Julie Bowen, Now 55, Recalls Needing a Pacemaker at Age 29: 'Oh My God, I'm Going to Die'
The Modern Family alum said she had just shot the pilot for the cult favorite show Ed, and thought "I'm gonna die"
Her condition was diagnosed by her sister, who had just graduated from medical school and told her to see a cardiologistJulie Bowen shared that she got a pacemaker when she was 29 after doctors warned her that he had a heart condition that could lead her to pass out.
The Modern Family alum, now 55, told host Michael Rosenbaum on the July 1 episode of his podcast, Inside of You, that she struggles with sick sinus syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder that, in her case, was caused by increased activity in her vagus nerve, a condition called hypervagotonia.
'I have a low resting heart rate,' she said, sharing that her pacemaker is 'set so that it can't go below 45.'
The "normal" resting heart rate for women, per the Cleveland Clinic, is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. As Bowen told Rosenbaum, before the pacemaker, her resting heart rate was in the 30s.
Bowen had always been a competitive runner, she explained, but she had always had a 'really low heart rate.' Her condition was ultimately diagnosed by her sister, Annie Luetkemeyer, who had just graduated from medical school. As Bowen explained, 'She was at that time in her life when she, I guess, she always carried around a stethoscope. And we were on vacation, and she was like, 'I wanna listen to this.' '
When her sister listened to her heart, 'She was like, 'That is not what they've been telling you, and it's not runner's heart or whatever. That means you need to go to a cardiologist.' '
Her sister, she explained, 'wouldn't let it go. I was like, 'I'm fine.' She would not let it go.'
A month later, Bowen shot the pilot of Ed, which premiered in 2000 and starred Tom Cavanagh.
'I shot the pilot of Ed and immediately had to go get a pacemaker afterwards,' Bowen shared. 'I was like, 'Oh my God. My life is over. This is so weird. I'm gonna die.' I don't know what I thought it was, because I was 29.'
'You're lucky you didn't die before that,' Rosenbaum commented, prompting Bowen to explain, 'They said I wouldn't probably die of it, but I'd start passing out. There was a vague feeling ... whenever I was relaxed, really relaxed, I'd be, like, watching TV or movie.' It felt like 'I'd been holding my breath for a while, that feeling of, like, lightheadedness. And they said, 'You're gonna be driving a car, and you're gonna pass out, and you're gonna kill somebody.' And I was like, 'Oh, well, then give me the Goddamn pacemaker.' '
She shared that surgeons went in through her armpit, so she doesn't have a scar, and she's had to have the batteries replaced three times. But these days, she says, 'I forget about it all the time.'
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Stanford scientists 'totally surprised' by potential Parkinson's treatment discovery
A recent study from Stanford Medicine that "totally surprised" researchers highlighted what could be a promising approach to slowing Parkinson's disease progression. The research, published in the journal Science Signaling, took a closer look at enzymes — proteins in the body that speed up chemical reactions and are essential for digestion, liver function and other key functions, according to Cleveland Clinic — and their role in Parkinson's. The team found that targeting a certain enzyme helped to restore neuron and cell communication in mice. Lead author Suzanne Pfeffer, PhD, the Emma Pfeiffer Merner Professor in Medical Sciences and a professor of biochemistry at Stanford, told Fox News Digital that the team was "totally surprised that we saw as much improvement as we did." In about 25% of Parkinson's cases, the culprit is some form of genetic mutation. One of the most common mutations creates an overactive enzyme called LRRK2, according to a Stanford press release. When there is too much LRRK2 activity, it changes the structure of the brain cells, disrupting important communication between neurons and cells. This system is crucial to movement, motivation and decision-making, according to the researchers. The goal of the study was to determine whether a specific molecule — the MLi-2 LRRK2 kinase inhibitor — could reverse the effect of overactive enzymes. Using mice that had the genetic mutation that causes overactive LRRK2 and also had symptoms consistent with early Parkinson's disease, the scientists tried feeding them the inhibitor for two weeks. There were initially no changes detected in brain structure, signaling or function of the dopamine neurons. However, after three months of eating the inhibitor, mice affected by the overactive enzyme appeared to have restored their neurons to the point where they were virtually the same as those without the genetic mutation, the study found. "Findings from this study suggest that inhibiting the LRRK2 enzyme could stabilize the progression of symptoms if patients can be identified early enough," Pfeffer said in the press release. The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged. "This was in mice, not people, but our current results indicate that similar pathways are important in humans," Pfeffer told Fox News Digital. While the study focused on a specific genetic form of the disease, overactive LRRK2 is also present in other cases, meaning this treatment could help multiple types of Parkinson's patients