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Former vice president of the United States Richard Cheney has a long history of cardiovascular disease. He suffered his first of five heart attacks at age 37.
In a 2014 interview, King said of the 1987 attack: "I smoked from age 16 to age 54 and I never thought I could stop until that heart attack. I’ve never smoked since."
David Letterman is another TV host who had to undergo major heart surgery. In January 2000, he had a quintuple bypass surgery. He was 52 years old at the time.
The surgery went well, and soon she was back hosting 'The View.' She later revealed that she felt uncertain about opening up about the experience publicly. Sadly, she passed away in 2022 at the age of 93.
When he returned to his show, on which he had often joked about his high cholesterol, he opened with the line, “Wait ‘til you hear what happened to me.”
Due to his problems, questions were raised about whether he was fit to serve in public office. In the end, he was able to serve as vice president to George W. Bush without issue.
Just 11 days later, he reported that he was "doing great," and by September 8 he shared that he had returned to work filming the sixth season of 'Better Call Saul.'
Muamba recovered from the attack, although he did follow medical advice and retire from professional soccer in August 2012.
Sources: (Us Weekly) (Ranker) (E!)
See also: 30 signs that you may have heart trouble
Alex Trebek, the late host of 'Jeopardy,' suffered two minor heart attacks in his time, the first in December 2007 and the second in June 2012. He was back at work quickly after both.
He underwent surgery and returned to music, although with a reduced output. He then sadly passed away in 2016 after a very private battle with cancer.
Soap opera star Susan Lucci went to the hospital in 2018 with chest pain that she thought wasn't serious. But doctors found two blocked arteries and ordered emergency surgery.
In February 2017, famed personal trainer Bob Harper suffered a heart attack. He has described the experience as follows: "The kind of heart attack I had was just like, boom. Lights out."
TV personality Barbara Walters has never suffered a heart attack per se, but she did undergo open heart surgery in 2010 to replace a faulty aortic valve. She was 80 at the time.
Rosie O'Donnell suffered cardiac arrest in August 2012. She unwittingly saved her own life by taking aspirin, which is a blood thinner.
Filmmaker and actor Kevin Smith suffered a severe heart attack in February 2018. He was rushed to hospital, where the doctors performed emergency surgery.
'The Biggest Loser' star spoke about being confused after the event, because he was in such good shape. However, the heart attack was mostly caused by a genetic condition.
David Bowie suffered a heart attack that ended his touring career in 2004. He initially thought he had a pinched nerve in his shoulder, but in fact he had an acutely blocked coronary artery.
The doctor's response was, "'John, you can say whatever you want to me or act any way you want, but a first-year medical student can tell you you've had a heart attack.'"
Years later, he told Oprah Winfrey what he learned: "It was the physical manifestation of whatever lesson was being taught to me, which was you better fix [your life] now."
After the second event, he joked with People, "Maybe I’ll take a little better care of myself, but I wouldn’t count on it." In the end he sadly died of pancreatic cancer in November 2020.
The 'Mallrats' (1995) creator was overweight at the time of the attack, and he has since embarked on a journey of health that has helped him lose weight.
TV host Larry King suffered a heart attack in 1987 that he attributed to years of smoking. He lived until January 2021, when he died of COVID-19 complications.
Musician John Mellencamp suffered a heart attack while he was on tour at the age of 42. He apparently lashed out at the doctor who broke the news to him.
The following week she took to her blog to encourage other women not to ignore heart attack symptoms in the way that she had. She wrote: "Know the symptoms ladies."
Odenkirk had known that he had a plaque build-up in his heart since 2018, but hadn't started any kind of treatment or medication as his doctor told him it wasn't necessary yet. A piece of plaque came free which was what caused the heart attack. Doctors were able to remove the plaque and insert two stents into his heart.
She told Us Weekly, "For me it's DNA. My dad had calcium blockage in his arteries when he was 49, but my dad was a smoker so I never made the connection that I might have the same thing."
Former English soccer star Fabrice Muamba suffered a heart attack mid-game in 2012. He collapsed on the pitch and his heart stopped beating for 78 minutes.
Beloved 'Better Call Saul' star Bob Odenkirk has recently opened up about the heart attack he suffered back in 2021. The actor was riding an exercise bike in the break area on set in between scenes. According to his co-star, Rhea Seehorn, he suddenly fell from the bike and started to turn "bluish-gray." Crew members rushed over and began administering CPR, but Odenkirk was lying on the ground without a pulse at one point. They hooked him up to an automated defibrillator while they waited for the paramedics to arrive. His heart started to beat again after he was "zapped three times."
Compared with other serious diseases, cardiovascular disease goes relatively undiscussed. However, it is a very real problem. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, among both men and women.
There are a number of celebrities who previously survived heart attacks, and some are using their platform to spread awareness about how heart disease can be prevented.
Check out this gallery to hear their stories.
Celebrity heart attack survivors
These stars suffered cardiac arrest, but lived to tell the tale
CELEBRITY Cardiac arrest
Compared with other serious diseases, cardiovascular disease goes relatively undiscussed. However, it is a very real problem. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, among both men and women.
There are a number of celebrities who previously survived heart attacks, and some are using their platform to spread awareness about how heart disease can be prevented.
Check out this gallery to hear their stories.