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For the first time since the health of President Umaru Yar'Adua became a national issue following repeated visits to hospitals, the name of his ailment has been given as Pericarditis. In a statement issued yesterday, the Presidency said Yar'Adua, 58, is suffering from acute chest pains known in medical parlance as pericarditis and declared that the president is alive and responding to treatment in a Saudi hospital. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has assumed presidential powers during Yar'Adua's treatment, presidential spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, said. "The vice president is now acting on behalf of the president," he said. According to medicinenet.com, "the hearts sits in the centre of the chest and is surrounded by a sac called the pericardium. This sac has two layers, one that fits tightly onto the heart muscle and another looser layer surrounding the inner layer. Inflammation of these tissue layers surrounding the heart is referred to as pericarditis". The site explained further that "side effects of certain medications can cause an immune response causing an inflammation of the pericardial sac and pericarditis". This is the first time that the government is openly telling Nigerians the true nature of the president's health challenge.. President Yar'Adua had on Monday left the country for medical follow up visit to Saudi Arabia. Addressing State House correspondents at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on the state of the president's health, Adeniyi said the president developed pains on the left side of his chest shortly after last Friday's prayers and was later diagnosed as having acute pericarditis. Quoting Salisu Banye, chief physician to the president, Adeniyi said "at about 3pm on Friday, November 20, after he returned from the Abuja Central Mosque where he performed the Juma'at prayers, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua complained of left sided severe chest pain. Preliminary medical examinations suggested acute pericarditis, (an inflammatory condition of the coverings of the heart)". "It was then decided that he should undertake confirmatory checks at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he had his last medical check-up in August". Quoting further from Banye's statement, Adeniyi said "the medical review and tests undertaken at the hospital have confirmed the initial diagnosis that the President is indeed suffering from acute pericarditis". Adeniyi said the president "is now receiving treatment for the ailment and is responding remarkably well". He stated that before the president left the country, he already knew that he was not performing the hajj thus putting to rest the rumour that he performed the hajj on Thursday afternoon in Mecca. "Even before the President traveled, he knew that he was not going to perform the Hajj. Even when I did the first draft of the statement, I stated that the President will do medicals and undergo Hajj, but he said no, I am not going to do Hajj. So there is no way he is going to do Hajj," he stated further. On when the president would be returning to the country, Adeniyi said "once I know I will tell; I will give you an update". Meanwhile, the president has directed Vice President Jonathan to receive the Federal Capital Territory traditional Sallah delegation on his behalf.