Former US President Bill Clinton has been admitted to hospital in New York for heart surgery, US news networks reported tonight.
Former US President Bill Clinton
Mr Clinton (58) is undergoing tests at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital ahead of quadruple heart bypass surgery.
Mr Clinton went to a hospital near his home in Westchester, New York state, in recent days suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath. He was then transferred to the hospital in New York City.
Mr Clinton's wife, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, was not with him when he was admitted to hospital, her office said. The couple visited Ireland last week.
A statement from Mr Clinton's office said: "Initial testing was normal and he spent the night at home in nearby Chappaqua, New York.
"After undergoing additional testing this morning at Westchester Medical Centre, doctors advised he should undergo bypass surgery."
Mr Clinton had a cancerous growth removed from his back shortly after leaving office in early 2001. It turned out to be basal cell carcinoma, the most treatable form of skin cancer.
In 1996, he had had a precancerous lesion removed from his nose and a year before that had a benign cyst taken off his chest.
Other than that, Mr Clinton has had the normal health problems that often accompany ageing - periods of slightly elevated cholesterol and hearing loss - and an appetite for junk food. In 1997, he was fitted with hearing aids. He has also suffered from allergies.