http://www.democrats.com/mccain-owes...lzheimers-test


While Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama were rocking the Democratic
convention in Denver, John McCain made his 13th appearance with Jay
Leno to joke about his age. McCain joked, "You forgot to mention that
I warned the people about the British coming," and added, "my Social
Security number is eight."

McCain has repeatedly tried to dismiss concerns about his age with
late-night jokes. On Saturday Night Live, he quipped: "What should we
be looking for in our next president? Certainly someone who is very,
very, very old."

But McCain's age is no joke. He will turn 72 on Friday and would be
halfway to 73 if elected and sworn in on January 20. That would make
him the oldest first-term President ever, two years older than Ronald
Reagan. He has survived four skin cancers (melanomas), including one
in 2000 that was classified as Stage IIa.

McCain is two years older than his father was when he died suddenly of
a heart attack at 70. He is 11 years older than his grandfather was
when he died suddenly of a heart attack at age 61.

The United States cannot afford the risk that McCain would die
suddenly in the middle of an international crisis.

Nor can we afford the risk of dementia. 22% of Americans over 70 are
affected by mild cognitive impairment, while 13% of Americans over 65
have Alzheimer's. Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age
83, but early signs were evident during his first term. Britain's
"Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher developed dementia at age 75.

Prescriptions can also adversely affect mental function. McCain takes
Simvastatin, a cholestoral drug that can cause memory loss. McCain
also takes Ambien to sleep, which can cause amnesia and "fugue states"
like the one that caused Rep. Patrick Kennedy's late-night car crash.
If the phone rang at 3 a.m., would McCain even wake up?

McCain's medical records are not available to physicians. He did not
"release" them for the campaign; he only allowed hand-picked reporters
to examine them quickly without making copies. And there were no
results of an Alzheimer's test, because McCain has never had one -
even though he has 6 of the 10 warning signs, including his inability
to remember facts like the number of homes he owns or the U.S.
invasion of Iraq in 2003.

John McCain owes America a thorough test for Alzheimer's and cognitive
impairment long before Election Day