Sen. John Fetterman has been hospitalized after a fall near his home in Braddock, Pennsylvania.

Fetterman, D-Pa., was on an early-morning walk when he fell to the ground after feeling lightheaded, according to a statement from a spokesperson posted to his X account Thursday.

The statement described the cause as a “ventricular fibrillation flare-up,” and Fetterman, 56, was transported to a Pittsburgh hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”

He hit his face and sustained minor injuries, according to the spokesperson.

“If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!” the senator joked, according to the statement.

Fetterman remains at the hospital “so doctors can fine-tune his medication regimen.”

He is “receiving routine observation” and “doing well,” according to the staffer.

According to Mayo clinic, ventricular fibrillation is a kind of irregular heart rhythm that leads to the heart failing to pump blood to the rest of the body.

The clinic describes it as “an emergency that requires immediate medical attention” and the most common cause of sudden cardiac death.

Fetterman had a stroke four days before the 2022 Senate primary, caused by a blood clot that had blocked a major artery in his brain. He said at the time that he has a-fib, an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, which likely contributed to the stroke.

He had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted in his chest following the stroke to treat atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathy, according to a health report released by the campaign at the time.

In June 2022, the Fetterman campaign released a doctor’s letter in which Fetterman’s cardiologist publicly scolded the lieutenant governor for ignoring medical advice he’d gotten in 2017 to take medication to prevent a stroke, and for not seeing a doctor for five years.

Fetterman said at the time he “wasn’t proud” of ignoring medical advice but wanted to be a cautionary tale for others.

Fetterman’s recovery became a major part of his campaign against Mehmet Oz in the general election, which he recounts in his book, "Unfettered," released this week. He says in the book that while he was physically improving, the onslaught of attacks about his health had such a negative impact on his mental health that he should have dropped out of the race.

The book chronicles his subsequent struggles with depression, prompted in large part by the grueling campaign.

The statement said the senator is thankful for the health providers and emergency responders supporting him.

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