Julie Bowen expresses heartfelt gratitude towards modern medicine. The beloved "Modern Family" star recently disclosed that she has been living with a pacemaker since the tender age of 29, necessitated by a condition that caused her heart rate to plummet dangerously low. During the July 1st episode of the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast, the now 55-year-old actress casually remarked, "I do have a pacemaker," almost as if it were an afterthought, before adding, "I had sick sinus syndrome and Hypervagotonia."
She elaborated on her condition, explaining that it stems from "persistent vagal overactivity," which disrupts the sinus node's function, causing her heart rate to drop alarmingly, according to the National Library of Medicine. "It means your heart rate just goes really low," she clarified.
To combat her unusually low resting heart rate, Julie was fitted with a pacemaker that alerts her if her heart beats fall below 45 beats per minute. For context, the average resting heart rate for women typically ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute, as noted by the Mayo Clinic.
Julie shared a touching anecdote about how her sister, a medical student at the time, was instrumental in diagnosing her condition. Initially, Julie attributed her low heart rate to her status as a competitive runner. "She was always carrying a stethoscope around during her med school years," Julie recounted. "One vacation, she insisted on listening to my heart. She listened intently and said, 'That's not what they've been telling you. It's not runner's heart. You need to see a cardiologist immediately.'"
Although Julie initially brushed off her sister's concerns, she eventually sought medical attention a month later while filming a pilot. "I shot the pilot of 'Ed' and had to get a pacemaker shortly after," she shared,回忆起当时的震惊心情。 "I thought, 'Oh my god, my life is over. This is so weird. I'm going to die.'"
Although doctors reassured her that the condition itself wasn't fatal, Julie struggled with frequent fainting spells. "It was a disconcerting feeling," she described. "Whenever I relaxed, like watching TV or a movie, it felt like I had been holding my breath for a long time, causing a sense of lightheadedness."
Once the gravity of her situation became clear, getting the pacemaker was a straightforward decision. "They warned me, 'You could be driving and pass out, potentially harming someone else,'" she recounted. "And I was like, 'Okay, give me that pacemaker right now!'"
