PA Lt. Gov. 'Almost Died' Due To Undisclosed Heart Condition: Reports

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman on Friday said he "almost died" due to an undisclosed heart condition that led doctors to implant a pacemaker into his heart last month, according to multiple reports.

Fetterman, the state's Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, suffered a stroke on May 13, which landed him in the hospital just days before Pennsylvania's primary election. Doctors later implanted the defibrillator into his heart.

In a statement before the procedure, his campaign said the procedure would "help protect his heart and address the underlying cause of his stroke, atrial fibrillation (A-fib), by regulating his heart rate and rhythm."

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Fetterman, however, released a letter from his physician Friday, revealing that his condition was more serious than indicated, The Washington Post reported.

"The stroke I suffered on May 13 didn’t come out of nowhere," Fetterman said in a statement, the Post reported. "Like so many others, and so many men in particular, I avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn’t feel well. As a result, I almost died."

"I didn’t do what the doctor told me," he continued. "But I won’t make that mistake again."

In the letter, Fetterman's physician Ramesh Chandra said he diagnosed Fetterman with atrial fibrillation in 2017, Politico reported. Chandra said Fetterman did not take his prescribed medications and did not see a doctor for nearly 5 years following the diagnosis, Politico's report said.

While A-fib caused the stroke, Fetterman's doctor also diagnosed him with cardiomyopathy, Politico reported. The diagnosis led to the decision to implant a pacemaker.

"If he takes his medications, eats healthy, and exercises, he'll be fine," Chandra said.