Paul OGrady health: The star is amazed he is still standing after health battles

Jack Dee is introduced on Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up

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The star shot to fame as alter ego Lily Savage and sadly lost both of his parents by the time he was 33. Following his parents’ bad health he has also battled and survived multiple deadly conditions. The star has had three heart attacks, kidney failure and most recently coronavirus. Despite all of this, Paul has managed to overcome it all and announced his “clear bill of health” following a doctor’s appointment.

His heart attacks occurred in 2002, 2006 and 2014 and were seemingly brought on by his lavish party lifestyle that was filled with booze, drugs and chain smoking.

After his bouts of bad health Paul admitted he was shaken, treating the first heart attack as a wake-up call.

He said: “I grew up overnight. It really did shake me and I’ve toed the line ever since.”

Although he admitted to giving up the booze the star suffered with a subsequent two near-fatal attacks.

Due to his health history with heart attacks Paul’s cardiologist suggested wearing a pacemaker – a small electrical device that is surgically implanted in your chest and sends electrical pulses to your heart to keep it beating.

According to The Daily Star he said after his most recent check-ups: “My cardiologist thought I should have a pacemaker, so he sent me to the specialist.

“I had the ECG and all that business – but the specialist said, ‘You don’t need the pacemaker. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.'”

Talking about his general health Paul added: “I’m a timebomb — a human version of the Titanic, forever dodging icebergs.”

It seems the star is blessed with an impeccable constitution, and was even told so by his cardiologist who compared it to an ox.

“Three days after my last heart attack, I was back fire-eating with McFly,” Paul said.

“The heart is a muscle so you have two choices: Sit on the sofa and count your tablets all day, or get on with it and get moving — swimming and walking, gentle exercise.”

A heart attack is and can be a serious medical emergency as the blood supply is suddenly blocked, starving the heart. This is usually caused by a blood clot in one of the coronary arteries.

These clots are usually made up of fatty substances inside of blood vessels and can be enhanced when an individual has high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

The British Heart Foundation states that symptoms vary from person to person but symptoms can include the following:

• Pain or discomfort in your chest that happens suddenly and doesn’t go away
• Pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or to your neck, jaw, back or stomach. For some people the pain or tightness is severe, while for others it’s uncomfortable. It may feel like heaviness, or a burning pain similar to indigestion
• Feeling sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath.

Some symptoms are more likely to be felt by women than men. These include fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and indigestion.

Furthermore, some heart attacks do not come with any symptoms. They are known as “silent heart attacks” and are more common in people who have diabetes.

It’s important you get medical attention immediately if you think you or someone you know is having a heart attack.

You should:

1. Call 999 for an ambulance
2. Sit down and stay calm
3. Take a 300mg aspirin if you have one within reach
4. Wait for the paramedics.

Treatments for a heart attack usually come in the form of drugs. These medications stop blood clotting or even dissolve clots in your heart’s arteries. Some tips and tricks to prevent heart attacks include quitting smoking, keeping a healthy body weight and following and sticking to a regular exercise routine.

If you or your family have a history of heart attacks it is important to go for regular check ups to ensure that your cholesterol levels and blood pressure and sugar levels are normal.

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