November 27, 2007 10:25

Lily Allen diagnosed with heart murmur

Condition has made 'LDN' singer get fit

Photo Gallery: Lily Allen
Photo: Danny North

Lily Allen has explained that she was diagnosed with a heart murmur three months ago, which has led to her recent fitness regime.

The singer has dropped from a UK size 12 dress size to a size eight, and shed half-a-stone as a result of her exercise.

Allen said: “I used to love nothing more than sitting in front of the telly with two packets of Ginger Nuts and two bags of milk bottle sweets – and I'd devour the lot.

"But this heart thing has made me cut back on all that kind of crap. I now find that, because I am looking after myself, I don't feel like eating the bad stuff so much.”

Allen also told Grazia magazine: “I really want to stress that I haven't done this because I want to become some skinny minnie - I will never be like that.”

Heart murmurs can be detected by a rushing or rumbling sound from the heart.

This usually indicates abnormal passages in or around the heart or a malfunctioning or leaking valve – however, the majority of heart murmurs are relatively harmless.