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CC Sabathia says a near-fatal heart episode in 2018 changed how he approaches health, including his diet and monitoring LDL cholesterol. He is sharing his experience through the Playing with Heart program as the Yankees honor his career.
CC Sabathia is using his retirement to speak publicly about heart health after a 90% blockage in an artery leading to his heart required emergency angioplasty in 2018. The former Yankees pitcher discussed the episode and the health changes that followed as the team honored his career by retiring his No. 52 in Monument Park.
Sabathia said he woke in the middle of the night in November 2018 vomiting, and initially thought his symptoms might mean he was having a heart attack. He later learned that an artery leading to his heart was 90% blocked and underwent emergency angioplasty, a procedure involving placement of a stent. He was 38 at the time. The episode came during his final major-league season, after a career that included 19 years in the majors, 11 of them with New York.
“Had I not known or not been on top of everything, I could have passed away at 38 years old from a massive heart attack,” Sabathia said, as quoted by Athletech News. He urged people to learn their health numbers and discuss them with a doctor. He was referring to LDL-C, commonly called “bad” cholesterol, which the report describes as a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Sabathia said changing his diet was the biggest step he had taken to improve his LDL-C. He described his current diet as Mediterranean and said he had lost weight. He also said he continues to lift weights and do cardio, but now exercises at his own pace. His comments came at Yankee Stadium the day before the jersey retirement ceremony, alongside Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who has his own history of heart conditions.
A Public Case for Cholesterol Checks
Sabathia’s account links a health measure that may receive little attention outside medical settings—LDL-C monitoring—to an event that threatened his life while he was still an active player. His appeal was for people to understand their numbers and speak with a doctor about what is happening in their bodies. The report does not provide his current LDL-C level or describe a specific treatment plan.
His participation in Playing with Heart, a Merck and WomenHeart program involving nine MLB franchises, gives the story a public education dimension. The initiative focuses on awareness of cholesterol and heart health. Sabathia also said athletes can help make conversations about long-term wellness more common, in the same way they have discussed performance and recovery.
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From Final Season to No. 52
The heart episode occurred in November 2018, during the season that would be Sabathia’s last in Major League Baseball. The report says he underwent emergency stent placement after doctors identified the blockage. It does not say the procedure ended his season; it notes that he continued pitching in what became his final campaign.
The Yankees later honored Sabathia by retiring his No. 52 in Monument Park. His remarks about health were made the day before the ceremony. The report places his advocacy alongside wider efforts to address athlete wellness, including professional sports programs related to recovery and access to health services, but offers no evidence that those initiatives resulted from Sabathia’s work.
““It’s important for people to understand their number, check with their doctor and understand what’s going on inside the body.””
— CC Sabathia, quoted by Athletech News
What His Current Numbers Show
The report does not state Sabathia’s current LDL-C level, whether it has changed since he altered his diet, or what ongoing medical care he receives. It also does not provide details about the program’s results or how many people it has reached. Sabathia’s account is personal experience, not a report of clinical outcomes for other people.
The source identifies the Yankees ceremony as taking place “this past Friday” but does not give a calendar date in the supplied material. It is also unclear what further public events or education work Sabathia plans through Playing with Heart.
The Program’s Next Outreach
Sabathia is participating in Playing with Heart, which the report says involves nine MLB franchises and aims to raise awareness of cholesterol and heart health. The source does not list upcoming events, a schedule or a next milestone for the program, so its future activities are not yet clear.
For Sabathia, the next public step described in the report is continuing to share his experience. He said he wants people facing similar issues to know they are not alone. Any personal questions about cholesterol or heart symptoms should be discussed with a qualified health professional.
Key Questions
What happened to CC Sabathia in 2018?
He said he woke up vomiting in November 2018 and later learned an artery leading to his heart had a 90% blockage. He underwent emergency angioplasty with stent placement.
What health measure is Sabathia urging people to monitor?
He was referring to LDL-C, often called “bad” cholesterol, and urged people to understand their numbers and check with a doctor.
What diet does Sabathia say he follows now?
Sabathia described his diet as Mediterranean and said changing his diet was the largest step he had taken to improve his LDL-C.
Why did the Yankees retire Sabathia’s No. 52?
The Yankees honored his career with a Monument Park ceremony. Sabathia played 11 of his 19 major-league seasons for New York.
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