PM FICO ALLEGED TO HAVE HEART PROBLEMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000947

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2011
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO
SUBJECT: PM FICO ALLEGED TO HAVE HEART PROBLEMS

REF: BRATISLAVA 879

Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Summary. PM Fico is alleged to be suffering from
high blood pressure and high cholestorol. Local media have
speculated that he will have to curtail his public schedule
or risk suffering the fate of his father, who died of a heart
attack in his 50s. Fico himself suggested his only problem is
erratic fluctuations in blood pressure. Appearing more rested
than usual, he is plunging on with his schedule. End summary.


2. (C) Prof. Igor Riecansky, Head of the Department of
Cardiology at the Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular
diseases, told Ambassador December 4 that he is in frequent
contact with Fico's personal cardiologist, and that Fico
suffers from high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Fico's doctors are particularly concerned because Fico's
father died in his 50s from a heart attack. Riecansky said
Fico, age 42, had passed a bike stress test, and is on
medicine, presumably for both conditions.


3. (C) Minister of Education Jan Mikolaj told DCM that Fico
had confided in him that he feels too young for such health
problems, and that he hasn't been taking the medicine
prescribed to him. (Comment. Mikolaj is a nominee of the
Slovak National Party (SNS) and Post has not heard previously
that he is an especially close confidant of the PM. End
comment.)


4. (SBU) Fico has been reported to be suffering from medical
problems for several weeks now, but has been unwilling to
discuss what he considers his "personal affair" in the media.
On the day Ambassador talked to Riecansky, the tabloid-style
daily "Plus Jeden Den" ran a front page story warning that
Fico was at risk of a heart attack. The daily claimed that
surgeons will attempt to alleviate Fico's heart problem by
inserting a stent into a main blood vessel to prevent it from
narrowing. Fico's spokesperson, seeking to discredit the
story, said the only thing that could cause the PM to have a
heart attack was the spurious tabloid article.


5. (C) After several weeks absence, Fico showed up for a
weekly hockey game with the Ambassador on December 6. Fico
was accompanied by DefMin Kasicky and IntMin Kalinak.
Although somewhat of a "puck-hog", Fico played for the entire
hour and a half, no more winded than the rest of the Gretsky
wannabes. Asked by the Ambassador about his health, Fico said
he had passed a stress test and that the only problem he
faces is wild fluctuations in his blood pressure (120/70 to
180/70 in a matter of minutes),and that none of his doctors
can figure out why. Fico speculated that it was emotionally
related to stress, but that he is loyally taking his
medicine. Fico said he is getting enough sleep, six or seven
hours per night, which is better than the four hours per
night he suggested was his previous norm.
VALLEE