Below Deck Celebrity Opens Up About Vaping-Related Heart Attack: I Almost Died

Fraser Olender — the British chief stew who rose to fame on Bravo’s Below Deck — has shared a startling and deeply personal health warning: he recently suffered a heart attack that doctors have linked to vaping. In a candid Instagram post and follow-up media interviews, Olender described being rushed to hospitals in London with crushing chest pain and breathing difficulties, spending a week under specialist care before learning that substances in his vape likely triggered a coronary artery vasospasm that led to a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a serious kind of heart attack. He’s now off vapes, urging others to take the risk seriously.

The scare: what Fraser Olender experienced

According to Olender, the episode began as severe chest tightness and trouble breathing during BravoCon festivities. He posted hospital photos and a frank caption saying he “had vape poisoning (an E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI))” and that medical teams determined the cause was a coronary artery vasospasm — an intense narrowing or “clamping down” of coronary arteries that drastically reduces blood flow to the heart and can produce a STEMI, the type of heart attack associated with acute oxygen deprivation of heart muscle. He told followers the pain was like nothing he’d ever experienced; even two rounds of morphine didn’t touch it and doctors ultimately gave the most powerful legally available emergency pain relief. Olender thanked his partner and hospital staff for their support and said he has quit vaping “and never will” — a dramatic turnaround he hopes will persuade others to reconsider their vape use.

What the diagnosis means — EVALI, vasospasm and STEMI (in plain language)

A few technical terms are helpful to understand why this was so dangerous:

• EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping product use-Associated Lung Injury) is a broad term public health agencies use to describe severe lung injury linked to e-cigarette or vaping product use. In past outbreaks (notably 2019–2020), EVALI caused thousands of hospitalizations and dozens of deaths; symptoms often include cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fever and gastrointestinal upset. Public health bodies still advise caution because vaping devices and the chemicals they deliver vary widely and can be harmful.
• Coronary artery vasospasm occurs when a coronary artery suddenly constricts, reducing or blocking blood flow to part of the heart. Unlike a classic heart attack caused by a blood clot on top of a plaque, vasospasm can happen in people without severe plaque buildup and is sometimes triggered by drugs, toxins, or intense sympathetic stimulation (e.g., certain chemicals that raise heart rate and constrict vessels). When the spasm is severe and prolonged, it can cause a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — essentially, heart muscle is starved of oxygen and damaged. Medical teams treat a STEMI urgently because time equals heart muscle lost. In Olender’s case, clinicians reported the vasospasm and STEMI were linked to vape poisoning.

Are vaping products known to cause heart problems?

Vaping is relatively new compared with combustible cigarettes, but a growing body of research links e-cigarette use to cardiovascular risks:

• Large observational studies and reviews have associated e-cigarette use with increased odds of heart attack and coronary artery disease compared with nonusers. While causation is difficult to establish in population studies, these signals prompted cardiology groups to warn about cardiovascular harms from e-cigarettes and vaping.
• Mechanistically, vaping exposes users to nicotine and dozens of other chemicals (including flavoring agents and solvents) that can increase sympathetic nervous system activity, raise heart rate and blood pressure, and impair vascular function. Some studies show altered heart rate variability and endothelial dysfunction after exposure to e-cigarette aerosols — changes that, in susceptible people, could precipitate vasospasm or other cardiac events.
• Case reports and small case series have documented acute cardiac events following vaping — including arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and myocardial infarction — especially when other risk factors or device/juice contamination (e.g., illicit THC products, unknown additives) are present. While these cases don’t prove every vape will cause such harm, they illustrate plausible and frightening scenarios.

Why Fraser’s warning matters

Olender’s story carries extra weight for several reasons:

1. A public figure, speaking candidly. Celebrities and influencers shape norms around behaviors like vaping. When a well-known reality star publicly blames a vape for a near-fatal medical emergency and then quits, it punctures the “harmless habit” narrative many vapers hear. The images and frank description of intense pain create an emotional impact statistics don’t always achieve.
2. It underscores unpredictability. Vasospasm and EVALI can affect young, otherwise healthy people — not only older smokers with long histories of heart disease. That unpredictability is what made Olender’s message especially urgent: you can’t always tell who will suffer a severe reaction.
3. It reminds us the product landscape is messy. Vaping devices, cartridges and e-liquids come from myriad manufacturers and informal sources; contaminants or high concentrations of certain compounds (notably in illicit THC products implicated in the 2019 EVALI outbreak) may elevate danger. Even nicotine-only products can produce physiologic effects that stress the heart. Public health agencies caution against using illicit or modified products and recommend evidence-based cessation strategies for those trying to quit.

