**The Heart Health Journey of Former Vice President Dick Cheney: A Story of Medical Progress and Public Awareness**
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who passed away on November 3 at the age of 84, had a long history of heart issues that “could almost be the history of medical progress against heart disease.” His cardiac health was closely followed nearly as much as his political career, highlighting advances in medical technology and raising public awareness about heart disease.
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### Early Heart Issues and Family History
Cheney’s battle with heart disease began in 1978, the same year he was first elected to the House of Representatives. At 37, he experienced his first heart attack, something that did not come as a surprise given his family’s medical history. In fact, it wasn’t until 1988—when Cheney’s father underwent a six-way heart bypass surgery—that it was discovered he had previously suffered two heart attacks.
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### Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator and Cybersecurity Concerns
One notable moment in Cheney’s cardiac health journey occurred in 2007. A procedure on his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)—a device designed to regulate his heartbeat—resulted in the disabling of the device’s wireless capabilities.
This unusual step was taken as a security precaution: doctors feared a terrorist might hack into the device and manipulate Cheney’s heart. Such concerns may sound like a plotline from a thriller series, but this real vulnerability did inspire a storyline in the Emmy-winning Showtime series *Homeland*.
In the episode titled “Broken Hearts,” a terrorist obtains the serial number of the fictional Vice President’s pacemaker, enabling wireless manipulation of the device to induce a heart attack. Cheney himself found the portrayal credible, telling ABC News in 2013 that it accurately reflected the real cybersecurity concerns surrounding his own ICD.
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### The LVAD Procedure and Public Awareness
Cheney’s heart health story took another significant turn in 2010, when he was fitted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to support his heart ahead of a transplant. This life-saving device allowed Cheney to live with little to no pulse for nearly 20 months—a circumstance that sparked headlines such as “Does Dick Cheney Have a Pulse?”
Far from just a medical footnote, Cheney’s use of the LVAD had a broader impact on public awareness. A 2014 study found that reports about his device increased general knowledge of LVADs, leading to more online searches and social media discussions explaining the device and its benefits.
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### Legacy Beyond Politics
Ultimately, Dick Cheney underwent a heart transplant in 2012. Throughout his public and private health battles, Cheney’s cardiac saga has highlighted important advances in heart disease treatment and brought critical attention to the risks of heart conditions.
From pioneering security measures on cardiac devices to increasing awareness about life-saving technologies like the LVAD, Dick Cheney’s experience has left an unexpected imprint on both medical progress and public consciousness.
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*This story is a collaboration with Biography.com.*
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a69248937/dick-cheney-death-heart-history-no-pulse-device/