Sadiq Khan: How is the Mayor of London's health after his suspected heart attack in 2021?

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is paid a six-figure salary, has been praised for making London transport more accessible and reducing the number of polluting vehicles in the city’s downtown. Time Magazine even included him in the 100 most influential people in the world list in 2018.

The politician who has already confirmed his bid to run for Mayor of London for the third time has recently opened up about his mental health struggles caused by the death threats and admitted that the top job takes its toll on his wellbeing.

But he has never before spoken about the potentially deadly health emergency he faced during the COP26 Summit in Glasgow back in 2021.

A new book on climate change by Sadiq Khan reveals that the Mayor of London had to be ‘carried off the stage’ and was ‘barely conscious’ after suffering a suspected heart attack during the event.

Here is what we know about the incident and the state of Sadiq Khan’s health now.

Sadiq Khan had a heart attack at the COP26 climate summit

Sadiq Khan, a keen runner and healthy living and climate emergency advocate, was only 51 when he suffered a suspected heart attack, his new book reveals.

The Mayor of London detailed that the incident happened at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021 and resulted in him spending several hours in A&E.

The politician admitted the sensation came ‘out of nowhere’ and he ‘felt a knot’ in his chest - ‘a kind of tightening’ and had to be ‘carried off the stage’ while ‘barely conscious’.

He said:

My shirt was drenched with sweat and I felt like I was on fire. I felt fine. I simply didn't believe I had had a heart attack. The whole situation felt unreal.

Read more: Heart attack and heartburn: Here's how to spot the difference

Sadiq Khan who has already announced his plan to run for a third term as Mayor of London in May 2024 added that the 'hopefully a first and last' health scare is ‘behind him’ now.

The Mayor of London is also still struggling with PTSD

Former Labour MP reassured the well-wishers and his electorate that he is now in ‘rude health’ and hasregular check-in with his doctor. He wasn’t diagnosed with any heart condition and doesn’t take any medication after the 2021 incident.

He explained:

The key thing is that I’m following the advice and looking after my physical health and mental health and eating sensibly. I ran 5K this morning, my doctors will be pleased to know. It’s behind me now.

However, Sadiq Khan recently spoke out about his mental health struggles, in particular, the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by a combination of regular death threats and dealing with the aftermath of disasters such as the Grenfell Tower fire and the Manchester Arena bombing.

He added thatDonald Trump's Twitter attacks in 2016 prompted more threats and trolling and contributed to his condition.

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Sources used:

- Sky News: 'Mayor of London says suspected minor heart attack in 2021 is 'hopefully a first and last''

- Mirror: 'London Mayor Sadiq Khan suffered suspected 'minor heart attack' at 2021 climate summit'

- The Guardian: 'Sadiq Khan says he has PTSD caused by death threats'