Iconic crooner Barry Manilow has revealed that he has been battling a heart condition called atrial fibrillation (AFib) for the last fifteen years. The disease causes the heart to beat out of rhythm with the possibility of permanent damage, strokes and heart failure.
His announcement came as part of a campaign in which he is participating with the company Sanofi US to raise awareness of AFib. Get Back in Rhythm includes a website (GetBackinRhythm.com) where sufferers and those who think they may have the disease can go to test their knowledge and get additional information.
Manilow said of his diagnosis "When I first experienced AFib more than 15 years ago, it was really scary -- it felt like a fish flopping around in my chest. I thought I knew about all the risks, but it turns out I didn't, so I was really lucky I had such great doctors helping me manage it from the start. "At first, I kept my AFib private because I didn't want to acknowledge there was something wrong with my heart. But now I realize a lot of my fans and so many others could be affected, so I want to do all I can to help them take it seriously, understand all the risks of AFib and seek the best care. The bottom line is AFib needs more awareness. Patients need more education. No one should settle for a life out of rhythm." The public service announcement for the campaign is below:
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