What experts recommend — if you vape (or someone you love vapes)

Public health and medical organizations have offered practical guidance since the EVALI outbreak and as evidence around cardiovascular effects has accumulated:

• Stop using vaping products that contain THC, especially those obtained informally. Many of the most severe EVALI cases were linked to modified or unregulated products. The CDC continues to advise caution.
• If you vape to quit smoking, talk to a clinician about FDA-approved cessation aids. Nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum), bupropion or varenicline, combined with counseling, are evidence-based options with known safety profiles. The CDC and other organizations suggest discussing alternatives with a healthcare provider rather than relying on unregulated vaping products.
• Seek urgent care for chest pain or breathing trouble. Early medical assessment can make the difference between full recovery and permanent damage — as Olender’s experience starkly shows. If a vaper develops chest pain, shortness of breath, severe cough, or syncope, they should be evaluated as soon as possible.

For clinicians and policy makers

Olender’s case is a reminder for health professionals and regulators alike:

• Clinicians should ask patients about vaping when assessing cardiopulmonary symptoms, even in younger adults. Vaping history can be a key diagnostic clue when evaluating unexplained chest pain, hypoxia or lung infiltrates.
• Regulators and public health agencies must continue to monitor product safety, improve surveillance for severe events, and communicate risks clearly — especially as new device generations and novel liquids enter markets. The variability of products and the presence of illicit additives complicate both research and messaging.

Fraser’s personal aftermath and message

After the hospitalization, Olender reported noticeable benefits from quitting — he mentioned improved skin and overall wellbeing — and was publicly grateful to his partner and medical team. But he didn’t sugarcoat the pain: his description of being “pumped with the strongest meds” and feeling as if he “could have died” is a raw reminder that vaping-related illness is not always mild. His plea was simple and direct: if his story prevents even one person from continuing to vape, that would be worth sharing his experience.

What this means for fans, young people and the curious

Vaping still carries a perception of being “safer” than cigarettes — especially among younger people who never smoked. But that perception doesn’t negate risk. Whether the concern is EVALI, nicotine’s cardiovascular effects, unknown additives, or acute toxic reactions, Olender’s story is a real-world cautionary tale: serious, even life-threatening events can happen. Parents, educators and clinicians should use moments like this to start frank conversations with teens and young adults about the unknowns and known harms of these products.

Practical next steps if you vape and are worried

1. Stop using illicit or modified vape products immediately. If you use products containing THC acquired from informal sources, the risk appears higher for severe lung injury.
2. Talk to a healthcare provider. Discuss reasons for vaping, prior attempts to quit, and options for safe cessation. Providers can evaluate for heart and lung injury if you have symptoms.
3. Know the red flags: seek emergency care for severe chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, confusion, or severe cough with fever. Quick evaluation matters.
4. Use proven cessation aids: patches, gum, prescribed medications and counseling are safer, better-studied choices than unregulated vape products for quitting combustible cigarettes.

The bigger picture: more research, better messaging

Olender’s heart attack is not proof every vape causes a heart attack, but it is consistent with a growing signal: vaping is not harmless. The medical community needs more robust, long-term studies of cardiovascular outcomes in vapers, and regulators need clearer oversight of manufacturing and ingredient disclosure. Until then, high-profile, human stories — like a beloved Below Deck star nearly losing his life — will likely continue to drive public attention and, ideally, safer choices.

Final thoughts

Fraser Olender’s experience is a blunt, urgent warning from someone who lived through it. He’s a reminder that pop culture figures can influence health behavior — sometimes in the most profound ways. For anyone using vaping products, Olender’s message is plain: consider the risks, avoid illicit or altered products, and seek medical help immediately for worrying symptoms. If his story helps even one person quit or rethink a habit that could become catastrophic, that candid Instagram post will have done more than inform — it will have saved lives.