Cheney Treated for Irregular Heartbeat

Electrical Shock Is Administered to Vice President to Restore Normal Rhythm

Vice President Dick Cheney holds his hand to his heart at the White House in Washington in this June 29, 2001 file photo. Cheney, who has a history of heart problems, experienced an irregular heartbeat Monday and will be evaluated at George Washington University Hospital. The condition was detected when Cheney was seen by doctors for a lingering cough from a cold. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File) (Ron Edmonds - AP)

Doctors examining Vice President Cheney yesterday discovered an irregular heartbeat and applied an electrical shock to restore a normal rhythm, the White House said, the latest in a long string of episodes that have raised concern about the health of the man next in line for the presidency.

Cheney went to his doctors complaining of a lingering cough, but during the checkup they determined that he was experiencing atrial fibrillation, an abnormal rhythm involving the upper chambers of the heart. His medical team sent the vice president to George Washington University Hospital for further tests, where it was decided that the electrical impulse was needed to restore a regular heartbeat.

"The procedure went smoothly and without complication," the vice president's office said in a statement issued by the White House last night. "The Vice President has returned home and will resume his normal schedule tomorrow at the White House."

Cheney, 66, has a long history of heart trouble, including four heart attacks, most recently after the 2000 presidential election. He had a defibrillator implanted in 2001 to regulate his heartbeat. Doctors replaced the device this summer when its battery began to reach the end of its useful life. Cheney also had surgery in 2005 to treat aneurysms behind his knees and was treated last year after he felt short of breath. After a long trip to Asia earlier this year, doctors discovered and treated a blood clot in his leg.

This is the first time, however, that his doctors have found atrial fibrillation, a condition that afflicts about 2.2 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association. It causes the heart's two small upper chambers to beat too quickly to pump blood completely out, creating the risk of a clot that could eventually become lodged in the brain and cause a stroke. People with atrial fibrillation can experience dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath and fainting.

The condition can be treated with medication such as digitalis, but if that fails, doctors often order an electrical impulse called a cardioversion. While unpleasant, it is an outpatient procedure. Even if the shock works and restores a normal rhythm, it may not be a permanent solution and the heart can go back into atrial fibrillation. Some patients need surgery or other procedures to address the problem.