Cheney To Hospital Today Due To Irregular Heart Rhythm

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney was treated "without complication" Wednesday for an abnormal heartbeat, his office said, making a short visit to a hospital to restore his normal rhythm with an electric shock.

It was the second time in less than a year that Cheney, a 67-year-old with a history of four heart attacks, had experienced and been treated for an atrial fibrillation, an abnormal rhythm involving the upper chambers of the heart. The episode caused the vice president to cancel his attendance at a political campaign event in Illinois.

Sensing a problem early Wednesday, Cheney saw the White House physician, who discovered the vice president was experiencing a recurrence of the irregular heartbeat. Cheney participated in regular morning briefings with President Bush, among other duties, and remained working at the White House until he went to George Washington University Hospital in the afternoon for treatment.

The process took nearly two hours, after which Cheney went home, said Megan Mitchell, a Cheney spokeswoman.

"An electrical impulse was delivered to restore the heart to normal rhythm," she said. "The procedure went smoothly and without complication."

Cheney told Bush of his condition. The president responded "like he would with any friend," said spokesman Tony Fratto, by wishing the vice president well and telling him to "go and make sure the doctors do what they need to do."

Later, in Ada, Mich., Bush told reporters that Cheney is "going to be fine."

"He said he was confident, the doctors are confident, and therefore I'm confident," Bush said.

Story continues below

advertisement

Cheney also experienced atrial fibrillation in November 2007, and doctors also administered an electrical shock then in a treatment that took about 2 1/2 hours. That irregular heartbeat was discovered while White House doctors were treating the vice president for a lingering cough from a cold.

Dr. Zayd Eldadah, director of cardiac arrhythmia research at Washington Hospital Center, said it's not unusual for Cheney to have another such episode. An estimated 2.8 million Americans have atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat and one that is not life-threatening in itself.

"This kind of rhythm problem generally does keep coming back over time," said Eldadah, who is not involved in Cheney's care. "The natural history of atrial fibrillation in people who have heart disease and are older is that it keeps coming back, and generally comes back more frequently."

The main risk from atrial fibrillation is not that Cheney will have another heart attack, but that he eventually could have a stroke if the rhythm problem is not treated.

Atrial fibrillation causes the upper chambers of the heart to quiver, instead of pump. As a result, some blood can pool in the heart. When blood settles, it tends to clot. And if those clots are then pumped out to the body, they can lodge in tiny blood vessels in the brain and cause a stroke.

The procedure Cheney underwent Wednesday is like resetting a computer, Eldadah explained. It involves sedation, and then an electrical charge delivered to the heart. "The heart will be turned off and on to reset it," said Eldadah. "It's a quick fix to restore normal rhythm."

If the procedure doesn't work, patients typically are put on blood thinners to prevent clotting.

"Atrial fibrillation in patients like Vice President Cheney is not a source of great worry or alarm," Eldadah said. "It's very treatable."

Cheney has had four heart attacks, starting when he was 37, and many heart-related doctor's and hospital visits over the years since. He has had quadruple bypass surgery and two artery-clearing angioplasties. In 2001, he had a special pacemaker implanted in his chest. The pacemaker's battery was replaced last year, and then the entire device was replaced.

The type of defibrillator Cheney has is used to prevent sudden death from a very different type of irregular heartbeat than atrial fibrillation, a much more serious kind that starts in the bottom of the heart.

In 2005, he also had surgery to repair an arterial aneurysm on the back of each knee.

In his checkup in July, doctors said Cheney's heart was beating normally for a man of his age and health history.

The campaign visit that Cheney canceled was for Marty Ozinga, a concrete company owner who is running for the House against Democrat Debbie Halvorson, a high-ranking Illinois state senator. Mitchell said Cheney called the event instead to express his support for the candidate.

___

Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Jennifer Loven contributed to this report.

Comments

[ObamAtomic]

Sir,how good you can afford health care.

[sunny555]

I guess the same way Ted Kennedy afforded it.

[ObamAtomic]

Adequate health care provide to you by the taxpayers,Sir, how you feel?
While 2.5 million Americans suffer the same condition?

[AnthonyVolpe]

With all the talk about people at McCain rallies calling for Obama's head and for Obama to be killed, I'm going to take the high road here too. Dick Cheney is not my favorite person in the world, but I don't wish death on him or anyone else.

