WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (AFP) - Vice President Dick Cheney will be back to work Monday after resting from a bad cold that sent him to the hospital for precautionary tests, his wife said Sunday.
"He's fine, thank you," Lynne Cheney told CNN one day after her 63-year-old husband, who has a history of heart problems, checked himself into George Washington University Hospital after experiencing shortness of breath.
Cheney's long-time cardiologist, Jonathan Reiner, said Saturday tests "ruled out any cardiac cause" for Cheney's symptoms and instead he likely has "a viral, upper respiratory infection." Cheney was released from the hospital Saturday.
"I guess it's a bad cold," Lynne Cheney said, adding that the vice president went to the hospital for tests "out of an abundance of caution" to make sure his symptoms were not cardiac related.
She said her husband was following doctor's orders and "taking the day easy" but would "go to work tomorrow (Monday)."
She said her husband caught a cold after the November 2 US presidential election during which President George W. Bush was reelected to a second four-year term.
Cheney underwent angioplasty in November 2000 after suffering his fourth heart attack since 1978. He had a cardioverter defibrillator implanted in June 2001 after he was treated for cardiac troubles after entering office with Bush in January 2001.
11/14/2004 18:22 GMT - AFP