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Melissa Claire Egan has some difficult news to share.
But it’s also some important news.
On Thursday, the veteran Young and the Restless actress took to Instagram in order to share the news that she was diagnosed last month with coronary heart disease.
“Thanks to early detection, and medicine, I will be okay!” the star wrote to open her post, adding: “I’m a private person, but this seemed TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO SHARE. Especially for women.”
Egan then used the opportunity to spread awareness while explaining her circumstances.
“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”),” she went on.
“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. 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.
“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.”
A multiple-time Dayime Emmy Award nominee, Egan has appeared in over 700 episodes of All My Childre and over 1,200 of The Young and the Restless.
She continued a few hours ago via social media:
“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! 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.”
Egan joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Chelsea Lawson in 2011… following the cancellation of All My Children.
For her work on former soap opera, the actress has been nominated three times for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the Daytime Emmy Awards.
She urged folks to ask for a “Heart Calcium scan” in her new post and concluded by encouraging fans to stay proactive about their health:
“Let’s all band together, focus on our heart health, and live longer!!!”
AMEN!
