Longtime star of “The Young and the Restless,” Melissa Claire Egan, shared in a vulnerable Instagram statement that she was recently diagnosed with coronary heart disease.
Egan, who plays Chelsea Lawson on the popular soap opera, opened up about her diagnosis, explaining how her doctor discovered plaque in her LAD artery, which, if left untreated, could result in a fatal heart attack. The actress emphasized that although cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death in women, developing heart disease at 44 years old is still rare.
Melissa Claire Egan Diagnosed With Coronary Heart Disease
“I wanted to share that in late January I was diagnosed with Coronary heart disease,” Egan wrote in the caption of her Instagram post on Thursday, Feb. 26. “Thanks to early detection, and medicine, I will be okay! I’m a private person, but this seemed TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO SHARE. Especially for women.”
“My brilliant doctor of 20+ years @drthaisaliabadi sent me to a wonderful cardiologist @ghalichimd when some bloodwork came back high, and through a Heart calcium scan he found plaque in my LAD artery (known as the ‘widow maker’),” the actress continued. “It’s mild so far and tends to be genetic, but rare for a 44 year old woman. This could have caused the plaque to chip off and cause a fatal heart attack or stroke any time over the next 5-10 years, maybe even sooner.”
Egan went on to explain that despite learning of her heart disease, she is extremely grateful to have detected it early on, giving her more of an opportunity to control its development.
“Later that night after I was diagnosed, I laid with my sons, putting them to bed, feeling so grateful to God and my doctors that I found this early,” she shared. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about all the other women (and men) that might have this disease and not know it. It is under-tested and under-recognized.”
Melissa Claire Egan Advocates for Heart Health
GettyEgan shed light on the specific bloodwork biomarkers doctors use to detect coronary heart disease as she emphasized the importance of checking your heart health.
“We all are so good about getting our mammograms every year, but we don’t check our heart health. It is imperative that you do!” the actress wrote. “Cardiovascular disease is the Number 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year.”
“Tell your doctor you want to be evaluated for coronary heart disease risk. A takeaway from my situation, for your blood tests ask your doctor to specifically look for Lipoprotein(a) and ApoB levels. Also you MUST ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT A ‘Heart Calcium scan,’” she added. “I’m grateful to work with them sharing my story. Let’s all band together, focus on our heart health, and live longer!!!”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, women “develop symptoms of cardiovascular disease about 10 years later than males.” Chest pain is the main symptom of heart disease, with women more likely to experience a “silent heart attack,” which is described as a “heart attack that goes unrecognized as being a heart attack.” Females who are over the age of 65 are also more likely to die from a silent heart attack than males over age 65.
