FDR’s polio is probably the best known, but Eisenhower had Crohn’s , 5 infarcts, and a stroke. Embalmers couldn’t get a needle into FDR’s veins. Bush Sr. vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister. For more, check out the Medical History of American Presidents . Lists all of them, a substantial number of researched illnesses and maladies, and even histories by organ system (judging from the list, I think our presidents have run the gamut, from balding to bladder cancer).

The president always has a lot of power to influence public opinion and behavior, and I don’t think it’s any different in the health arena. I remember there being some buzz about Bush Sr. not liking broccoli and the effect on the broccoli market; I’m sure people are reminded to get their routine physicals done because the president’s is mentioned on the news. As the site mentions, Betty Ford’s breast cancer and alcoholism were both wake-up calls to the public –telling people that yes, these diseases happen to real people, and cut across the classes and society. If more people knew about the history of presidential psychiatry they’d be more likely to seek counseling themselves, or at least lose some of their mental health stigma. (via Metafilter )

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