The Young and the Restless star Melissa Claire Egan is revealing that she's been diagnosed with a heart condition. The actress, who plays Chelsea on the CBS soap opera, is hoping to help others by going public with her condition. The Young and the Restless, heart awareness View this post on Instagram Instagram Post"I wanted to share that in late January," Egan began an Instagram post that can be seen above in full, "I was diagnosed with Coronary heart disease. Thanks to early detection and medicine, I will be okay!"I’m a private person, but this seemed TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO SHARE. Especially for women," the fan favorite continued. "My brilliant doctor of 20+ years @drthaisaliabadi sent me to a wonderful cardiologist @ghalichimd, when some bloodwork came back high, and through a Heart calcium scan, he found plaque in my LAD artery (known as the 'widow maker'). It’s mild so far and tends to be genetic, but rare for a 44-year-old woman. This could have caused the plaque to chip off and cause a fatal heart attack or stroke any time over the next 5-10 years, maybe even sooner."Later that night, after I was diagnosed, I laid with my sons, putting them to bed, feeling so grateful to God and my doctors that I found this early," the mother of two shared. "But I couldn’t stop thinking about all the other women (and men) that might have this disease and not know it. It is under-tested and under-recognized."The Young and the Restless, be your own best health advocateMelissa Claire (Egan) made the right move by getting tests on her heart done -- The Young and the Restless | Image: JPI"We all are so good about getting our mammograms every year, but we don’t check our heart health. It is imperative that you do!" Egan enthused. "Cardiovascular disease is the Number 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year."Tell your doctor you want to be evaluated for coronary heart disease risk," the actress advises. "A takeaway from my situation, for your blood tests, ask your doctor to specifically look for Lipoprotein(a) and ApoB levels."Also, you MUST ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT A “Heart Calcium scan,” Egan concludes. For more info on Egan's journey and coronary heart disease from @american_heart, check the link in her bio. "I’m grateful to work with them, sharing my story," Egan concludes. "Let’s all band together, focus on our heart health, and live longer!!!❤️."Check out all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.