Ray Romano Reveals He Underwent Heart Procedure After 90% of His Artery Was Blocked

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“I got kinda lucky that we found it before having a heart attack," the Everybody Loves Raymond alum said

Ivan Apfel/FilmMagic
Ivan Apfel/FilmMagic

Ray Romano is opening up about a recent wake-up call involving his heart health.

The Everybody Loves Raymond alum appeared on the latest episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast and revealed that he underwent a procedure after 90% of the main artery in his heart was blocked, which could have led to a widowmaker heart attack.

"I had to have a stent put in, at 90% blockage," the 65-year-old told Maron as the pair discussed their health and diets. "I got kinda lucky that we found it before having a heart attack."

The actor explained that he struggled with his cholesterol for the past 20 years and his doctor kept suggesting he take medication for it.

"Every time, I said, 'Let me do it myself.' And I would go home, and I would eat right. Not vegan, but a little healthier, and get it down a couple ticks," Romano explained.

However, he said he would always go back to unhealthy habits and couldn't maintain the results, leading up to the blocked artery.

Related: Ray Romano Jokes His Wife of 35 Years Isn't Interested In His Career: 'She's Over It' (Exclusive)

Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

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"Now because I'm on the meds, my cholesterol dropped right away," Romano said.

"If I could go back 20 years, I would have gone on the meds," he admitted, sharing that he's now pre-diabetic. "It was hard for me to sustain that diet stuff."

The Somewhere in Queens star added that he never felt like he was getting old until the health scare.

"Man, saying 50 was weird, but saying 60… it sounds foreign, it sounds fake, you know?" he said. "I know in my head I don't feel that old. In my body, I'm getting a couple of notices that I am that old."

Earlier this month, Romano told Entertainment Tonight that he decided to see a cardiologist after experiencing chest pains during work.

"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,'" Romano 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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