Cheney faces routine heart checkup

Aides stressed that the heart exams Vice President Dick Cheney faces Friday are routine.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a history of heart trouble, is scheduled to undergo a periodic heart checkup Friday, a senior administration official told CNN Thursday.

The routine exams include an electro-cardiogram (EKG) to measure his heart rhythm and a scan of the defibrillator implanted in Cheney's chest last year that monitors any irregular heartbeat that the vice president may experience.

As of Cheney's last checkup back in February, the official said the device had never activated, meaning his heart rhythm has been normal. It can either slow or quicken the vice president's heartbeat.

Aides said the tests were routine and would be conducted with Cheney's regular doctors. They are expected to take a few hours.

Cheney has had four heart attacks, but none of them as vice president.

--From CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King in New York