ZOT! Bad News: Our President, George W. Bush, May Have Health Problems

President George W. Bush apparently is using a LifeVest wearable defibrillator. This would mean he is at risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) or sudden cardiac death (SCD). The LiveVest is a wearable version of "the paddles" you have seen in emergency room scenes on TV. He started using it sometime after his January 2002 fainting spell, which was attributed to choking. Photos of Mr. Bush and the device seem to show that this is the mysterious bulge seen on his back in the debates.

The first graphic is a back view showing the two large electrodes that are equivalent to "the paddles." Note the electrical cord leading down to the defibrillator/heart monitor, which is a paperback-book size unit worn on a waist belt. #file_1#

The second graphic (photo) shows President Bush and Sen. Kerry at the debate. Again, note the electrodes on Mr. Bush's back and the cord leading down to the defibrillator. Some of the photos that have appeared elsewhere show a ridge in the electrode assembly, which is formed by the adjoining edges of the two electrodes. #file_2#

The third photo shows a model wearing the LifeVest. One can also see the somewhat bulky shoulder straps in some photos of the president. #file_3#

Some sources have claimed that the back bulge is caused by a bulletproof vest. I have looked for body armor that would create a similar impression under a suit coat. The vest below is the closest I could find, courtesy Bullet Proof ME. It is a A Pro MAX bulletproof vest, described as "designed for easy concealment under normal clothes." #file_4#

The president's suits are made by the Washington Tailor Georges de Paris, whose suits cost from $2500 to $4500. If the president's suits are that important to him, surely he could find a bulletproof vest that would be inconspicuous, at taxpayer expense. Many are much easier to conceal than the one above.

Microminiaturization of electronics is so well known that the possibility of the bulge being the audio equivalent of a TelePrompter -- an audio prompter -- does not bear much discussion. According to (Gordon) Moore's Law, the amount of circuitry that can fit in a given space doubles every 18 months. Radio receivers have long been capable of being miniaturized to the point where they can't have control knobs or wheels, let alone speakers. Radio receivers for espionage work can be concealed almost anywhere on the body. A radio antenna need not be long or bulky anymore.

However, some classes of electrical devices, transducers and electrodes, resist miniaturization and certainly don't follow Moore's Law. The electrodes of the LifeVest must overcome skin resistance and transfer 150 joules of energy into the body in just 5 one-thousandths of a second. Even with the conductive gel it secretes, the LifeVest back electrode -- a two-piece affair -- has an area of about 176 sq cm, or about 5-1/4 by 5-1/4 inches. This is the square protrusion that we are seeing in the photos.

The photos are at: http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/display.php3?article_id=110530 .

Based on photos showing him wearing the LifeVest, one can conclude the fainting was due to atrial fibrillation (AF), which his father also had. His father's AF was caused by Graves' hyperthyroidism, which Barbara Bush also has. Bush Jr likely has AF and, less likely, Graves', based on his family history and symptoms. The AF may have caused a stroke or TIA (mini-stroke), of which physicians watching the debates detected symptoms. Observers have noted psychological symptoms consistent with this and with Wernicke-Korsakoff disease.

"The President remains in supurb physical condition," said Adam M. Robinson, Jr., commander of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, after the president's fourth annual physical at the center on December 11.

"The doctors said that Mr. Bush had a 'low' to 'very low' risk of coronary artery disease, although they found evidence of minimal calcification of the coronary arteries themselves. As a preventative, they recommended that Mr. Bush take a daily aspirin and a statin, or cholesterol-lowering drug," reported the New York Times.

It's interesting that his doctors advised him to take aspirin and statin. Aspirin is used to prevent clotting, which is a problem with AF (the condition he apparently wears the LifeVest for). Statins are the most potent cholesterol-lowering agents, lowering LDL (so-called "bad cholesterol) by 30-50 percent. They are less effective than fibrates in lowering triglycerides and raising HDL ("good cholesterol"). But Bush's doctors said he had a "low" to "very low" risk of heart disease, and his total cholesterol level was listed as 170 mg/dL, which is considered within the normal range.

There is ongoing research into other areas where statins appear to have an effect, including dementia. Science Daily recently reported (11/17/04): "The cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin slowed down mental decline and improved depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease"

The LifeVest (left) has an electrode belt with four sensing/ECG electrodes. These send signals to the heart monitor/defibrillator, typically worn like a holster. When the monitor detects a life-threatening heart arrhythmia, it sends a signal to the small, handheld patient-interface module (a little like a computer "mouse" but with just buttons and alarms). The module can be worn on the shirt. It module provides an audible alarm. The user, if able to do so, depresses two buttons on the module to hold off a shock from the defibrillator. If the user faints and is unable to press the buttons, the defibrillator -- within one minute -- sends a 2000-volt electrical pulse to the large shocking electrode on the patient's back and a smaller one on the chest. The pulse can be repeated until the heart starts pumping blood effectively, up to five pulses.

