The Candidates’ Health

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/opinion/the-candidates-health.html

Version 0 of 1.

To the Editor:

Re “Health Details Remain Paltry for Nominees” (front page, Aug. 23)

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, both several years past the standard retirement age, are competing for the same exceedingly strenuous job. It’s a job that requires a 24-hour-a-day commitment.

The stresses and pressures of this position would seem to vastly outweigh the negligible physical demands of the presidency. But the physical demands can take the form of sleep deprivation, in the event of an international or domestic crisis, when the commander in chief needs to be alert for extended periods.

When a new bridge is under construction, it’s essential that the engineers conduct tests to ensure that it can withstand the stresses of longtime use. Americans deserve to know whether or not a nominee for the presidency will be capable of withstanding the physical demands the job will impose.

If he or she is reluctant to disclose health records, it suggests that there might well be worrisome cracks in the foundation.

DAVID ENGLISH

Somerville, Mass.