A year after quadruple bypass surgery, former US president Bill Clinton has joined the American Heart Foundation in the fight against childhood obesity. And he says he’s never felt better.
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When did you first discover your heart problems?
“I just had a feeling that I had to have it checked when I felt some tightness in my chest. And I hadn’t done any exercise. That’s the first time that ever happened to me, so we did this angiogram and found out I had a blockage that was too significant to open and put a stent in. We had to do the whole surgery.”
Does heart disease run in your family?
”Some of this is genetic, and I may have done some damage in those years when I was too careless about what I ate. So for whatever reason, I’ve got a problem, and I got a chance to deal with it. I felt really blessed because a lot of people who have a heart attack never get any advance warning.”
You had a second operation after the quadruple bypass to solve a complication that arose during surgery. What happened?
“I was doing fine. People said I looked a little pale, but I felt great. And the doctor said, ‘You’re in the top 5% of fitness for men your age, how do you feel?’ I said, ‘I feel fine, but about once in a week, I have a kind of shooting pain I my ribs.’ So they took an X-ray and they said, ‘The good news is you don’t have bone cancer. The bad news is half your lung is closed because you have six glasses of fluid between your rib cage and your lung.’
Since the second surgery your recovery has been very fast – how do you feel now?
“I feel great. I feel much better. After the second surgery, after we found out my lung was closed because of this fluid build-up, I had a whole new burst of energy. And I feel quite good.”
Have your heart problems made you re-evaluate your priorities?
“I’ve had an unusual life. If something happens, if I get struck by lightning on the golf course today, I’d wind up ahead of 99,99% of the people that ever lived… I’m just grateful for every day that the sun comes up.”
What changes have you made to your lifestyle since the surgery?
“I don’t eat junk food at all. I don’t think I’ve ever had any junk food since my surgery.”
What prompted you to become involved in the American Heart Association’s drive to reduce childhood obesity?
“When the American Heart Association approached me about working together to combat heart disease, I wanted to do more than just tape a public service announcement – because of what had been done for me, and because I had frankly dodged a very big bullet.
“The truth is that children born today could become part of the first generation in history to live shorter lives than their parents, because so many are eating too much of the wrong things and not exercising enough, in America at least.
“After my personal exposure to heart disease and surgery. I wanted to find some way to use that experience to help others. With this initiative, we can help turn young people’s lives around and give them hope for a healthier future.”
How do you keep fit?
“I work out a lot, and I went on the South Beach Diet for a while. I have a wonderful man who comes in two or three times a week and we work out.
You know, when you get older you really have to watch it. It gets harder. The older I get, the harder it is to watch my weight.”
Do you have any advice for people who are at risk of heart disease?
“The number-one thing I’d say to people is that if you have a family history of heart disease, you have to be tested, tested, tested. You should bend over backwards to make sure you get the treatment you need and watch your diet. And the signals are not only when your chest is hurting so bad you can hardly stand up, and you’re on the verge of a heart attack. You may experience a sustained shortness of breath or inability to do things you used to do. You just can’t assume it’s the ageing process.”
What happened to Bill?
According to the American Heart Association, between 5% and 10% of heart surgery patients experience some kind of fluid build-up in the chest after surgery, but less than 1% require additional surgery to correct it.
In a very small number of cases, the body fails to re-absorb the fluid. This can compress the lung and lead to shortness of breath. If the presence of fluid is chronic, scar tissue will also develop. In Clinton’s case, the scar tissue also caused the compression and collapse of his lung. The procedure to correct this is known as decortication.
A year after quadruple bypass surgery, former US president Bill Clinton has joined the American Heart Foundation in the fight against 
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