Vice President Dick Cheney Has Deep Venous Thrombosis

Earlier today, a blood clot in Vice President Dick Cheney’s left leg was diagnosed and he has been put on blood thinners for the next few months. Also called deep venous thrombosis (DVT), the fear is that a piece of the clot might break off and cause damage to the brain, lungs, heart, or other body organ. It’s possible that Vice President Cheney developed the blood clot as a result of nine-day trip around the world along with the 65 hours he spent on the plane over the course of that trip.

DVT’s are usually not serious and can be easily treated with anticoagulants warfarin and heparin. But warfarin dosage is notoriously difficult to calibrate and in late 2006, a genetic test was made available to determine a person’s metabolic and anticoagulation profile.

Vice President Cheney has quite an extensive history of cardiovascular disease:

• Four heart attacks
• Quadruple bypass surgery
• Two angioplasties
• A pacemaker
• Leg aneurysm that has been surgically corrected

After his diagnosis today, he returned to the White House and is back at work. But looking at his medical history, you almost wonder why he’s chosen to pursue such a stressful job when he’s past the retirement age. I’m impressed and also a little concerned.

Like this post? Why not read another? Every page you read at A Hearty Life in March is helping to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Tags: vice president, dick cheney, deep venous thrombosis, dvt, blood clot, heart, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, diseases, illness, health, medicine