Ray Romano Reveals He Underwent Heart Procedure

Ray Romano is sharing the details of his recent heart procedure as the comedian reveals his heart issues have served as a wake-up call. The Everybody Loves Raymond alum, 65, opened up on the latest episode of the WTF With Marc Maron, revealing that he underwent a heart procedure after doctors found that 90% of the main artery in his heart was blocked, which could have led to a heart attack.

“I had to have a stent put in, at 90% blockage,” Romano revealed during a conversation about health and diet. “I got kinda lucky that we found it before having a heart attack.” The Irishman actor continued that the struggle with his cholesterol has been going on for two decades now, with his doctor repeatedly suggesting he take medication to mitigate 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 recalled. However, the comedian would eventually return to his unhealthy habits, which is how he got to the place he is now. “Now because I’m on the meds, my cholesterol dropped right away,” he said, admitting that if he could go back in time, he would have gone on the medication right away.

The Somewhere in Queens star, who also shared he is pre-diabetic, said it was difficult for him to sustain a healthy diet until he began feeling the effects of his health issues. “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.”

Romano previously shared in a conversation with Entertainment Tonight this month that he went to see a cardiologist after feeling chest pains while directing and starring in Somewhere in Queens. “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.”