Larry King, Cardiac Crusader

(CBS)  Twenty years ago, longtime CNN star talk show host Larry King had his first heart attack.

It turned the host of "Larry King Live" from a heavy smoker into a health fanatic, and inspired him to create the Larry King Cardiac Foundation.

His wife, Shawn King, is the foundation's chairwoman, and both visited The Early Show on Monday, Larry's 74th birthday.

Larry told Storm the most important message he wants to get out is about cardiac disease is that, "You can prevent its onslaught. You' can't prevent your genes. So, you can't prevent that you may have the gene for it."

King stopped smoking, and says you can also, "Watch what you eat. Exercise. Take good care of yourself. And -- take your medication. There's an extraordinary amount of medication" available to help cardiac patients.

His foundation's motto is, "Save a heart a day."

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States. It's estimated that is that 1.2 million Americans will have a heart attack this year, and about a-third of them will die.

According to the foundation's Web site, "Larry was lucky. His hospital bills were covered by insurance. Others are not so lucky. While Larry was recovering from his (heart bypass) operation, he made a promise to himself to help others who may not be as lucky."

He established the non-profit foundation in 1988 to enable people without insurance to get the cardiac care they need. Doctors performing procedures do it for free, and hospitals are only reimubrsed for the materials used.
The foundation is funded from the proceeds of Larry's books, speaking engagements, and from entertainment galas conducted in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

The foundation says it expects to pay for over 200 cardiac procedures in 2007- an increase of 70 percent from the prior year when 116 people were saved through the foundation's efforts

For much more on the foundation, visit its Web site by clicking here.