Gov. Kevin Stitt Urges Oklahomans to Prioritize Heart Health After Discovering Major Artery Blockage

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging Oklahomans to prioritize their heart health after undergoing a successful procedure to clear a major blockage in his own heart.

Stitt said he went in for a precautionary checkup with no symptoms of heart problems and was told he had a 90% blockage in a major artery.

"I had no idea. I'm relatively healthy, I felt like I eat pretty healthy and exercise a little bit," Stitt said. "It just reminds us how important it is."

After the scare, Stitt said he wants to urge Oklahomans to stay healthy by eating well and exercising.

"You don't have to overdo it and go run a marathon. You literally can just do walking and get your heart rate up, and then just kind of watch your diet if you have those risk factors, but it can happen to anybody," Stitt said.

He emphasized the importance of being proactive and getting primary checkups to catch issues early.

"You kind of feel sometimes invincible, like nothing can happen. We are so happy that we checked that out, and the doctors were able to do it," Stitt said. "New technology is amazing."

Stitt said his family does not have a history of heart problems, and doctors attributed his blockage to stress.

He acknowledged he hadn't realized how much his job had affected his health and said he is now using new exercises to manage it.

"They have a whole rehab program that talks to you about breathing and exercises to help get rid of that stress," Stitt said. "There are some great exercises out there, but I didn't know about them."

Stitt added that he's always been passionate about encouraging Oklahomans to stay healthy, which is why he participates in the Oklahoma Memorial Marathon every year.

"I'm trying to educate Oklahomans on the importance of a healthy diet and fitness. We need to be outside more. We're doing great things with our parks, trails, and bike paths, and it's just fun to be involved in your community and do a 5K run or fun walk and the Memorial Marathon," Stitt said.

He said this experience has inspired him to focus on important things like family and health and to encourage others to do the same.

"If you don't have your health, you have nothing, right? We can't take that for granted," Stitt said.