(2 of 2)
Cheney's cholesterol level has never been disclosed; doctors have said only that it is being treated. His estimated 40% "ejection fraction," a measure of how efficiently his heart is pumping blood, suggests that Cheney's heart is "moderately impaired," according to Dr. Roger Blumenthal of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., and it places him at somewhat higher risk for another heart attack.
But, Blumenthal is careful to add, it doesn't preordain another heart attack. "He should look at this episode as a wake-up call," Blumenthal says. Losing weight, eating right, keeping his blood pressure low and exercising more are all steps that should help. Most doctors also advise heart patients to minimize stress, but stress is one thing Cheney will have a hard time avoiding--at least for the time being.
--By Christine Gorman. Reported by Alice Park/New York