# Clinton has Parkinson's Disease? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064 "2010-08-03T22:09:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/1 "2010-08-03T22:09:33Z")
Normally, I don’t pay attention to the tabloids, but apparently there’s a new rumor making the rounds that ex-president Clinton has Parkinson’s Disease. Has anyone else heard this? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/2 "2010-08-03T22:22:01Z")
Haven’t heard anything about it. I know some of the tabloids are going quasi-legit, but I wouldn’t take this seriously without some real confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/3 "2010-08-03T22:25:55Z")
I saw him give a speech in person a year ago and he seemed fine. In Sep 2009 the Globe reported that he had P’s and was “shaking uncontrollably.” BC said he had been tested and did not have P’s. Clinton-haters responded there is no such test so BC must be lying; or maybe they could tell he was lying because his lips were moving. In fact, there are a lot of diagnostic tests but no silver-bullet way to rule it out. Anyway, he’s not shaking uncontrollably so the original source of this story was just trying to sell papers. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/4 "2010-08-04T21:43:17Z")
I know nothing about Parkinson’s and little about Clinton but I saw a wedding photograph on CNN and I thought the man looked rather sick. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/5 "2010-08-04T22:30:42Z")
He’s known for his weight yoyoing. He’ll put on anywhere from 20-30lb and then diet/work it off. He’s also, let’s not forget, a decade-plus older than we remember him in office. I don’t think he looks too bad for someone about to turn 64. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/6 "2010-08-04T22:53:13Z")
? Parkinsons runs in my family, and there _are_ tests for it… and meds for it. here is even a little electro implant for some people with it, my uncle had one … granted you have the option of a several thousand dollar DNA test, or a series of other tests… it would be nice if there was a single blood test, or spit swab test, or something, but it is diagnosable… ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/7 "2010-08-05T02:00:45Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I know nothing about Parkinson’s and little about Clinton but I saw a wedding photograph on CNN and I thought the man looked rather sick. The article I read said that Chelsea “demanded” he lose about 15 lbs. before the wedding, and he lost 20 instead. That might account for him looking as if he were ill. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-has-parkinsons-disease/549064/8 "2010-08-05T02:01:58Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I know nothing about Parkinson’s and little about Clinton but I saw a wedding photograph on CNN and I thought the man looked rather sick. > [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > He’s known for his weight yoyoing. He’ll put on anywhere from 20-30lb and then diet/work it off. > > He’s also, let’s not forget, a decade-plus older than we remember him in office. I don’t think he looks too bad for someone about to turn 64. Chelsea reportedly asked him to lose 20 pounds for the wedding; apparently he shed a few more than that. And those extra lost pounds must have been _after_ the final fitting for his suit, which seemed to be hanging on him.