"Heart Health Journey: Dick Cheney's Struggles and Transplant Legacy"

Dick Cheneys long battle with heart disease culminated in his death from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease, highlighting the importance of heart transplantation in extending lives.

• Dick Cheney experienced his first myocardial infarction at age 37, marking the beginning of a lifelong struggle with cardiovascular disease that included four additional heart attacks.
• In 2012, Cheney underwent heart transplantation after his heart failed, a procedure made possible by advances in organ transplantation and the use of a ventricular assist device prior to surgery.
• Cheneys health issues, including heart failure and subsequent pneumonia, underscore the severity of heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States.