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　　How Much Medical Information MustPresidential Candidates Release?

　　Recent stories about American presidentialcandidates have raised questions about how muchcandidates should say about their medical historywhile running for office.

　　In the United States, no law requires presidential candidates or presidents to release medicalrecords or information about their health to the public. But one recent study of likely votersfound that 86 percent of those questioned said a candidate's health is important to their vote.

　　Most presidential candidates are over age 50. This issue affects somewhat younger candidates,too.

　　John F. Kennedy was the youngest person to be elected U.S. president. He was 43 years oldwhen he won the election of 1960. Kennedy had Addison's disease and back pain that weretreated with drugs before he was elected. This information was not released to the public.

　　In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president with a clear disability: He had polio. Fewphotographs survived of Roosevelt sitting in his wheelchair. Late in his presidency, he alsosuffered from heart disease. The public never heard about his heart problems until Rooseveltdied, just months into his fourth term in office.

　　The U.S. Constitution is clear that once a president has died, the vice president takes office. Butquestions have arisen throughout American history about what happens when a president isunable to carry out his or her duties, like when under anesthesia. Or the president could be in acoma and unable to communicate.

　　Following Kennedy's death, Congress passed the 25th Amendment to the constitution. Thatamendment states, in part, that when a president is incapacitated, the vice president andmembers of the president's cabinet can act. They can make a formal declaration to theleaders of the Senate and House that the president is unable to carry out his duties.

　　The vice president then immediately can act for the president.

　　But the amendment has never been used, even when former President Ronald Reagan wasshot in 1981.

　　President Barack Obama has released reports of his physical examinations periodicallythroughout his presidency and once during his campaign. He was not legally required to do so.This move has become a tradition for presidents in the years since the passing of the 25thAmendment.

　　In 2008, Obama defeated U.S. Senator John McCain for the presidency. During the electioncampaign, McCain released more than 1,000 pages of his medical records to the public. McCainwas 72 years old at the time.

　　I'm Bryan Lynn.