Story highlights
- Candidates' health has emerged as a major issue on the campaign trail
- Pence's doctor says he is "in excellent general and cardiovascular health"
Indianapolis (CNN)Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Saturday released a letter from his doctor that describes a "healthy lifestyle" and no major medical issues for the Republican vice presidential hopeful.
The one-and-a-half-page letter was issued by Dr. Michael Busk, a medical doctor and system executive at the St. Vincent Health, Wellness, and Preventative Care Institute in Indianapolis. He has been Pence's doctor since March 2013.
Busk wrote that Pence exercises four times a week, primarily by riding a bicycle, and neither smokes nor drinks alcohol.
Pence suffers from seasonal allergies and the only medication he takes is Claritin, an antihistamine. The governor has had three surgeries, one to repair a hernia in 2015 and the other two to remove for basal cell skin cancers in 2002 and 2010.
An exercise stress test in 2014 revealed an asymptomatic left bundle branch block -- a condition, according to the Mayo Clinic, in which there's a delay along the pathway that electrical impulses travel to make one's heart beat --but heart valves and chambers appeared normal. Pence follows up with an annual echocardiogram and Busk writes that "the cardiologists feel you have a very good and strong heart."
Pence's most recent physical was in July; he had a blood pressure rate of 116/81 and a heart rate of 76 beats per minute. Laboratory tests also came back normal, according to Busk.
Busk applauds the governor's "desire to stay healthy," and concludes that Pence is "in excellent general and cardiovascular health." The presidential running mate is able to maintain "a high level of professional work" and perform his physical activity programs "without limitations," Busk added.
Pence released the letter after a week in which the candidates' health emerged as a major issue on the campaign trail.
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign released additional medical information in the wake of her pneumonia diagnosis, and Donald Trump, Pence's running mate, went on "The Dr. Oz Show," to discuss his health, though he only shared some of the results of a physical check-up he underwent last week.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine also released a letter that stated he was in "overall excellent health."