In the second photo, showing Mr. Bush and Sen. Kerry, one can clearly see the shocking electrode between the shoulder blades as well as the electrical cord leading down to the monitor/defibrillator. (As for the small square patch near Mr. Bush's ear in this photo, I do not know. It is some kind of patch -- not a video artifact.)

This news could turn out to be the story of the year -- for 2005 -- if reporters ask the right questions to the right people.

On January 13, 2002, President Bush lost consciousness while sitting on a couch in the White House, watching a football game. His head hit the floor, resulting in an abrasion on his left cheekbone and a small bruise on his lower lip. The incident was blamed on a combination of (a) Mr. Bush not feeling well in previous days and (b) an improperly eaten pretzel. Their combined effect was to slow the president's heart. The description suggests a vasovagal attack: A pretzel lodged in his throat stimulated the vagus nerve to send a signal to his heart, slowing it down and reducing blood flow so much he fainted, according to White House physician Col. Richard J. Tubb, M.D.

Of course, even in this day of telemedicine, it is difficult and uncertain for anyone to diagnose a patient without having access to examination and test records. That doesn't stop physicians and psychologists from trying, especially on someone with President Bush's visibility. Obviously, considerable testing and examination have been done; but the American public does not always have the latest results, as they found out after other presidents, including Roosevelt and Kennedy, left office. Besides photographic evidence, there are observations and quotes from doctors, based on hours of Bush TV appearances, voluminous reports in the media, and the president's own words.

In the January 2002 pretzel-choking episode, according to President Bush, the period of unconsciousness was brief -- a few seconds. When fainting begins and ends suddenly, the cause of fainting usually is not what his doctors reported (vasovagal syncope) but instead is an abnormal heart rhythm such as atrial fibrillation (AF). Chronic AF is consistent with Mr. Bush's requirement for constant monitoring and immediate access to defibrillation. Atrial fibrillation can lead to disastrous consequences if the patient is capable of sustaining a very rapid preexcited ventricular response with conduction over the accessory pathway. The rapid heart rate can produce syncope (fainting); or, more important, AF may cause ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. The LifeVest the president wears terminates ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia (overspeed) to prevent sudden cardiac death. This may be the reason the president wore the device during the debates, even though he risked exposing his vulnerability, especially if the device alarm sounded.

According to the Framingham Offspring study of AF, a person whose parent had AF is 50 percent more likely to have it than the general population. President Bush's father had it during his presidency. While jogging at Camp David on a Saturday afternoon (May 4, 1991), Bush Sr developed shortness of breath, chest tightness, and a general feeling of fatigue. A White House physician discovered Bush had a rapid irregular heartbeat, ultimately diagnosed as atrial fibrillation caused by Graves' disease, a form of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).

Vagal-mediated AF is a well described phenomenon and often occurs in older athletes, which our current president, George W. Bush, is. As far as treatment, there are many different drug options. Blood thinners are often prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots. President Bush's latest medical report (December 2004) included advice to take aspirin, which is a well known anti-clotting agent. Clotting can lead to strokes, discussed later.

Although atrial fibrillation usually is controllable with treatment, it may become a lasting, chronic, condition. In the president's case, it apparently has, as his physicians evidently have decided to have him wear an external device that can continuously monitor his heart and shock it back into effective operation in case of an attack.

Hyperthyroidism, hypertension, and other diseases can cause arrhythmias, as can recent heavy alcohol use (binge drinking). Some cases have no identifiable cause. The president says that he stopped drinking when he was 40, so binge drinking is not an issue. However, both of his parents have the Graves' disease form of hyperthyroidism and it is hereditary and must be considered.

The earliest photo I have seen of President Bush wearing the LifeVest was the one taken in August 2002. He probably started wearing the LifeVest between the January 2002 pretzel incident and this. The most likely time would seem to be after his June 28, 2002 colonoscopy, for which he was put under anesthesia at Camp David, MD -- that is, some time in July 2002.

