Drew Carey Once Ignored Heart Attack Symptoms To Play A Game

Drew Carey is opening up about his 2001 heart attack, sharing how he ignored the warning signs he experienced instead of seeking medical attention. The TV host has since made lifestyle changes to prioritize his health and overall well-being.

Carey was on the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast hosted by Ted Danson, where he talked about a health scare he had in 2001. At that time, the comedian starred in the sitcom “The Drew Carey Show” and also hosted the improv show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

As Carey told Danson and fellow guest Marc Vahanian, he was overweight and decided to jog to shed some pounds before going back to taping his show. It was while jogging that he felt numbness in his shoulder, and his heart rate was through the roof as well.

However, he ignored them, not knowing they were symptoms of a heart attack. “I thought if you have a heart attack, you would go, ‘Ugh,’ and fall down like in a cartoon,” he said.

He slowed down and tried jogging again after a while, only for his heart rate to increase significantly. Then he decided to rest.

Carey contacted his then-girlfriend, sharing what happened. When asked what she could do for him, the comedian said he just wanted to be with her while he played. The two then went to Bob’s Big Boy to get a meal and play the turn-based strategy video game “Civilization.”

“We drive to Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank and she held me in her arms, and I had my laptop out and I played ‘Civilization’ on my computer with the WiFi from Starbucks next door,” the host recalled. He even remembered the food he ordered, saying, “I had chili spaghetti and an iced tea. After having a heart attack.”

Carey promised to consult his doctor the next day, but work got in the way.

While in the writer’s room at work the next day, Carey felt a tightening sensation in his chest. He excused himself and told his producer to call an ambulance, as he had a feeling he was having a heart attack.

The host was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent a coronary angioplasty to improve the blood flow to his heart. A stent was inserted to open an artery that was 95 percent blocked.

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked or drastically reduced. Typical causes include the buildup of fat and cholesterol, as well as plaques. Common symptoms are chest pain, cold sweats, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or discomfort that spreads to the arms, shoulders, and back, per the Mayo Clinic.

Carey’s procedure was successful, and he was discharged from the hospital after a few days.

Although Carey made some changes to his diet and lifestyle after his angioplasty, he revealed to People that he reverted to bad eating habits in his first year hosting “The Price Is Right” in 2007. He binged on junk food, sweets, and soda, and was later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Having already survived a heart attack and having diabetes, his doctor warned him that he wouldn’t have long to live if he didn’t live a healthier life. The health advisory pushed him to do better, and he was able to lose 80 pounds by 2010.

Carey has since maintained his weight, exercising regularly and avoiding carbs. “It’s a whole kind of change of mindset that you have to have about your whole life… but once you do, it’s so freeing,” he shared.

In an interview with Runner’s World in 2011, Carey talked about how running helped him maintain a healthier lifestyle. “I went from sitting around doing nothing, eating Doritos and fettuccine, to being active, exercising, and eating well,” he shared.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition wherein the body constantly has high blood sugar. It can be reversed, which means the blood sugar goes back to regular levels where medication is no longer needed.

With more exercise and a healthier diet, Carey said that he no longer has diabetes. “No pills. Nothing. Every day I have no symptoms, no medicine. All of my blood tests and my levels are just perfect,” he boasted.