Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania recently shared candid details about her health challenges during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Jeff Lewis Live” alongside Margaret Josephs. The 54-year-old reality star revealed she underwent a cardiac ablation procedure to treat atrial fibrillation and discussed struggles with her weight loss medication.
“I’m having a really hard time right now. My Mounjaro stopped working. I gained 20 pounds,” Catania explained during the radio interview. She temporarily stopped taking the medication while dealing with her heart condition, describing how the timing coincided with her medical procedure.
Catania developed AFib, a heart rhythm disorder that required intervention through cardiac ablation—a procedure that uses energy to create small scars in heart tissue to block abnormal electrical signals, according to the Mayo Clinic. “I had AFib. Remember, Paul went in the hospital and had this ablation done. This heart ablation,” she shared, referencing her boyfriend’s similar experience.
Managing Recovery and Medication
Catania has been remarkably transparent about her weight loss journey using medications like Ozempic and later Mounjaro. In a February interview with Hello!, she discussed being among the first celebrities to openly discuss using these treatments. “I kind of think I broke the seal on being honest about it,” she said. “With Ozempic, it has been a life-changer for me and my boyfriend Paul [Connell], who lost 60 pounds. He no longer takes a certain blood pressure medication and it’s been really positive.”
The reality star first revealed her Ozempic use in early 2023, losing 20 pounds by May of that year and eventually reaching what she called her “high school weight.” She has consistently defended her medical choices, explaining the complexity of her health situation and emphasizing the importance of proper medical supervision.
“I personally like it,” Catania told Hello! regarding the medication. “I know it’s time for me to wean myself off or go on a lower dose but doctors have said there’s not really anything wrong with staying on it. You must always go through a real doctor though who knows what they are doing. Research is everything.”
Her advocacy for medical transparency extended beyond personal sharing. In April 2023, she publicly defended her treatment decisions, stressing that multiple health factors influenced her choice to use weight loss medication rather than vanity alone.
“I’m going through menopause, I have a thyroid issue, I have inflammation, and weight is hard to take off,” she explained during a Page Six podcast appearance, as reported by People. “And I work out, and I don’t eat crazy, and I was gaining weight, and it’s a lot of different layers… Let’s just let everybody know.”
Managing Recovery and Staying Positive
The cardiac procedure has resulted in a daily medication regimen that Catania handles with transparency. She’s currently taking approximately ten pills daily, including blood thinners to prevent clotting complications and metoprolol for heart rhythm management.
“It’s blood thinners so I don’t get a blood clot. It is metoprolol, something else I’m on and something else,” Catania explained to Sirius XM listeners. “I have to take it for the next 90 days and then I should be done, so I’m hoping maybe that’s why I gained weight.”
Despite the challenges, Catania remains optimistic about her recovery timeline and maintains her positive outlook. She emphasized that her condition isn’t contagious and described the current treatment phase as largely procedural, and showed confidence in her medical team’s approach. Catania mentioned that she plans to share more details about her cardiac procedure on social media soon, demonstrating her commitment to transparency with her audience.
The reality star also addressed speculation about potential involvement with Real Housewives of Rhode Island during the radio interview. “I’m not gonna be a star and I will visit maybe,” she told listeners. When asked about friends on the potential cast, she hinted they are “wild” but noted that “you’ve gotta go far to beat Jersey.”
