NEW YORK CITY — Former Mayor Ed Koch was hospitalized Tuesday after suffering from severe anemia.
The three-term mayor and outspoken commentator, who turned 87 last December, was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital and underwent a blood transfusion, his former press secretary George Arzt said.
"He has in recent weeks felt weak," said Arzt, who said that doctors believe the transfusion will help.
"Once he complained he could not even lift his briefcase to take to work," he said.
Koch began his political career as a City Councilman and Congressman, and is credited with helping pull New York from the brink of economic collapse during his tenure at City Hall.
After serving as mayor, Koch worked as a professor, lawyer, radio host and commentator, and even appeared as a judge on "The People's Court" and hosted an online movie review show.
He still appears regularly on television as one of NY1's "Wiseguys" and continues to write movie reviews and political commentaries.
Koch, who underwent a quadruple heart bypass in 2009, hopes to be released from the hospital Wednesday, Arzt said.