[hyjanks]

Yeah. But what if his death or retirement alters the Republican presidential ticket to their benefit? Here's the scenario:
Cheney dies or has to retire from office.
"W" appoints McCane to fill the VP spot.
The new sitting vice president dumps Palin and picks Romney as his running mate.
Poll numbers soar for the McCain/Romney duo.
or
"W" appoints Romney as the new vice president.
The powers that be convince McCain to resign from the ticket.
The sitting vice president picks, say, Lindsey Graham as his vp.
Poll numbers soar for the . . .
Hey! Stranger things have happened this election season!

[ellawensmom]

I was a little wary of coming on to this post because I was kind of worried that there'd be a lot of angry comments. Everyone's being pretty respectful.

Then I remembered it's because we're Democrats.
If this were a Democratic candidate or politician who has wronged the country as much as Cheney, the Republicans would be crowing about it.

[Loculi]

I wish him a speedy recovery.

[RussT]

God Bless Vice President Cheney for being so loyal to America and a great Vice President! Get well soon Mr. Vice President!

[ScoobyDoo269]

The Reason Cheney is stressed is that he was just told that there is not enough time left before he leaves office to shred all the illegal papers and documents from the last 8 years.

[thinbluetorpedo]

This brings up the point. How is McCain's health doing? Its time for him to release his complete physical and mental health records.

[cardineau]

Mr VP ... I wish you the same compassion and mercy that you have shown to others around the world.

[TrooAmerican]

good one!

[Whinger]

Atrial fibrillation describes an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm. The irregular rhythm, or arrhythmia, results from abnormal electrical impulses in the heart. The irregularity can be continuous, or it can come and go, it can be a side effect of medication causing anemia which in turn causes the problem. Usually with a course of iron the problem can self-correct, but age can play a part and on occasion it proves necessary to "shock" the heart back into normal rhythm.

[sagopalm]

It's amazing to me how it's fine with conservatives for the politicians to have full medical coverage but it's considered socialism to provide for it the people who elect them.

[sunny555]

I agree, and posted something to this effect when Ted Kennedy first fell ill. We all wish these people speedy recoveries, but their health care if vastly superior to ours. I'm sure Ted had a private hospital room and the very best doctors, plus the private wealth to seek out treatment above and beyond the doctors in his "network" unlike the rest of us.

[who38]

If you are old enough for Medicare, you don't need a "network". You can opt for a PPO ancillary program. The problem now is that more and more doctors are refusing to see Medicare patients.

[SHOPARAZZI]

tonight, will mccain send his regards for a speedy recovery as he had for kennedy during the first debate? or will he likely continue to distance himself from cheney?

[austropithicus]

oh

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

My parents always told me, if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all. Silent

[Bitsko]

My parents were poor Irish Catholics and taught us kids to never take any guff from the man. And strike while the iron is hot. But I can appreciate the sentiment.

[inwonderland]

NOW THIS IS ABOUT PALIN AS MUCH AS IT IS ABOUT OUR PRESENT VICE PRESIDENT.

Though this health scare IS real for our Cheney, (though isn't it convenient that he can work today but not do a GOP fundraiser?) this is a signal moment to remind ourselves who would be a irregular heartbeat away from any McCain presidency.

Yipes.

Now that we see how precarious a first and second in command can be, we need to really, really
sit with our own thoughts and check in with our gut.

Can Palin truthfully be considered credible to step into running the free world's issues? Ah, shucks, doggone in it...she just is not up for any kind of national job and her personal tone would turn this country back to a Civil War society.

John McCain's judgment on this pick is incredulous. He wanted to win and did NOT put country first but his politics first.

Today reminds us of how vital this vote will be on the 4th of November.

Palin as President.­..Palin as President? Heaven help this country if we don't get this right.

As Hillary Clinton said on Sunday..BA­RACK AND JOE HAVEN'T ASKED YOU TO MARRY THEM, JUST TO VOTE FOR THEM. This is about who is best for the job, not who you personally would like to
have a beer with. NOT IN THESE DIRE TIMES.

NO MCCAIN, NO PALIN. If you pick one, you get the other.

[Bitsko]

Never vote for someone because he or she might seem like the better candidate to have a beer with, especially when that candidate is a recovering alcoholic and can't drink. You'll be sorely disappointed and mighty bored.