Bernie Sanders Hospitalised For Emergency Heart Procedure

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders  underwent an emergency heart procedure following a campaign event Tuesday evening, his campaign confirmed in a statement.

“During a campaign event yesterday evening, Senator Sanders experienced some chest discomfort,” the campaign said in an emailed statement. “Following medical evaluation and testing he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted. Senator Sanders is conversing and in good spirits.”

“He will be resting up over the next few days,” the statement read.

Sanders’ campaign is canceling his events until further notice.

The Sanders campaign has also canceled its TV advertising spending in Iowa, according to political ad tracker Medium Buying. It had originally planned to start airing ads Thursday .

Campaign rivals including Senator Elizabeth Warren  former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg were quick to tweet messages of support and encouragement.

“Anyone who knows Bernie understands what a force he is,” Biden wrote . “We are confident that he will have a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him on the trail soon.”

Bernie himself posted on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, expressing gratitude both for his health care staff and his access to good care.

In September, the 78-year-old canceled three events in South Carolina to rest his voice, which had grown hoarse due to what the campaign called a “vigorous” schedule.

He and Biden, 76, pledged that month to release an updated set of medical records before the Democratic presidential primaries.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Sanders said at the time. “The American people have the right to know about whether the person they are going to be voting for for president is healthy, and we will certainly release our medical records before the primaries.”

Sanders pushed back on concerns about his age in the 2016 presidential election with the release of a doctor’s note that concluded he was “in overall very good health.”

A medical history accompanying the note, written by senate physician Brian P. Monahan, detailed health problems “including gout, mild hypercholesterolemia, diverticulitis, hypothyroidism, laryngitis secondary to esophageal reflux, lumbar strain and complete removal of superficial skin tumors.”

The note specifically stated the senator has no history of heart disease, doesn’t smoke tobacco and consumes alcohol “infrequently.”

This story has been updated with comment from Sanders.