How Dick Cheney Survived Five Heart Attacks and Lived to Tell the Tale

The 46th Vice President of the United States of America lived well into his mid-80s despite multiple severe health scares, surgeries, and a heart transplant. He sadly passed away in late 2025.

Dick Cheney was one of the most influential vice presidents in U.S. history. In light of his recent passing, there has been a renewed interest in the veteran politician's health. Many might not know that, throughout his life, Cheney had heart problems that resulted in five heart attacks.

Yet, despite his health issues, he went on to live to be 84 years old. "Modern medicine has kept this man alive through all of these years through innovative advancements in the field of cardiology," Dr. Baljash Cheema, advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told USA Today.

In 2013, during his appearance on CBS’s "60 Minutes," Cheney attributed his heart issues to genetics, sharing that his family had a history of heart problems. Early in his life, the former vice president also did little to take care of himself.

He had his first cigarette at 12 years old, and by age 34, his daily staples included fatty foods, beer, and up to three packs of cigarettes. Although genetics can render a person more susceptible to certain diseases, lifestyle choices also play a crucial role.

Cheney had his first heart attack during his first congressional campaign in 1978 at age 37. Between 1984 and 1988, he suffered two additional heart attacks, followed by a fourth in the year 2000 during the presidential election.

It was after this health scare that he had a cardiac defibrillator implanted — a small electronic device monitors and regulates the heart's rhythm by delivering an electrical shock if it detects an irregular heartbeat that could be potentially fatal.

Dr. Cheema suggested that Cheney's doctors were likely worried that his heart was weakened after four heart attacks and had the device implanted as an "insurance policy."

Additionally, Cheney previously revealed that his cardiologist, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, had the wireless feature of his defibrillator turned off as a precaution due to concerns that terrorists might send his heart into fatal shock remotely.

"Well, I was aware of the danger, if you will, that existed but I found it credible," he said during his "60 Minutes" interview, referring to a scene from the acclaimed political thriller, "Homeland," where the fictional vice president suffered that very fate.

"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," he continued. After leaving office in 2010, Cheney suffered his fifth heart attack.

It resulted in the politician being outfitted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), which helped pump blood and compensate for his increasing heart congestion. The LVAD also took over the function of the entire left ventricle, the part of the heart responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to the body, according to Dr. Cheema.

With LVAD, those odds improve as patients usually live between five to seven years. The device also serves as a sort of "bridge" for patients waiting for a heart transplant. Cheney received his in March 2012.

He lived with his new heart for 13 years until he passed away on Monday night, November 3, 2025. In a statement shared with PBS, his family revealed that he died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.