Bradley's Health: A Candidate's Racing Heart

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After you've experienced one bout of atrial fibrillation, however, you're likely to have another. In some cases, that could spell trouble. The uncoordinated beating of the heart allows small amounts of blood to pool in the atria, where the blood can form clots that can travel through the brain, causing a stroke. The risk is greatest for folks 65 and older, who are often given blood thinners like aspirin and the prescription drug warfarin to lessen the risk. But Bradley is 56. And in a Dec. 9 letter to the candidate, his doctor reported that the occasional irregular heartbeat "does not, in any way, interfere with [his] ability to function."

--By Christine Gorman. Reported by Alice Park/New York