When opening up about his health issue, the 75-year-old basketball legend reveals that he first noticed symptoms when he was vacationing in Europe with his son.
- Feb 18, 2023
AceShowbiz - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar divulged that he has been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. When opening up about his health issue, the basketball legend detailed the symptoms he's experienced.
Noting that he first noticed symptoms when he was vacationing in Europe with his son, the 75-year-old shared, "I had shortness of breath, fatigue, I had no energy. I was worried about it, but it wasn't consistent. It would come and go." He added in the Thursday, February 16 segment on the "TODAY" show, "I thought, "Hey, I'm in the shape of my life. It's not going to affect me.' "
However, things got worse following his return to the U.S. He said he suddenly didn't have the strength to get up and his breathing became heavy when he was attending a Los Angeles Dodgers game.
"They had to help me out to my car. While I was going past the trophy case, I collapsed against it," he claimed. "It was rough. And I didn't know what was going on - that was the whole problem. I didn't understand what was happening."
Kareem was eventually rushed to the hospital and later found out about his diagnosis. Stressing that "it can kill you," the former athlete told fans, "Go get checked. Go to the hospital.
According to Mayo Clinic, "atrial fibrillation is an irregular and usually rapid heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots in the heart." Kareem said the condition increases the probability of having a stroke by a factor of five and it can also increase the risk of heart failure.
