David Letterman
In many cases, if somebody has not gone through heart disease themselves, or know somebody that has, the illness can become real to them if a known celebrity suffers from a heart attack. Heart disease is very common among men and women, and it is a leading cause of death. Inevitably, there are going to be celebrities to face a heart attack, and we, the public, are going to hear about it. Fortunately, there is some good that comes out of these tragic cases, and that is the heart disease awareness that a heart attack can raise. Here are some of the celebrities throughout the decades that have either met their maker because of a heart attack, or lived with a heart disease during their time on Earth.
1. John Candy – A comedic actor that made us all laugh in movies like Uncle Buck and Home Alone, John Candy died of a heart attack in 1994. He was an obese man at the time of his death, but he was taking steps to become a healthier person. Candy began to eat healthier, lose weight, and he quit smoking, all of which can help prevent heart disease. Unfortunately, the steps were taken a bit too late, and he passed away in his sleep at the young age of forty-three.
2. Peter Sellers – A comedy legend, Sellers played Chief Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films, and he also played three roles in the comedy classic, Dr. Strangelove. He was only thirty-eight years old when he died, a large reason for his death being that he chose psychic healers to deal with his heart disease instead of medical professionals. Sellers suffered from not one heart attack, but thirteen over a period of just a few days.
3. Peter Boyle – He had acted in several classic films such as Taxi Driver, Where the Buffalo Roam, and Young Frankenstein, but he gained the most fame from playing Frank Barone in the comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond. Boyle did not suffer from a heart attack, but did live with heart disease for quite some time. Peter Boyle was 71 at the time of his death.
4. David Letterman – During a checkup, it was found that an artery had a severe blockage. Had it not been treated, it could have easily caused a heart attack at some point in the future. This is why it is important to have a heart disease diagnosed before it is too late. It has been nearly a decade since the surgery, and Letterman is still going strong, with no sign of heart disease at all.
A few of these actors were taken in their prime by a heart attack, but there is plenty of information available so that we can prevent this from happening. The number of stars who have had their light fade into darkness prematurely is heartbreaking, but at least we are able to learn from them.
