The Next President's Health

The next President of the U.S. will be a man who today has no chronic disease, no sign of heart trouble, and normal or rather low blood pressure. These facts became clear this week when, for the first time in any presidential election, the personal physicians to the two major candidates answered detailed press questionnaires on their patients' health.

In many medical respects, Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson are remarkably alike. Both are 5 ft. 10 in. tall and both are heavyweights, though the general (62 next week) barely makes this class at 176 Ibs., while the governor (52) weighs in at 185. Both have good appetites and both are acutely aware that they must watch what they eat or they will gain too much weight. Eisenhower eats anything, but he keeps the portions small and averages only 1,800 to 2,500 calories a day; Stevenson scarcely touches butter, fried foods and pastries, and gets much of his 1,700 calories in salads, fruits, vegetables and milk, with meat only once a day.

Both have good hearing, sound teeth, good color sense and good vision for men of their age, though Eisenhower is a bit farsighted and Stevenson wears reading glasses because his eyes are slow to adjust for close range. Both have normal lungs, but Stevenson suffers occasionally from bronchitis. The governor's heart beats faster--80 to the minute at rest, 110 after brisk exercise; the general's averages 72, goes up to 96 on exercise. The general has the higher blood pressure, averaging 134/90 (it has been as high as 156/96); the governor's is healthily on the low side, at 110/72.

The candidates are alike in having had the usual childhood diseases and having had their tonsils out. Ike has got rid of his appendix; Adlai still has his. Neither has had any other major surgery: the nearest approach to it was removal of a Stevenson kidney stone last June, without cutting. Each has had a touch of bursitis in one shoulder.

Electioneering has upset their schedules, but in normal life both men work about ten hours a day and try to make sure that they get enough sleep. Eisenhower aims at the traditional eight hours, often has to be content with six or seven. Stevenson makes a point of being in bed by midnight, up by 7:30. The general does not take regular vacations; the governor takes short ones.

They favor different methods of taking exercise. Eisenhower plays golf (upper 80s), and has a rowing machine and an electric exercise bicycle. Stevenson can play several sets of tennis a day; he also plays golf occasionally (low 90s) and rides. Eisenhower "drinks only a dilute highball of Scotch whisky and plain water, rarely more than two glasses before dinner." He does not smoke. Stevenson "takes an occasional social drink at night only," prefers bourbon. He smokes a pack a day.

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