Show caption Bernie Sanders in Des Moines on Monday. His primary doctor wrote: ‘You are in good health currently and you have been engaging vigorously in the rigors of your campaign …without any limitation.’ Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders’ doctors say he’s fit and healthy for ‘rigors of presidency’ Sanders, who had heart attack in October, receives clean bill of health from doctors who say he is mentally and physically fit Joan E Greve @joanegreve Mon 30 Dec 2019 20.38 GMT Share on Facebook

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Bernie Sanders has released letters from three doctors following his heart attack in early October, in which medical professionals say the Democratic candidate appears perfectly capable of tackling the demands of the Oval Office.

Although Sanders did suffer some heart muscle damage, he aced a treadmill test and received a clean bill of health to face the strains of the campaign trial and – should he win the presidency – the pressure of being president.

“You are in good health currently and you have been engaging vigorously in the rigors of your campaign, travel and other scheduled activities without any limitation,” wrote Brian P Monahan, the attending physician of the US Congress and Sanders’ primary doctor.

Monahan noted that, in the initial hours after his October hospital admission, Sanders suffered from “an elevation of cardiac muscle proteins in your blood accompanied by diminished heart muscle strength and chamber wall motion reduction as determined by echocardiogram”.

But earlier this month, Sanders “underwent a successful graded exercise treadmill”, Monahan wrote, and the results indicated he was “fit to resume vigorous activity without limitation”.

Two other medical professionals – Philip Ades, the director of cardiac rehabilitation at the University of Vermont, and Martin LeWinter, Sanders’ personal cardiologist at UVM – echoed Monahan’s assessment. Winter said the senator had suffered “modest heart muscle damage” but was unconcerned about it.

“At this point, I see no reason he cannot continue campaigning without limitation and, should he be elected, I am confident he has the mental and physical stamina to fully undertake the rigors of the presidency,” LeWinter wrote.

Sanders previously said he would release his medical records “probably by the end of the year”, and, true to his word, the letters were released on the second-to-last day of 2019.