Ed Koch earlier this month. (Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

Earlier this afternoon, former Mayor Ed Koch was placed in the intensive care unit at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, his spokesman George Arzt announced.

"Dr. Joseph Tenenbaum, Mayor Koch's cardiologist and lead doctor, said he wanted to monitor the former mayor more closely," Mr. Arzt said in a statement.

Mr. Koch was hospitalized on Monday due to congestive heart disease and the associated fluid buildup around his lungs. It was his fourth hospitalization over the course of the past five months.

Two days ago, the documentary Koch--about Mr. Koch's administration, naturally--premiered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a plethora of the city's top politicos present. Although his illness kept him from attending, Mr. Arzt told Politicker yesterday that Mr. Koch was keen to know all of the event's details.

“He wanted to know about the premiere, he wanted to know who was there, he wanted to know the reaction,” said Mr. Arzt. “He was happy that it got good reviews and he was happy that people really enjoyed the movie.”