Inside Bill Clinton's history of health problems from heart surgery to stents after recent sepsis hospitalization
BILL Clinton's hospitalization this week with a reported sepsis infection comes after several life-threatening medical issues and a history of health problems.
The former president, 75, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday in Orange, California with an "infection," his spokesperson said.
Hillary Clinton was seen visiting the University of California Irvine Medical Center on Thursday night after attending a foundation event.
Doctors say the former president is "on the mend" and in good spirits.
"Clinton was admitted to the ICU for close monitoring and administered IV antibiotics and fluids," according to a joint statement released by Dr Alpesh Amin, chair of medicine at UC Irvine Medical Center, and Dr Lisa Bardack, the ex-president's personal primary physician.
"He remains at the hospital for continuous monitoring."
Clinton could be released as early as Friday, they added.
However, it is not the first time the 42nd president has faced a serious medical issue.
Clinton had battled with weight fluctuation and high cholesterol during his presidency and his love of fries while in the Oval Office had even become the subject of a Saturday Night Live sketch.
While governor of Arkansas he would reportedly fit a McDonald's stop into his morning run.
He was also renowned for his ability to chow down on burgers and fries while on the campaign trail.
In 2004, three years after leaving the White House, Clinton underwent a four-hour quadruple bypass operation at the Columbia campus of New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Doctors found during the surgery that in some places, 90 percent of his arteries were blocked.
The Democrat returned for surgery to remove fluid and scar tissue from his left chest cavity six months later.
He was back in the same hospital in 2010 to have two stents implanted in his coronary artery.
VEGAN DIET
Clinton later began on a vegan diet to try and cut back on grease from fast foods.
He revealed in 2011 that he gave up meat, dairy, and eggs due to the risk posed by his family's history of heart disease.
According to NPR, he said at the time that he had dropped 20 pounds and was feeling healthier than ever.
"I essentially concluded that I had played Russian roulette," he claimed, saying that needing to have the stent in his artery forced him to make a drastic change.
Experts have said that his previous conditions are not a major concern as he has recovered from them.
Dr Marc Seigel, Fox News contributor and Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, told the network that a major infection could put further strain on the heart, however.
The former president fell ill on Tuesday when he was in southern California for a Clinton Foundation-related event.
Clinton reportedly developed a urinary tract infection that developed into urosepsis – a type of sepsis.
However, the 42nd president is "mobile" and was joking around with hospital staff on Thursday.
"After two days of treatment, his white blood cell count is trending down and he is responding to antibiotics well," according to the doctors.
They added: "We hope to have him go home soon."
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