And Kennedy wasn't actually that vigorous, and indeed was secretly afflicted by serious medical problems, including Addison’s disease, that his aides concealed from the public. The history of the presidency includes a running thread of illness and incapacity, much of it hidden from the public out of political calculation. Kennedy had to take steroids and other drugs to ward off the symptoms of Addison’s disease, but he did so secretly. That remains a contentious topic, and many aides have insisted that Reagan did not have the disease while in office. The 25th Amendment provides for a transfer of power to the vice president if the president is incapacitated.

Source: Washington Post September 12, 2016 17:35 UTC