Fraser Olender, a star of Bravo’s reality series “Below Deck,” has revealed that vaping contributed to a heart attack and lung injury he recently suffered. The 33-year-old television personality shared his alarming health journey in an Instagram post on March 15, 2024, urging others to abandon the habit immediately.
In his post, Olender detailed his hospitalization a few weeks earlier, where he experienced severe chest pains and difficulty breathing. After a week of treatment in hospitals across London, specialists diagnosed him with E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI). He described the experience as one of the most frightening and painful moments of his life, stating, “I have never experienced fear or pain like it.”
The diagnosis led to a coronary artery vasospasm, a condition where the arteries supplying blood to the heart suddenly constrict. According to Olender, this spasm resulted in what doctors termed an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), commonly known as a heart attack. He explained, “That spasm reduced blood flow enough to cause an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), not because of a blockage, but because my heart wasn’t getting enough oxygen during the spasm.”
The American Lung Association categorizes EVALI as a serious respiratory illness that can lead to death. Olender described the pain he experienced as so intense that even two doses of morphine failed to alleviate it. He ultimately required the strongest legal pain medication available in the emergency room.
Now in recovery, Olender feels a sense of responsibility to share his experience. He emphasized that he had never considered the potential dangers of vaping. “If this experience can help even one person rethink vaping, it’s worth telling,” he stated. He added, “I could have died for the sake of something so ridiculously stupid, so please do yourselves a favor and give it up too – cold turkey.”
Olender’s story serves as a stark reminder of the health risks associated with vaping, particularly for young adults. As public awareness grows, health experts continue to warn about the potentially severe consequences of using e-cigarettes.
