Bob Harper Is ‘Kicking Himself’ for Ignoring Heart Attack Warning Signs

Biggest Loser host and super-fit trainer Bob Harper had a massive heart attack at his gym on February 12—his doctors called it a 'widow-maker'—and yesterday the 51-year-old said he ignored warning signs of impending trouble and regrets the hell out of it.

Harper's mother died from a heart attack at age 70 and he blamed his genetics for the attack that put him in a two-day coma, but genetics aren't the only factor that contributes to heart disease risk: Diet, exercise (too much or too little), blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status can all play a role.

Genetics aside, Harper said his heart attack didn't come out of the blue. He discussed some warning signs with Andy Cohen on Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live. (Where else would you talk about things that could have killed you?)

"I fainted one time in the gym, I started having these dizzy spells and I just kind of overlooked them," he said. "[I] just adapted, which was just the dumbest—I kick myself over and over again about that."

That fact is probably a hard thing for a health and fitness expert to admit publicly, but we're glad Harper is talking about it. The American Heart Association says fainting during exercise could be a sign of a serious disorder; the Merck manual says it might be a heart valve disorder or a heart muscle problem called cardiomyopathy.

According to the AHA, symptoms of a heart attack include:

• chest pain or discomfort
• lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, or breaking out in a cold sweat
• pain in the jaw, neck, back, stomach, or one or both arms
• shortness of breath with or without chest pain

In women, the most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort but the AHA says women are more likely than men to experience other symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you think someone is having a heart attack, call 911 then begin CPR if the person is unconscious; the dispatcher can walk you through it. If there's another person with you, have them try to find an automated external defibrillator (AED). There was an AED at the gym where Harper collapsed and the people who called 911 (who happened to be doctors, lucky him) used the AED on Harper twice before paramedics arrived.

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