Vice President Cheney Briefly Hospitalized

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday January 09, 2006 08:00 AM EST

Vice President Cheney

Lawrence Jackson/AP

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Vice President Dick Cheney was briefly admitted to George Washington Hospital early Monday after experiencing shortness of breath, a spokeswoman said.

The vice president left the hospital after about four hours, aides told CNN.

Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said that physicians found his EKG unchanged and diagnosed he was retaining fluid because of medication he was taking due to a foot problem, the Associated Press reports. On Friday, that ailment forced Cheney to use a cane.

McBride said the vice president was placed on a diuretic before being released.

Cheney, who turns 65 at the end of this month, has a history of heart problems and has a pacemaker in his chest.