Should Age Be A Factor In Presidential Campaign?
DETROIT (WWJ) - He stunned the country with his surprise win in Michigan on Tuesday.
Despite Bernie Sanders upset victory in Michigan ... there's been a rumbling of undercurrent in his campaign about his age. Is 74 too old to become president?
Dr. Shaun Jayakar specializes in the treatment of older adults at St. John Hospital and tells WWJ's Sandra McNeill that saying '70 is the new 50' isn't a joke.
"I don't think it should be an issue for him specifically," says the geriatrician, "he's obviously very active as he's campaigning all around the country, holding rallies, doing debates."
He says new advances like heart stints, better medications for diabetes, as well as better nutrition means that people are living a lot longer.
"As long as his doctor gave him a good bill of health - just watching him on television all the things he's been able to do - and I don't think that his health is going to be an issue or his mortality is going to be a big issue," says Jayakar.
He says the biggest factor in a long healthy life is keeping mentally and physically active as well as genetics.
"If you are exercising every day verses someone who doesn't exercise everyday - the person who is exercising every day is going to live longer as long as he doesn't have really, really bad genes," says Jayakar.