Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is opening up about a series of personal health scares that nearly changed the course of his life. Appearing on “The Dr. Mark Hyman Show,” Johnson described how a troubling digestive issue and a serious cardiovascular concern prompted him to take a closer look at his health. What followed was a journey of second opinions, high-tech diagnostics, and a shift in perspective that left him with not only peace of mind but a renewed commitment to wellness and prevention.

Johnson explained that he began experiencing digestive discomfort just as his intense work schedule was ramping up. “I got this gut issue,” he said. “I’ve seen doctors and I can’t quite nail it. I can’t quite fix it. It’s in my digestion.” After connecting with Dr. Hyman, specific tests revealed the underlying problem, and it was resolved in just weeks.

But more urgently, Johnson also shared a heart-related scare that started with routine cardiovascular testing. Initial scans suggested potential plaque buildup in one of his coronary arteries.

“Everything looked great. Thank God. Knock on wood. And then there was what looked to be… some stuff inside, like a build up of, like what they thought was plaque… in the circumflex… artery, right? And when we looked at that on the old school traditional MRI, and the scans, it looked like I had build up, and then immediately the call to action was ‘all right, well, let’s get you on this medication. It’s a multi-month medication, and here we go. We got to get on it right away.’ And I thought, God, and I was so hesitant because I wasn’t taking any medication.”

Instead of rushing into a prescription plan, Johnson turned to Dr. Hyman for advice. He recalled their conversation and how more advanced diagnostics changed everything.

“So then I called you. And I said, ‘Doc, listen, here’s what I got… What do you think? And here’s what their suggestion is.’ And again, I’ll never forget on that Zoom. You went, ‘Okay, hold on, hold on, let’s not jump to conclusions. I don’t want you getting on that right now. Don’t get on the medication. There’s a couple of steps here… let’s get a scan done, but let’s get an AI scan done.’… And I said, ‘Okay, we got the scan done.’ You sent it to your guy and then it came back… I remember when you told me, you said, ‘Hey, look, here’s the report from our… head cardiologist… He said, looks great. It is just an anatomical thing that’s happening back there. It’s not build up at all. Those valves look great. Come back in three years.’”

Reflecting on the experience, Johnson urged others, particularly men, not to let fear or pride delay important health checks. “When it comes to health stuff, and this idea of sometimes looking into the hood can make you feel vulnerable, maybe a little bit weak… We shy away from that,” he said. “The alternative is you don’t. And we know what the pathology is to that.”

Johnson connected his drive for proactive health care to his family’s past. He recalled how his grandfather, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, avoided seeking treatment for pain caused by cancer and died at only 45 years old. Now, as a father, Johnson sees his own health as a responsibility. “Your health is a gift to your kids… it’s the best gift that we can give,” he added, stressing the value of proper testing and avoiding misinformation.