What Hillary Clinton's health means for 2016

But, even if Clinton has no long-term effects from this health scare, it will, without question, influence how she is covered if she decides to run for president in 2016. …

1. Clinton would be 69 years old if she runs in 2016. (Her birthday is Oct. 26, 1947.) That’s the same age Ronald Reagan was when he was elected president in 1980. Reagan remains the oldest person ever elected president. (John McCain was 72 when he ran — and lost — in 2008.)

2. This is the second time in the past 15 years that Clinton has had a blood clot issue. The first episode, which was significantly less serious, was in 1998 when she was treated for a blood clot in her leg. …

The simple fact is that running and serving as president is an incredibly stressful and demanding job. (There’s a reason that every president looks as though they’ve aged twice as fast as the average person when they leave the White House.) And, because of the pressures inherent in the job, one of the first hurdles any prospective nominee must clear is that he/she is ready, willing and, most importantly, able to perform the duties of the office.