President Obama sends regards after Barbara Bush hospitalized

Former First Lady Barbara Bush remained hospitalized in Houston on Wednesday, two days after she was admitted for a respiratory-related problem.

Bush family spokesman Jim McGrath told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday night that there was “nothing new to report” on the 88-year-old’s condition at Houston’s Texas Medical Center.

Bush, the wife of 41st president George H.W. Bush, drew a New Year’s message from President Obama.

“Michelle and I send our best wishes to Mrs. Bush for a speedy recovery,” the president said in a statement. “Barbara is blessed to have both a loving, supportive family by her side and a vibrant spirit that we hope will have her feeling better soon.

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“I know I speak for Americans everywhere when I say that our thoughts and prayers are with Barbara and her family on this New Year’s Day.”

McGrath previously said that Bush had been receiving visits from her husband, who is 89 and was hospitalized last year with bronchitis. The couple celebrated New Year’s Eve by watching the Texas A&M football game.

While serving as first lady in 1989, Barbara Bush revealed that she suffered from Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid. She began taking medications for the disease and received radiation as part of her treatment.

She underwent surgery at Methodist Hospital in 2008 to close a hole in her small intestine caused by an ulcer and, later, to replace her aortic valve.

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Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed to this report from Houston.