Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman falls during morning walk, admitted to Pittsburgh hospital due to heart condition

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has been admitted to hospital in Pittsburgh after he suffered a fall during a morning walk on Thursday.

“During an early morning walk, Senator Fetterman sustained a fall near his home in Braddock. Out of an abundance of caution, he was transported to a hospital in Pittsburgh," said the Senator's spokesperson in a post on X.

He stated that upon evaluation, it was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground and hitting his face with minor injuries.

"If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!," said the spokesperson, quoting Senator Fetterman.

How is John Fetterman's health condition?

"He is doing well and receiving routine observation at the hospital. He has opted to stay, so doctors can fine-tune his medication regimen. Senator Fetterman is grateful to the EMTs, doctors, and nurses who are providing his care,” said the spokesperson.

Fetterman on stroke and depression

In 2022, months before his election to the Senate, Fetterman survived a stroke. According to NewsWeek, doctors implanted a pacemaker with a defibrillator to address an irregular heart rhythm, and Fetterman returned to the campaign trail after several weeks of recovery.

Just a day ago before the fall during morning walk, speaking to CBS Mornings, Fetterman spoke his struggles with mental health following his 2022 stroke.

"I know it's not a political winner to talk about depression or self-harm or suicide, but that's an important conversation I'm willing to have," the Democratic senator said.

"My life has been touched by this personally. But also, I know people that have took their lives and the tragedy that's left after that," Fetterman added.

What is Ventricular fibrillation?

According to American Heart Association (AHA), Ventricular fibrillation, or VF, is considered the most serious abnormal heart rhythm. VF is extremely dangerous and can lead to sudden cardiac death. Without treatment, the condition is fatal within minutes. Disordered electrical activity causes the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) to quiver instead of contracting (or beating) normally. This prohibits the heart from pumping blood, causing collapse and cardiac arrest.