Monitoring the Pulse of World Leaders

Diplomacy at the highest level was on conspicuous display at the recently concluded 71st General Assembly of the United Nations, which drew leaders from across the globe. But the high-profile pomp and circumstance was only part of the attraction for those at the highest levels of power who took advantage of their distance from public and media scrutiny in their home countries to undergo medical procedures and checkups in New York City. Those little-noticed medical trips -- and the health status of some heads of state in general -- can carry implications for a country's stability. And while the international media might not cover those side trips to visit doctors, other actors place great importance on tracking the health of world leaders....