At any rate, the president bears watching for symptoms of AF, which include: heart palpitations (sensation of rapid heartbeat), irregular pulse, shortness of breath (especially during physical activity or emotional stress), chest pain (angina), weakness and fatigue, dizziness and confusion, lightheadness, or confusion. If the condition remains untreated, serious complications may occur, including stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

EVIDENCE OF STROKE OR TIA The evidence of atrial fibrillation is strong, based on photographic evidence that Mr. Bush wears an anti-arrythmic device, his father's having it, a confirmed sudden-fainting spell, numerous falls, and observation-at-a-distance. The evidence of a stroke or TIA is less strong. It is symptomatic and based observation-at-a-distance -- TV appearances and news reports -- but it is there.

A stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack) is one possible consequence of AF itself. A TIA basically is a mini-stroke.

Many observers, including physicians, have been concerned or even alarmed at the symptoms President Bush has evidenced in TV appearances.

After watching the third presidential debate, Dr. W. Kendall Tongier, M.D. of Dallas, Texas posted on the Dallas Morning News website about his concerns that the president may have had a stroke. Dr. Tongier has been an anesthesiologist for 15 years. His post said:

"Having watched the first two debates from start to finish, I was looking forward to listening to a spirited debate between Bush and Kerry. Unfortunately, I barely heard a word that was said. Instead, I found myself staring at and concentrating on the president's drooping mouth."

"As a physician and a professor, I tend to pick up on signs and symptoms of physical problems better than most other people. I am highly concerned with what I saw. The drooping left side of the President's face, his mouth and nasolabial fold (the crease in the face running from the nostril to the side of mouth) may be indicative of a recent stroke, TIA (transient ischemic attack) or, possibly botox injections. I sincerely hope this was nothing more than botox injections. The other options are truly scary given an upcoming election for president in three weeks."

In a phone interview reported by Salon.com, Dr. Tongier stressed that he's not a neurologist, and no doctor can make a diagnosis from a 90-minute debate. But he did explain why he found Bush's face so distracting on TV: "It struck me across the face to the point where I wasn't really listening to the debate. It looked like the left side of his mouth was downturned. You know how he sneers at times. At first I thought that's what it was, but it didn't change when his face was at rest. It changed when he talked, but you'd expect that. It's the loss of muscle tone there that's really kind of concerning. And it was pretty much persistent throughout the entire debate."

"It certainly could be something as benign as an overzealous botox injection, which causes the paralysis, which is essentially how botox works. A lot of people will get them around the nasolabial fold to decrease those lines. If it's botox, it can be a short-term reaction after an injection. It could last for 24 hours and be gone. But I'd like to see the Bush campaign at least give an explanation."

Not only was there no explanation, but the president delayed his annual medical examination until after the election. Even now, as far as I know, the complete details, including tests made and the metrics of those tests, have not come out -- only a conclusion that he is in "supurb condition." If the speculation is true, the writers of the president's medical report should be held to account for the discrepancies.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat in which the upper chamber of the heart quivers rapidly rather than beats. Even if it does not result in life-threatening ventricular fibrillation, the quivering motion is not forceful enough to send all the blood to the heart's lower chambers (ventricles), and the blood pools, thus allowing clots to develop. The clots can migrate elsewhere, including the neck or brain (in cerebral embolism), and they can cause strokes.

A series of strokes can cause a progressive impairment of brain function known as "multi-infarct dementia."

Mr. Seek, you really should go see the Wizard. He will give you a brain if you ask nicely and bring him the broomstick of Hillary Clinton of course.

All your Nukes ARE Belong to Us!!!!

ZOT! My first ZOT of 05 w00t!

PWND!

Yes it's true. George Bush and all Republicans are sick. We're sick of losers like you and the pitiful trash on the left. We have the cure figured out though, we simply have to continually marginalize you until the entire electorate sees you as the meaningless scum that you are.

Happy new year scum.

Now now, I've had the kill shot on some occasions, but with the way things have been lately....

There are lots of us that would gladly trade places with you if we could.

Do your duty and Godspeed. (I cannot say it except to say that you and yours WILL be taken care of here.)

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Ahh that felt good!!!!

OK. . so then explain what was wrong with Mr. Kerry, the sweating in the speech at the Democrat Convention, the eyes rolling back in the head whilst saying, "Rupporting fer dooty!", the yellow pallor, the constant hyperactivity, the frequent alcoholic type drinks, the flares of temper tantrum, the inability to reign in his wife (the distracting Teresa HEINZ Kerry), the pumpkin coloration during the campaign just before the yellow pallor, the inability to catch (or throw) a ball. Noooop. I think the point you're trying to make is . . questionable. Haven't you wondered about those things about Kerry yourself? There were lots more goofy symptoms, but I put them out of my mind as soon as the election was OVER!!!!!! :oO

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