Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) was hospitalized in Pittsburgh following a fall near his home caused by a heart rhythm issue that made him feel lightheaded, his office said Thursday.
In a statement, the freshman senator’s office said Fetterman is “doing well and receiving routine observation at the hospital.” Fetterman’s office said he had chosen to stay in the hospital so doctors can “fine-tune his medication regimen.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) was hospitalized in Pittsburgh following a fall near his home caused by a heart rhythm issue that made him feel lightheaded, his office said Thursday.
In a statement, the freshman senator’s office said Fetterman is “doing well and receiving routine observation at the hospital.” Fetterman’s office said he had chosen to stay in the hospital so doctors can “fine-tune his medication regimen.”
Fetterman’s fall was caused by “a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed,” his office said.
Ventricular fibrillation is a type of irregular heart rhythm that results in the heart not pumping sufficient blood to the rest of the body.
In a statement, Fetterman sought to make light of the episode, which his office said resulted in minor injuries to his face.
“If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now,” said Fetterman, whose fall took place near his home in Braddock during a morning walk.
Fetterman, 56, suffered a near-fatal stroke when he was running for Senate in 2022. At the time, Fetterman’s campaign released a letter from his doctor stating that the candidate has a condition called cardiomyopathy, a disease that makes it harder for the heart to deliver blood to the body.
After the stroke, doctors diagnosed him with an auditory processing disorder, which makes it difficult for him to differentiate and understand sounds. Another lingering effect of Fetterman’s stroke is that his speech is often halting, and he struggles at times to find the right words. He often relies on technological aides to talk to reporters in the Capitol.
Fetterman has suffered a handful of health issues since the stroke, but he has remained active in the Senate.
In 2023, months after the stroke, the senator checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive treatment for his mental health after being evaluated by Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician of Congress. Monahan suggested Fetterman receive inpatient care for depression that had become “severe in recent weeks.” The senator completed the treatment a month later.
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