Cheney to be treated for blood clot in leg

US Vice President Dick Cheney has a blood clot in his left leg, tests revealed today.

He will be treated with blood thinning medication for several months, a spokeswoman said.

Cheney visited his doctor’s surgery in Washington after feeling minor discomfort in his calf, said spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride. An ultrasound showed he was suffering the blood clot, a “deep venous thrombosis”, in his left lower leg, she said.

Cheney, 66, returned to the White House after the medical exam and continued his work day.

“He’ll maintain his regular schedule,” McBride said. “He feels fine.”

The vice president returned last week from an overseas trip that included stops in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Cheney has had a long history of heart ailments. In 2005, he underwent six hours of surgery on his legs to repair a kind of aneurysm, a ballooning weak spot in an artery that can burst if left untreated.