• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / Heart Failure / Toni Braxton Undergoes Surgery: “My Main Coronary Artery Was 80% Blocked”

Toni Braxton Undergoes Surgery: “My Main Coronary Artery Was 80% Blocked”

Toni Braxton
PHOTO: SHANIQWA JARVIS/GET UNCOMFORTABLE CAMPAIGN

Toni Braxton is opening up about a “traumatic” and life-threatening health scare that occurred as a result of her living with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.

The “Un-Break My Heart” singer, who has been open in the past about her battle with SLE, revealed to PEOPLE that she underwent a procedure last September after 80 percent of the main artery in her heart was blocked.

Since she was first diagnosed with lupus in 2008, the 55-year-old has been hospitalized “more times than I care to admit” from the disease, which is why she knows the importance of staying on top of routine urine and blood tests to assess how the lupus is affecting her organs, PEOPLE notes.

However, Braxton admits that she slipped up last year, which lead to the near-fatal health scare that required her to have a coronary stent placed to prevent a heart attack.

You May Also Like
View Our Resources To Better Understand How Clinical Trials May Help Advance Research

“It (was) put in at a really, really scary moment,” the actress tells TODAY, adding that the experience felt “surreal.”

Braxton was debating skipping a doctor’s appointment because she thought she was “fine.” Fortunately, she decided to keep the appointment.

RELATED: Toni Braxton’s Battle With Heart Disease: “I Am A Survivor”

“I kept putting it off thinking, ‘Oh, I’m fine. I’ll be okay.’ But my doctor was persistent and I went to get tested in the last week of September. I did a specialized test and they looked at my heart and saw some abnormalities,” Braxton tells PEOPLE. “I found out that I needed a coronary stent. My left main coronary artery was 80% blocked. The doctors told me I could’ve had a massive heart attack, I would not have survived.”

“A couple days after they did the procedure they told me that it was touch and go,” Braxton told TODAY’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.

You May Also Like
13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist

If Braxton hadn’t kept her appointment, she could’ve had a widow-maker heart attack, which is a type of heart attack that occurs when someone has a complete blockage of the left anterior descending artery, the largest artery in the heart, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

“It was a traumatic moment for me. I was in shock,” she recalls. “I remember that day because my chest was aching often, just hurting. And I thought I was just sad because unfortunately my sister [Traci Braxton] had just passed and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m really aching in my heart for my sister.’ And come to find out, of course, I was sad about my sister, but I also had underlying health issues. It was my body talking to me, telling me something’s not quite right.”

Looking back at the traumatic event, the singer admits to feeling emotional, but she is also glad it didn’t…

Continue Reading

The Latest In Heart Failure

heart failure in women

Heart Failure in Young Black Women: Things to Look Out For

Heart failure is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that affects millions of people worldwide. While it is commonly associated with older adults, it is important to recognize that heart failure can also occur in younger individuals, including young Black read more about Heart Failure in Young Black Women: Things to Look Out For
congestive heart failure

I Survived: Managing Congestive Heart Failure

Did you know? Hypertension is the most predominant risk factor for heart failure in Blacks, and aggressive management of hypertension may substantially reduce the incidence and consequences of heart failure in our community. Hypertension can be caused by high blood read more about I Survived: Managing Congestive Heart Failure
heart rate

Are Heart Rate and Blood Pressure the Same? No, Here’s Why.

Lower your blood pressure. Get your heart rate up. Know your numbers. When it comes to heart health, understanding all the numbers involved – and which should be up or down and when – can be confusing. But experts say read more about Are Heart Rate and Blood Pressure the Same? No, Here’s Why.
walnuts benefits

10 Incredible Reasons to Add Walnuts to Your Diet

They might not look like much but walnuts are an unbelievably rich source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. So much so that researchers have been studying them for years to add to the growing list of potential health benefits. read more about 10 Incredible Reasons to Add Walnuts to Your Diet
dilated cardiomyopathy

Mom of 2 Young Boys Was Waiting for Pizza When Her Heart Stopped

LaNysha Adams of Silver Spring, Maryland, was lying on the sofa watching TV when her husband, David Foss, went out to pick up a pizza for dinner. When he returned not 15 minutes later, she was in a daze. Her read more about Mom of 2 Young Boys Was Waiting for Pizza When Her Heart Stopped

Heart-Healthy Recipes For Woman On-the-Go

When you hear about a heart-healthy recipe, you might immediately think about something that takes way more time than you have to spare. With these recipes, you can have tasty, heart-friendly meals in 30 minutes or less! 1. Stuffed Potatoes read more about Heart-Healthy Recipes For Woman On-the-Go

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’
  • Angela Bassett 7-Year Journey to Parenthood: Enjoy the JourneyAngela Bassett 7-Year Journey to Parenthood: Enjoy the Journey
  • ‘COVID Toes’ Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease'COVID Toes' Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease
  • YouTuber and Relationship ‘Expert’ Kevin Samuels Cause of Death RevealedYouTuber and Relationship 'Expert' Kevin Samuels Cause of Death Revealed
  • Football Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes AmputatedFootball Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes Amputated

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.