A look at McCain's health records
May 23, 2008 -His most recent complete physical was in March; his latest
checkup was last week.
-Blood pressure was 134 over 84. Optimal is below 120 over 80,
and high blood pressure begins at 140 over 90. An in-between
reading is sometimes called prehypertension, but McCain's doctor
said other recent readings were lower and his blood pressure is
normal.
-Total cholesterol is a healthy 192, below the worrisome 240
level. His so-called bad or LDL cholesterol is a healthy 123. But
his so-called good or HDL cholesterol is 42, below the recommended
60.
-He weighs 163 pounds, and stands 5-foot-9.
-His BMI, or body mass index, was just under 24, which puts him
at upper end of normal; 25 or higher is overweight.
-He has had four separate melanomas removed, in 1993, 2000 and
2002. Most were very early stage forms but one, a spot on his
temple in 2000, was invasive cancer deemed "intermediate-stage"
melanoma. He has had no sign of melanoma since 2002, but has his
skin checked every three or four months. Doctors frequently remove
precancerous lesions and in February removed a small, early
squamous cell carcinoma, an easily surgically cured skin cancer.
-Doctors removed common benign growths called polyps during a
routine colonoscopy in March. Doctors often screen patients with
polyps more frequently, as they can be precancerous.
-He has suffered occasional bouts of dizziness, usually when
standing suddenly, since 2000 that repeated tests concluded were
harmless vertigo.
-In 2001, he had successful minimally invasive surgery to reduce
an enlarged prostate, common in older men, and shows no sign of
prostate cancer.
-His medications include simvastatin, part of the popular statin
family of anti-cholesterol drugs; a baby aspirin, commonly
prescribed starting in middle age to prevent heart attacks;
Claritin, Zyrtec or Flonase as needed for seasonal allergies; the
sleeping pill Ambien as needed during travel; and HCTZ, or
hydrochlorothiazide, to prevent kidney stones.
-McCain's stress test showed no signs of blockages, and his
ejection fraction, a measure of the heart's pumping strength, was a
very healthy 60 percent.
-He has small kidney stones and benign kidney cysts that don't
impact his kidney function, which is normal.
