Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney says at some point he will have to decide whether to have a heart transplant.
Cheney, 69, said in an interview with NBC News that he is now getting by on a heart pump implanted last year, and has not yet addressed the possibility of pursuing a transplant.
He has had five heart attacks, the first one when he was 37. The most recent occurred last February.
Cheney has undergone many procedures for his heart, including bypass surgery in 1988 and two angioplasties to clear his arteries. In 2001, he had a pacemaker implanted in his chest.
Cheney served as vice president from 2001 to 2009 in the Republican administration of George W. Bush.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
