The state of health of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been discussed for a long time. In particular, his limp or stiff-looking arm makes some suspect Parkinson’s disease. What doctors say about it.
Mosquitoes fly around the head of the Russian President. Vladimir Putin wildly waves his left hand in his face – the right arm, however, remains stiff. What seems awkward at first glance is seen by some as an indication of the Russian president’s ailing state of health: Once again, the footage of a military parade that the Russian agency “ria” broadcast a few days ago has fueled rumors of a possible Parkinson’s disease .
As early as May, a video released by the Kremlin showed the Russian president in an unusually weak posture. At a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, he clung to the table with both hands. Unusual for a power man like Putin.
Rumors that the Russian president is suffering from at least one serious illness have persisted for years. There are theories about cancer, that a tumor has already been removed. That he suffers from psychosis. Some media also reported that Putin could have Parkinson’s. They see the way he walks as a sign of this. Putin usually keeps his right arm close to his body when walking, while his left swings freely. Since the war in Ukraine has been raging, the Parkinson’s suspicion has been voiced again and again. But does Putin really have any external signs that point to Parkinson’s?
We spoke to two experts on this topic back in May. And since then, “nothing fundamental has changed in Putin’s gait or movement pattern,” explains neurologist Alexander Storch from the University of Rostock now to FOCUS online. Just like his colleague Günter Höglinger from the board of the German Society for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders (DPG), he watched the new videos of the Russian President.
“There are scientific works that assume that Putin’s movement problems are more likely to be acquired,” Höglinger evaluated the first recordings with reference to a British study. In 2015, international researchers published a study in the British Medical Journal. They analyzed YouTube videos showing the walks of high-ranking Russian officials, including Putin. It was noticeable that all of them consistently had a “reduced right arm swing”. The researchers then theorized that this gait may not have anything to do with paralysis, stroke or Parkinson’s disease. Instead, the gait could be trained. Possibly in weapons training or with the KBG secret service, for which Putin worked during the 1980s.
The trainees are taught to hold their right hand close to their chest when walking. “This allows them to quickly draw a weapon when faced with an enemy,” the work states. The authors dubbed this the “gunslinger walk.” The connection is plausible, but only an assumption and no proof that Putin actually does not suffer from Parkinson’s disease.
Because the disease can not only show itself through stiff muscles. The Russian President’s convulsive grip on the table top, which the Kremlin video shows, is also conspicuous. Also in the speech at the military parade on “Victory Day” on May 9, he sometimes made seemingly random movements. A sign of Parkinson’s? “No,” said neurologist Höglinger. “Its movements are rapid, of rapid speed, with rapid initiation and full amplitude,” he analyzed. “It’s not a tremor.”
A tremor describes the movement disorder typical of Parkinson’s, which usually occurs in the hands and arms. When at rest, parts of the body begin to tremble, mostly on one side. Some tabloid media also interpreted Putin’s tense hold on as a sign that he wanted to hide one. Physician Höglinger still doesn’t think that’s valid: “I can’t see any evidence that Putin currently has Parkinson’s.”
However, Parkinson’s is by no means the only disease Putin is said to have, according to some newspapers. There had already been guesswork because the Kremlin chief always kept foreign guests like Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a maximum distance at a six-meter-long table before the Russian attack on Ukraine at the end of February. If he didn’t want to be looked at in the face, many people wondered online – and whether Putin was worried that someone else would suspect certain diseases based on his external appearance.
So there are always theories about other diseases, for example:
Cancer: According to a report in the Daily Mail, Putin will soon have to undergo an operation – due to cancer. On a Telegram channel there is already talk of an interim deputy who should be available. However, such rumors have been around for years. As early as 2014, US media reported about an alleged pancreatic tumor.
Severe pain: It is unclear whether Putin really has or had cancer. Some experts also conclude that his physical condition has not deteriorated in recent years from the fact that his face and neck are clearly puffy in the most recent recordings. “These accumulations of fat in the face, neck and neck obviously indicate strong steroid medication for pain,” analyzes rhetoric expert Michael Ehlers at FOCUS online. “Most likely corticosteroids, because that’s exactly what leads to fat accumulation.”
The rhetoric expert sees further indications of pain in Putin’s eyes in the often narrowed eyes, his face was often contorted at the military parade. “Typical facial pain indicators,” judges Ehlers. Munich neurologist Hans Emmert told him the photos indicated that Putin could be suffering from cortisone acne, a skin condition caused by overuse of steroids.
Mental problems: In high doses, these steroids could lead to aggression and psychological changes, the so-called cortisone psychosis, which can lead to an overstimulated mood, Ehlers explains further.
None of these reports have been confirmed so far. The Kremlin is very reticent about the President’s health. How healthy or sick Putin really is is not known.
