Emperor Emeritus Akihito is suffering from heart failure, according to the Imperial Household Agency but is currently on the mend following a course of treatment.
The 88-year-old former Emperor of Japan has been receiving treatment for heart failure due to a faulty heart valve, the IHA said in a statement, noting that Emperor Emeritus went to the University of Tokyo Hospital last on 24 July and began showing symptoms of heart failure in June.
The former Emperor’s course of treatment involves medication, restricting activity and restricting fluid intake. “Currently he is living life as usual,” said a medical source within the IHA.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito’s condition “may be affected by ageing, but the detailed cause is unknown,” Ryozo Nagai, a medical supervisor within the IHA, added.
Heart failure is diagnosed when the heart muscle cannot pump blood as it should. It can be treated and managed with medical intervention. It is commonly found in elderly people, according to a Japanese doctor interviewed by Reuters who said, “It’s a very, very liveable condition. It’s absolutely not surprising for an on-the-go guy and at 88-years-old.”
Emperor Emeritus Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 after reigning since 1989, stating that his advanced age and declining health were the main factors in his decision. Prior to his abdication, no Japanese Emperor had abdicated since 1817.
Empress Emerita Michiko, the wife of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, has also suffered from health problems since her husband abdicated. In 2019, she was diagnosed with heart valve abnormalities and an irregular pulse; a few months later, she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, and in 2020, she was diagnosed with a fever that had been running for months.
