Bush underwent tests and was given intravenous blood thinners and other medication. Bush, who has remained relatively private since leaving office in 1993, has campaigned recently for his son's presidential bid. He did capture worldwide attention in 1997, and again last June, by skydiving. He vowed Friday to jump again in 2004. So, I'm going to do it then.
Atrial fibrillation happens when the upper chambers of the heart contract extremely rapidly.
That means they don't pump blood properly into the heart's lower chambers, which themselves speed up as they struggle to pump blood out of the heart. It can happen in people with no other sign of heart disease, or it can be caused by such conditions as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure or excessive thyroid levels. Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley also suffers from atrial fibrillation, a condition he has known about since 1996. Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon also has had bouts with an irregular heartbeat. While in the Florida hospital, Bush spoke by phone to his wife and their governor sons, George W. Bush of Texas and Jeb Bush of Florida.