Hirohito’s Mental Health Deteriorates
Emperor Hirohito’s mental health is deteriorating, and he has spent most of his days asleep and has rarely spoken since suffering a life-threatening drop in his blood pressure three weeks ago, a palace official said Monday.
The senior official said the mental condition of the 87-year-old monarch, who has been battling suspected abdominal cancer since Sept. 19, took a turn for the worse Nov. 8.
“His reactions have changed (since Nov. 8), and he is mentally weaker,” said the official, who asked not to be identified.
On Nov. 8, Hirohito’s blood pressure fell to 68 over 30--about half his normal level and low enough to cause brain damage if sustained for several hours. His blood pressure returned to a near-normal level the same day, and palace officials said it was at the dangerously low level for less than an hour.
Since that day, Hirohito has been spending most of his days asleep and rarely speaking to aides or family members who visit daily at the moated Imperial Palace in central Tokyo.
Palace officials have said the frail, 5-foot-3 emperor, who now reportedly weighs only 66 pounds, is not expected to recover.
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