Yahoo News Coronation Street star Alexandra Mardell reveals a hole was found in her heart after medical test
Coronation Street star Alexandra Mardell has opened up about how a death in her family led to her discovering that she has a hole in her heart.
Alexandra's father Michael passed away from a heart attack back in 2016. The Mardells later found out that he had been suffering from undiagnosed cardiomyopathy, a condition that hinders how the heart pumps blood around the body.
The muscle disease can be hereditary, so doctors insisted that Alexandra – who plays barmaid Emma Brooker on the long-running ITV soap – and her siblings were tested for the gene. Fortunately, she was told she didn't have it but medical professionals did inform her that she there is a gap between two of her heart's chambers.
A post shared by Ali Mardell (@alexandramardell) on Aug 12, 2019 at 12:40pm PDT
"It’s not related to the cardiomyopathy whatsoever – it’s a total coincidence but obviously an issue I need to keep an eye on," the 26-year-old told The Mirror, noting that side effects of the condition include swollen legs, extreme fatigue, a rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing.
"I’ve been told that everyone is born with it and it’s meant to close up within the first year. In some cases, like mine, it doesn’t and that can cause problems.
"I sometimes get palpitations. I have always had issues with my breathing when exercising, but I always thought that was just my general lack of fitness," she noted, before joking that "it’s nice in a way to have a little bit of an excuse."
Alexandra went on to add that she feels lucky "it hadn't caused [her] any major problems so far" and that she plans to have a check up every five years to monitor its effects.
“If there are issues in the future it’s something they are able to close up," she said. "It only came to light when I was being tested for cardiomyopathy – if it hadn’t been for that test I would never have known."
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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