The Larry King Cardiac Foundation

Larry King, A Heart Healthy Life to Enjoy
By Alan Braverman in Walgreen's Diabetes & You Magazine

February 2006
In the 1980s, famous television and movie actor Yul Brynner starred in a television commercial on behalf of the American Cancer Society. It was produced shortly before his death and aired only afterward. The famous line from the commercial was, “Now that I’m gone, I tell you: don’t smoke. Whatever you do just don’t smoke.” It helped catapult the topic of smoking to the top of the public agenda.

CNN talk show host Larry King remembers watching the commercial—or, more accurately, changing the channel every time it came on. “I’d just turn it off or change the channel,” King shared in a recent interview. “I knew I wasn’t taking care of myself properly, but I just didn’t want to hear about it.

”In February 1987, though, King had no choice but to listen. Experiencing pain in his chest and right shoulder, King went to the hospital and discovered he was having a heart attack. Later that year, in a follow up exam, his doctor told him he needed bypass surgery.

Having heart disease should not have come as any great surprise to the television host. His father died of heart disease when Larry was only 9 years old. And Larry’s brother also had a heart attack. To top it all off, King was at least 20 pounds overweight and an avid smoker, finishing off no fewer than three packs of cigarettes every day.

GETTING ON TRACK, THEN HELPING OTHERS

Following his ordeal, Larry became what he calls a“ model patient.” He made the effort to lose the extra pounds, started watching what he ate, quit smoking and introduced physical activity into his daily routine.

In late 1988, a friend asked King how much bypass surgery cost. King realized he didn’t know. Fortunately for him, King had insurance and didn’t have to think twice when the doctor said the $40,000 surgery was needed.

Much to King’s surprise, though, many insurance companies view bypass surgery as elective—meaning it’s not necessary—and, therefore, it’s simply not an option for some people to have the surgery done before something catastrophic happens.

“It simply amazed me that some insurance companies would rather wait until someone has a massive heart attack and then end up paying far more than what bypass costs!”

King realized he was being presented with the opportunity to embark on a new life’s mission. Having been affected personally by heart disease and after losing family members because of it, he founded the Larry King Cardiac Foundation in 1988 to provide funding for life-saving treatment for individuals who, due to limited means or inadequate insurance, would be unable to receive the treatment and care they need.

The Foundation works in conjunction with hospitals throughout the nation to ensure that such patients receive proper medical attention.

Since 1988, the Foundation—with help from numerous corporate sponsors and partners such as Eli Lilly, FedEx, Medtronic, Cordis and leading hospitals around the country—has helped more than 200patients with life-saving surgery.

“I always felt that health is a right,” King shared. “Health is important to everyone, and if necessary, we have to take life saving measures to help people who
can’t afford it.”

ADDING DIABETES TO THE MIX
In 1998, King discovered that he had even more health challenges to deal with. During a routine doctor’s visit, he found out that he had type 2 diabetes.

Luckily for King, his overall health care routine helps to treat both conditions. He takes his diabetes medications every day and has his A1C (which measures blood glucose levels over a three month period) checked regularly. He also watches what he eats and meets with his physician every few months for checkups. Although his diabetes health has been good he does recall feeling faint twice because of low blood glucose. “In that case, it’s just some orange juice for me, and I’m back on the go."

ON STAYING HEALTHY

King cautions that it’s important to do everything possible to maintain health and quality of life as you age. Pay attention to the aches and pains and take preventive measures like getting an annual flu shot. “I was born with the wrong genes. My brother and father both had heart disease. You can’t do anything about your genes, but you can improve your lifestyle. Keep active, work if you can. And, finally, be a good patient and listen to the medical advice you’re given.

Secrets of King’s Success
Want the inside scoop on Larry King’s health routine? We’ve got it!

Since 1987, King hasn’t touched cigarettes and the heart healthy strategies his physician created for him continue to do the trick, keeping him at about 150 pounds.

According to King, it’s all about making decisions. “If I eat pizza today, then I will try to cut something else unhealthy out tomorrow. Basically, I follow my intuition. If I think it’s not healthy, it’s probably not healthy. And, I make sure to read the labels.

”Every day starts with physical activity. King hits the treadmill for two miles, then walks outside for two miles. He does some weights and “hundreds” of sit-ups.

King admitted: “No one likes physical activity. They just like how it feels after, when they are done.” When it comes to diet, King’s the first to admit that he’s not at all adventurous. Breakfast usually means Cheerios and blueberries or half of a scooped-out bagel with some cream cheese and lox. Lunch and dinner is usually some combination of salad, fruit, chicken, an occasional steak, steamed vegetables and non-fat yogurt. But most important to King is laughter. Without it, he said, people won’t get better. “Norman Cousins[often described as the man who laughed his way to health] said that when we laugh, 300 good things happen in our bodies. It’s a great thing for us. Laughter is a wonderful ingredient in life. Laughing makes you feel good. We can’t prove the benefits, but we know it feels good.”

For more information on The Larry King Cardiac Foundation, log on to http://www.lkcf.org/ Secrets of King’s Success