<\/p>\n
FILE \u2014 Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., participates in a debate, June 2, 2025, in Boston. (Associated Press)<\/p>\n
HARRISBURG, Pa. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Fetterman had what his office says was a \u201cventricular fibrillation flare-up\u201d that caused him to feel light-headed and fall during an early morning walk Thursday.<\/p>\n
Fetterman was doing well and hospitalized in Pittsburgh, his office said. He sustained minor injuries to his face and was under \u201croutine observation\u201d at the hospital while doctors fine-tune his medication regimen, his office said.<\/p>\n
Fetterman, who suffered a stroke<\/a> in 2022, has disclosed that he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy<\/a> and a heart condition called atrial fibrillation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cardiomyopathy can impede blood flow and potentially cause heartbeats so irregular they can be fatal. Atrial fibrillation can cause blood to pool inside a pocket of the heart, allowing clots to form. Clots then can break off, get stuck and cut off blood, causing a stroke.<\/p>\n Fetterman has said the stroke was atrial fibrillation. Fetterman, 55, underwent surgery after the stroke to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator to manage the condition.<\/p>\n The lingering effects of his stroke include diminished auditory processing speed, called auditory processing disorder<\/a>, which makes it harder to speak fluidly and quickly process spoken conversation into meaning.<\/p>\n