HEALTHModern Family's Julie Bowen Reveals She's Worn a Pacemaker Since She Was 29
'Modern Family' actress Julie Bowen revealed she’s been living with a heart condition for decades, one that led to her getting a pacemaker at just 29 years old.
Modern Family alum Julie Bowen revealed she’s been living with a heart condition for decades, one that led to her getting a pacemaker at just 29 years old.
"I do have a pacemaker," Bowen, 55, confirmed during the Tuesday, July 1, episode of the “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum” podcast. "I had sick sinus syndrome, Hypervagotonia."
Julie Bowen Manages Life With a 'Low Heart Rate'
Julie Bowen is best known for her role on the iconic show 'Modern Family.'
Sick sinus syndrome “affects the heart's natural pacemaker (sinus node), which controls the heartbeat,” and can cause “slow heartbeats, pauses (long periods between heartbeats) or irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias),” according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I have a low resting heart rate,” the sitcom actress explained, sharing that her pacemaker was “set so that it can't go below 45.” A typical resting heart rate for women ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute, but Bowen shared during the interview that hers could dangerously dip into the 30s.
Julie Bowen's Sister Diagnosed Her Condition
Julie Bowen's sister played a big part in diagnosing her condition.
Bowen told Rosenbaum, 52, that she had been a competitive runner, but had always had a “really low heart rate.” It wasn’t until her sister Annie Luetkemeyer, who had just graduated from medical school, diagnosed her condition.
“She was at that time in her life when she, I guess, she always carried around a stethoscope. And we were on vacation, and she was like, ‘I wanna listen to this,’” she explained, adding that her sister had a firm warning after listening to her heart.
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Julie Bowen Got a Pacemaker at 29 Years Old
Julie Bowen dealt with a low heart rate throughout her life.
“She was at that time in her life when she, I guess, she always carried around a stethoscope. And we were on vacation, and she was like, ‘I wanna listen to this,’” she explained, adding that her sibling gave her a firm warning after listening to her heart.
Just a month later, Bowen filmed the pilot for Ed alongside Tom Cavanagh — which premiered in 2000 — all while simultaneously getting fitted for a pacemaker.
“I shot the pilot of Ed and immediately had to go get a pacemaker afterwards,” Bowen shared. “I was like, 'Oh my God. My life is over. This is so weird. I'm gonna die.' I don't know what I thought it was, because I was 29.”
Julie Bowen's Condition Caused Her to 'Pass Out'
Julie Bowen's heart condition technically wasn't life-threatening.
Although the actress clarified that her condition wasn’t life-threatening, she admitted to frequently “passing out,” which could have led to more dangerous situations.
"They said, 'You're going to be driving a car and you're going to pass out and you're going to kill somebody,'" she explained. "And I was like 'Oh, well then give me the godd--- pacemaker.'"
Bowen is best known for her portrayal as Claire Dunphy on ABC’s Modern Family, which aired from 2009 to 2020. In addition, she’s appeared in iconic films like 1996’s Happy Gilmore and 2011’s Horrible Bosses.
