Ray Romano reveals alarming heart surgery leading to further health concerns
Ray Romano, 65, opened up in an episode of "WTF with Marc Maron" about a recent alarming heart surgery stemming from high cholesterol.
"I had high cholesterol 20 years ago," the sitcom legend explained, adding that his doctor recommended that he go on medication for it.
"And every time, I said, ‘Let me do it myself.’ And I would go home, and I would eat right. I would eat a little healthier and get it down a couple ticks. It was 280, then it'd be 220."
What followed was a cycle of reward-based cheat meals that led him to repeat the process all over again, ultimately leaving no choice but having a stent put in his heart.
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"I just had to have a stent put in, I had 90 percent blockage," he shockingly revealed. "I got kinda lucky that we found it. In the main artery – what they call 'the widow maker,' I had a stent put in. Now, I'm on the meds and my cholesterol dropped – right away it dropped."
The Everybody Loves Raymond star confessed that it would've been easier for him to just go on the medication, saying: "If I could go back 20 years ago, I would have gone on the meds. It was hard for me to sustain that diet stuff."
However, the complications that followed the surgery and resulting medication led to more concern for the actor.
"You're gonna be good now," podcast host Marc said, to which Ray responded: "Here's the kicker: So I'm on the meds, and it's got me all down now.
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"So I figure, 'Oh, now I can enjoy and eat the food.' My sugar levels are up now!… I'm in the pre-diabetic zone."
The comedian has been married to wife Anna Romano since 1987 and they have four children, who have also made appearances on Everybody Loves Raymond during its 1996-2005 run.
Speaking with ET earlier in the month, the actor revealed that he had experienced chest pains while working on his feature film debut as a director, Somewhere in Queens, which releases in theaters on April 21.
"I called my agent at one in the morning because I couldn't sleep, I go, 'I can't do it, can't do this,'" he said. "Because – I'm not joking – I had to go to my cardiologist in New York and get on the treadmill and do a stress test because I was getting chest pains."
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