NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Helmsley Too Ill for Prison, Doctor Says

Leona Helmsley is too ill to go to federal prison for income tax evasion because she has extensive blood vessel disease and probably has substantial coronary disease, her personal physician said. Helmsley, 71, was admitted to New York Hospital on Wednesday suffering from palpitations and chest pressure. Four hours earlier, she was sentenced to four years in prison. Dr. Rees Pritchett said she is a prime candidate for heart disease based on family history and her personal history as a former three-pack-a-day smoker with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and who has suffered three minor strokes. Helmsley has been ordered to surrender on April 15.