Former Vice President Dick Cheney detailed a fear that seemed made-for-tv, saying he had the wireless function deactivated on his defibrillator to prevent terrorists from shocking his heart into cardiac arrest.
Cheney and his cardiologist Jonathan Reiner spoke to Dr. Sanjay Gupta on en episode of CBS’ “60 Minutes” set to air Sunday. The duo, who co-authored the book, “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey,” discussed their decision to deactivate the device’s wireless function for fear that it would be hacked by terrorists.
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“It seemed to me to be a bad idea for the Vice President of the United States to have a device that maybe somebody on a rope line or someone in the next hotel room or downstairs might be able to get into, hack into. And I worried that someone could kill you,” Reiner said.
And years later, his premonition hit televisions nationwide, as just that scenario unfolded on “Homeland” to the fictional vice president.
“Well, I was aware of the danger, if you will, that existed, but I found it credible,” Cheney said of the show. “because I knew from the experience we’d had, the necessity for adjusting my own device, that it was an accurate portrayal of what was possible.”
Doctors implanted the defibrillator, which can control irregular heartbeats with electric jolts, near Cheney’s heart in 2007. The former Vice President has had a long history of heart problems and suffered his first heart attack at the age of 37. He had a heart transplant last year, at 71 years old.
Despite his medical history, though, Cheney said he never had any apprehensions his personal health would interfere with his duties as vice president.
Check out the interview below.
