Beauty queen Sushmita Sen reveals suffering heart attack with 95% blockage in main artery
Miss Universe 1994 and Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen is urging women to take good care of their cardiovascular health after undergoing an angioplasty a few days ago due to a massive heart attack.
In an Instagram live session on March 4, the beauty queen revealed suffering a heart attack that resulted from the 95% blockage in her main artery.
Sen started her live stream by thanking her fans for the outpour of love and support they've been giving her since the weekend.
"I couldn't wait any longer to just see you guys and to let you know that I'm a very, very lucky girl and I'm a very loved girl. In the past two days, I have had so much love come my way from every continent possible."
She went on to reveal that she had a massive heart attack but was able to survive it because she "kept an active lifestyle."
Sen explained, "I know a lot of you will stop going to the gym and say 'No, see, going to the gym didn't help her. Not good.' But it did help me. I survived a very, very big heart attack. It was massive, with 95% blockage in the main artery. It did [help me] because I have kept an active lifestyle," the actress said.
In a separate Instagram post published on March 2, Sen said that her heart problem was treated successfully with angioplasty. Her doctor also confirmed that she has "a big heart."
While the beauty queen couldn't be more grateful to be "very lucky to be on the other side" of the detrimental incident, she said during her recent live stream that the incident put fear in her heart which, in turn, urges her to keep moving forward.
She then advised fellow women to work out regularly and to look after their hearts no matter what age they are.
"In this time many people are not surviving heart attacks. It is important to keep checking yourself," Sen said. "One piece of advice I'll give to you, love, even if you're young... if you're in your twenties, most people would tell you it can't be the heart. But don't listen to them."
She added, "Women, it's real—heart attack is not a man thing. And it's okay, nothing to be afraid of, but important to be vigilant."
In the Philippines alone, cardiovascular diseases, or diseases of the heart and blood vessels, account for one-third, or 72 percent, of the leading causes of death in 2021.
According to WebMD, the common signs of a heart attack among women are shortness of breath, fatigue, and insomnia before the heart attack, as well as nausea, vomiting, or pain in the back, shoulders, neck, arms, or abdomen.
Men are also likely to experience the same symptoms in women, but in addition to chest pain, heart palpitation, sweating, and feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
In case you or someone you know is having a heart attack, Mayo Clinic recommends calling your nearest hospital or local emergency number immediately. While waiting, chew and swallow an aspirin, take nitroglycerin if prescribed, use an automated external defibrillator if available, and begin CPR if the person is unconscious.