and possibly those with other neurodegenerative diseases, the reseachers claimed. Looking ahead, the team plans to investigate whether other forms of Parkinson's could benefit. Parkinson's — a disease that involves the slow death of dopamine-producing neurons, leading to symptoms like tremors and stiffness — affects nearly one million Americans, according to the Parkinson's Foundation, which has offices in New York and Miami. Experts agree that early intervention is key, as Parkinson's symptoms often appear years after the disease begins. "These findings suggest that it might be possible to improve, not just stabilize, the condition of patients with Parkinson's disease." Identifying and treating at-risk individuals sooner could potentially halt or reverse neuron loss. "These findings suggest that it might be possible to improve, not just stabilize, the condition of patients with Parkinson's disease," Pfeffer said. For more Health articles, visit The researcher told Fox News Digital that it's important to encourage patients to undergo genetic testing to learn more about their suitability for clinical trials and future treatments. The study was funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, the Aligning Science Across Parkinson's initiative and the United Kingdom Medical Research Council.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. promoted a food company he says will make Americans healthy. Their meals are ultraprocessed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday praised a company that makes $7-a-pop meals that are delivered directly to the homes of Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. He even thanked Mom's Meals for sending taxpayer-funded meals 'without additives" to the homes of sick or elderly Americans. The spreads include chicken bacon ranch pasta for dinner and French toast sticks with fruit or ham patties. 'This is really one of the solutions for making our country healthy again,' Kennedy said in the video, posted to his official health secretary account, after he toured the company's Oklahoma facility last week. But an Associated Press review of Mom's Meals menu, including the ingredients and nutrition labels, shows that the company's offerings are the type of heat-and-eat, ultraprocessed foods that Kennedy routinely criticizes for making people sick. The meals contain chemical additives that would render them impossible to recreate at home in your kitchen, said Marion Nestle, a nutritionist at New York University and food policy expert, who reviewed the menu for The AP. Many menu items are high in sodium, and some are high in sugar or saturated fats, she said. 'It is perfectly possible to make meals like this with real foods and no ultra-processing additives but every one of the meals I looked at is loaded with such additives,' Nestle said. 'What's so sad is that they don't have to be this way. Other companies are able to produce much better products, but of course they cost more.' Mom's Meals do not have the artificial, petroleum dyes that Kennedy has pressured companies to remove from products, she noted. Mom's Meals said in an emailed response that its food products 'do not include ingredients that are commonly found in ultra-processed foods.' The company does not use synthetic food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, certain sweeteners or synthetic preservatives that are banned in Europe, said Teresa Roof, a company spokeswoman. The meals are a 'healthy alternative' to what many people would find in their grocery stores, said Andrew Nixon, U.S. Health and Human Services spokesman, in response to questions about Mom's Meals. Mom's Meals is one of several companies across the U.S. that deliver 'medically tailored' at-home meals. The meal programs are covered by Medicaid for some enrollees, including people who are sick with cancer or diabetes, as well as some older Americans who are enrolled in certain Medicare health insurance plans. Patients recently discharged from the hospital can also have the meals delivered, according to the company's website. It's unclear how much federal taxpayers spend on providing meals through Medicaid and Medicare every year. An investigation by STAT news last year found that some states were spending millions of dollars to provide medically tailored meals to Medicaid enrollees that were marketed as healthy and 'dietician approved." But many companies served up meals loaded with salt, fat or sugar — all staples of an unhealthy American's diet, the report concluded. Defining ultraprocessed foods can be tricky. Most U.S. foods are processed, whether it's by freezing, grinding, fermentation, pasteurization or other means. Foods created through industrial processes and with ingredients such as additives, colors and preservatives that you couldn't duplicate in a home kitchen are considered the most processed. Kennedy has said healthier U.S. diets are key to his vision to 'Make America Healthy Again.' His call for Americans to increase whole foods in their diets has helped Kennedy build his unique coalition of Trump loyalists and suburban moms who have branded themselves as 'MAHA." In a recent social media post where he criticized the vast amount of ultraprocessed foods in American diets, Kennedy urged Americans to make healthier choices. 'This country has lost the most basic of all freedoms — the freedom that comes from being healthy," Kennedy said. — Aleccia reported from Temecula, Calif.


CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Camp Mystic girls evacuate from flood devastation
Camp Mystic girls evacuate from flood devastation Videos shared from a Camp Mystic nurse show campers evacuating on a bus while passing devastation from the floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas. 00:49 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 15 videos Camp Mystic girls evacuate from flood devastation Videos shared from a Camp Mystic nurse show campers evacuating on a bus while passing devastation from the floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas. 00:49 - Source: CNN City official pressed on why they didn't evacuate before flooding CNN's Pamela Brown asked Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice why evacuations weren't ordered before devastating floods hit central Texas. 01:09 - Source: CNN Volunteers comb through debris as search for missing continues CNN's Isabel Rosales is in Center Point, Texas, about 25 miles from Camp Mystic, where volunteers are bringing in heavy machinery to search for victims after deadly flooding struck the area on July 4th. 01:13 - Source: CNN Camp Mystic confirms 27 campers and counselors have died in floods Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River, has confirmed that at least 27 campers and counselors died in the devastating floods that hit the Texas camp. CNN's Pamela Brown reports. 01:09 - Source: CNN Chantal triggers life-threatening flash floods More than 5 million people were under flood alerts across North Carolina and Virginia after Chantal made landfall early Sunday, damaging properties and prompting rescue efforts. 00:42 - Source: CNN Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted in Indonesia, sending a column of ash as high as 11 miles into the sky. 00:38 - Source: CNN Dr. Gupta discusses US measles cases surpassing 25-year-high More measles cases have been reported in the US this year than in any year since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains why a slight dip in vaccination rates in certain regions has led to an ongoing outbreak. 01:08 - Source: CNN How floods in Texas turned deadly CNN's Ed Lavandera reports on the ground in Texas after months-worth of torrential rain triggered deadly floods. How did the devastation unfold? 00:42 - Source: CNN Pamela Brown reports from Camp Mystic, where she went as a child CNN anchor Pamela Brown was a camper at Camp Mystic 30 years ago, so she knows firsthand that it has been 'a magical place' for generations of girls. Today, she is back there, covering the aftermath of the flood tragedy. 00:57 - Source: CNN Mangled debris shows force of Texas flash floods Barbed wire and mangled trees among the debris scattered for miles, search and rescue workers in Texas face the grueling, slow challenge of holding out hope for any survivors or remains following Friday's flash floods. CNN's Isabel Rosales is in Center Point to give a first-hand look at the challenges volunteers are facing. 00:59 - Source: CNN Group of friends search for survivors Search efforts are underway in Hunt, Texas, to find survivors outside of Camp Mystic. Brooks Holzhausen, with the volunteer group 300 Justice, spoke to CNN detailing the collaboration with state and local law enforcement to help bring missing people home. 01:05 - Source: CNN Timelapse video shows speed of floodwater rising in Texas A timelapse video captured on Friday shows how quickly floodwaters rose along the Llano River in Kingsland, Texas – a town about 95 miles northeast of Camp Mystic. The video, which was sped up, shows the water rush in and rise along the river in the span of 30 minutes. 00:31 - Source: CNN Man describes escaping Airbnb during Texas flash flooding Ricky Gonzalez and a dozen friends were staying at an Airbnb when one of them were awoken by their dog pawing at the door. When they opened the curtain, one of their vehicles was already being swept away. 01:16 - Source: CNN See flood aftermath at Camp Mystic in Texas Authorities are still racing to find victims in central Texas, including 27 people from Camp Mystic, a girls summer camp in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours during torrential rains that triggered flash flooding in parts of the state. CNN's Ed Lavandera reports. 00:57 - Source: CNN Protests continue in Israel amid ceasefire negotiations As mediators push for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, protesters in Tel Aviv gathered in Hostages Square to demand a "complete deal" for the return of all hostages, along with a ceasefire. 00:48 - Source: CNN