudy is younger and in better health than Thompson and McCain.

Thompson has lymphoma and it is "resonding to treatment". McCain, according to reports, has had 3 surgeries for melanoma. 1st in 1993, then ones in 2001 and 2002. Right now his face appears bloated from a steroid treatment that many people with cancer, joint problems use.

Of course, past Rudy, Romney is in excellent health and quite fit - he runs several miles 3-4 times a week.

On the Dem side, Obama and Edwards are also runners in excellent health. Hillary also appears to have no health issues other than general unattractiveness.

On the sidelines, Algore is fat but strangely well-liked like jovial fat guys are. Newt is fit, tanned, rested and ready - waiting for that "call if you like me" on his special phone with years of cobwebs on it.

Posted by Chris Ford | December 27, 2007 12:43 AM

I'd say that he was being worked up for meningitis, rather than a possible stroke. I'm just a lowly clinical research coordinator, but I know that it's not actually that unusual for "flu-like" cases to be treated this way. the beginning symptoms are the same, and meningitis most curable when treated very early on. A spinal tap and a CT do seem a bit extravagant for a cold, though. Its stuff like this that causes the rest of the nation to not be able to afford medical care. Also, it was nice of the doc to disclose the results of Mr. Giuliani's prostate exams (PSA).

Posted by Morgan | December 27, 2007 9:38 AM

Yeah, when I have flu-like symptoms, my doctor always clears his schedule and gives me a CT-MRI of the brain, ultrasound of the carotid arteries, spinal fluid evaluation, a PSA and a transesophageal echocardiogram, because, you know, Americans have the best health care in the world.

Posted by GreenVTster | December 27, 2007 9:41 AM

His psa level being zero sounds suspect unless he
had most of his prostate removed. A normal psa for a man in his 60`s should be under 4 but probably not zero because as you age it normally goes up.
I would expect about a 3 in a healthy 63 year old. Something sounds suspect here, unless he has a psa under 4 and the dr. considers that negligable. No matter Rudy isn`t going anywhere except back to his law practice.My bet is on McCain, but that opens up another bunch of medical issues.

Posted by jeremy | December 27, 2007 11:05 AM

Nothing inspires confidence in a man's health like a statement from his on-call Cardiologist.

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