Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, age 79, was recently photographed wearing a nose bandage while attending the finish line of the New York City Marathon while cheering for his daughter, Chelsea. The reason for the bandage remains undisclosed.
Social Media users were quick to come to conclusion of skin cancer since he had previous stint with it during his presidency. Some of them also thought that he might be on blood thinners and even slight scratching might be leading to bruising.
In August 2025, Clinton was seen exiting an airport in the Hamptons carrying a device resembling a portable defibrillator, prompting renewed media scrutiny of his cardiovascular health. The combination of the bandage and defibrillator sighting has raised questions about his medical status, given a longstanding history of major health issues.
Over the past two decades, Bill Clinton’s post-presidential life has been marked by recurring health challenges. Clogged arteries led to his quadruple bypass surgery in 2004, followed by a procedure to insert two stents in 2010 to improve blood flow to his heart. Earlier, in 2001, he had been treated for skin cancer, and exactly twenty years later, he was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection that progressed to sepsis. His demanding political and public engagements are believed to have taken a toll on his overall health.
Clinton has also spoken publicly about struggling with insomnia for nearly two years after Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Despite these setbacks, the former president demonstrated remarkable mental clarity during his 2024 Democratic National Convention speech, even as observers noted a raspy voice and hand tremors.
Clinton has undergone several major medical procedures including:
A quadruple coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in September 2004 when he was diagnosed with multiple blocked arteries.
In March 2005, he required surgery for a collapsed lung linked to scar tissue following his bypass.
February 2010, he had two coronary stents implanted after chest pains.
October 2021, Clinton was hospitalised for a urinary tract infection that spread into his bloodstream, i.e., sepsis.
December 2024, he was admitted to a Washington, D.C. hospital with a fever and underwent observation and testing.
Following his bypass surgery, Clinton adopted a largely plant-based diet, lost weight, and publicly credited dietary and lifestyle changes for improved health outcomes.
While the precise cause of the nose bandage is not confirmed, the sighting comes amid the former president’s ongoing medical monitoring and history of serious cardiovascular and systemic health issues.
(Rh/TL)