Blackie Chen Heart Attack: Sleep Can Save You

Welcome back to Learn English with Podcasts! Sarah, what if you never smoke, never drink, and still end up in the ICU at 49?欢迎回到 Learn English with Podcasts！Sarah，如果你从不抽烟、从不喝酒，却在49岁进了 ICU，你会怎么想？

Blackie Chen. The Taiwan actor and TV host. On the evening of September 15, he was watching a ball game. Suddenly his chest felt tight and heavy.陈建州。台湾演员和主持人。9月15日傍晚，他在看球赛。突然胸口觉得又闷又重。

Yes. He said it felt like a big stone was pressing on his chest. He could not get air in. And his back hurt a lot.对。他说像有颗大石头压在胸口。气喘不上来。而且后背疼得很厉害。

At first, yes. He went to the emergency room at Zhongshan Hospital. Doctors ran tests. When the nurses saw his ECG report, the whole room changed.一开始，是的。他去了中山医院急诊。医生做了一系列检查。当护士看到他的心电图报告，整个急诊室的气氛都变了。

Almost. They called other departments at once. They said his ECG numbers were very dangerous. He had to move to a big hospital right away.差不多。他们立刻联系各大单位。他们说他的心电图指标非常危险。必须马上转到大医院处理。

An ambulance took him to the emergency room at National Taiwan University Hospital. There, a team put a stent into his heart. From the ambulance to the end of the operation, it took about 90 minutes.救护车把他送到台大医院急诊。在那里，医疗团队给他做了心脏支架手术。从下救护车到手术结束，大约只用了90分钟。

His doctor, Professor Wang Zongdao, said it was a typical acute heart attack. One blood vessel was fully blocked. The team was racing against death.他的主治医生王宗道教授说，这是典型的急性心肌梗塞。有一条血管完全堵住了。医疗团队就是在跟死神抢时间。

He is clean. No smoking, no drinking, no late-night parties. On paper, his habits look great.他确实很干净。不抽烟、不喝酒、也不应酬。纸面上看，习惯非常好。

He answered that himself. Two days later, on September 17, he wrote a long letter from the hospital. He had just moved from the ICU to a normal room.他自己回答了这个问题。两天后，9月17日，他在医院写了一封长信。那时他刚从 ICU 转到普通病房。

You guessed right. For more than six years, since he started the PLG basketball league in 2020, he slept very little. Sometimes only three or four hours a night.你猜对了。六年多来，自从2020年创立 PLG 联盟，他每天睡得很少。有时一晚只睡三四个小时。

He answered messages at 2 at night. Then he got up at 6 in the morning to take his kids to school. He thought he was made of iron. He thought he could handle it.他半夜2点还在回讯息。早上6点又起床送小孩上学。他以为自己是铁人。他以为撑得住。

His doctor said yes. That may be the most important reason this time. Long-term lack of sleep raises blood pressure. It causes inflammation in blood vessels. It breaks your sleep-wake balance.他的医生说是的。这可能就是这次最重要的原因。长期缺觉会让血压升高。会让血管发炎。会让自律神经失调。

Exactly. In his letter he asked everyone to do three things. Do you want to hear them? They are great English lessons too.没错。他在信里拜托大家三件事。想听听吗？也是很好的英语表达。

Number one, take tiredness seriously. He wrote, being tired means your body is asking for help. Do not wait until you are in the ICU to listen.第一，把累当一回事。他写道，会累就是身体在求救。不要等进了加护病房才听见。

Number two, know the signs of a heart attack. Chest pain or tightness for more than 15 minutes. Pain moves to the left shoulder, jaw, neck, or back. Plus cold sweat, nausea, or short breath.第二，认得心肌梗塞的症状。胸口闷痛超过15分钟没好。痛到左肩、下巴、脖子或后背。再加上冒冷汗、恶心或喘不上气。

Do not wait. Call an ambulance right away. Every minute counts. The longer you wait, the more heart muscle dies.不要忍。立刻打救护电话。每一分钟都算数。等得越久，心肌死得越多。

Yes. Make sleep your most important work. Put it on your calendar. Sleep 6 to 8 hours. It is not laziness. It is maintenance for your heart.对。把睡觉当成最重要的工作。把它写进行事历。睡满6到8小时。这不是偷懒，是在保养心脏。

Right. If you are over 40, get a full check every year. Watch your blood pressure, blood fat, and blood sugar.对。40岁以上每年做一次健检。追踪血压、血脂和血糖。

Mine too. He asked readers to share the letter with that one friend who never sleeps. That friend may need it most.我也是。他请读者把信分享给身边那个最不爱睡觉的朋友。那个人可能最需要它。

Thanks for listening to Learn English with Podcasts. Share this episode with your most hardworking friend. It might save a life.感谢收听今天的 Learn English with Podcasts。把这期分享给你最拼命的朋友吧。你可能会救他一命。