Dick Cheney feared terrorist attack on heart device

WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Dick Cheney says he once feared that terrorists could use the electrical device that had been implanted near his heart to kill him and had his doctor disable its wireless function.

Cheney has a history of heart trouble, suffering the first of five heart attacks at age 37. He underwent a heart transplant last year at age 71.

In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Cheney said doctors replaced an implanted defibrillator near his heart in 2007. The device can detect irregular heartbeats and control them with electrical jolts.

Cheney said he and his doctor, cardiologist Jonathan Reiner, turned off the device’s wireless function in case a terrorist tried to send his heart a fatal shock.

Years later, Cheney watched an episode of the Showtime series “Homeland” in which such a scenario was part of the plot.

“I was aware of the danger, if you will, that existed, but I found it credible,” Cheney tells “60 Minutes” in a segment to be aired tonight. “Because I know from the experience we had and the necessity for adjusting my own device that it was an accurate portrayal of what was possible.”

Cheney and Reiner are promoting a book they co-authored, “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey.”

In the “60 Minutes” interview, Reiner says he worried that Cheney couldn’t stand the pressure that came on Sept. 11, 2001, the day terrorists attacked the U.S. Medical tests seen that morning showed Cheney had elevated levels of potassium in his blood, a condition called hyperkalemia, which could lead to abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac arrest.

Cheney underwent numerous heart-related procedures over the years, including angioplasties, catheterizations and a quadruple bypass operation. However, he said the health problems never affected his job performance during his eight years as vice president in George W. Bush’s administration.