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Through tradition and trade, tribe in rural Kansas works to reclaim its food sovereignty
IOWA TRIBE OF KANSAS AND NEBRASKA RESERVATION, Kansas — For those who live on the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska's reservation in the rural northeast corner of Kansas, access to healthy food can be a challenge, to put it mildly. The closest grocery store is about a half-hour's...
How science cleared the air over inhaled health risks
For a quick summary of the fight for clean air over the past century, look out of any office window. Odds are your view won't be obscured by dangerous smog – or by clouds of cigarette smoke. For much of the past century, that would have been unthinkable. "Even...
Nurse practitioner's quick action saves community garden pioneer
Like most days, Joyce Moty was planning to visit Bradner P-Patch, the community garden she helped start at Bradner Gardens Park near her home in Seattle. Moty is a fixture there – and a pioneer. In the 1990s, she was among a group of neighborhood activists who helped save...
Time, distance and staffing pose challenges to health care in rural North Dakota
VALLEY CITY, North Dakota – Teamwork made all the difference when Chuck Wendel collapsed and went into cardiac arrest at age 58 while shooting hoops in a North Dakota high school gym. Buff Murray, a local high school teacher was playing on another court when he heard what had...
Is exercise safe for people with an inherited heart condition?
Over the years, people with a genetic condition causing thickening of the heart muscle, known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, have received confusing advice on exercise. New guideline revisions aim to clear things up. They spell out that not only is exercise important and healthy but that some people with the condition, if properly monitored, might be able to play sports safely at even elite levels.
Born with a heart defect, baby soon had seizures, stroke and more
Amber Noggle's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. After that, it was a struggle for her and Dustin Serbin to conceive again. So when they found out Amber was pregnant again after years of trying, they were elated. They did early testing to find out the gender and started a list of potential names.
New screening method may better predict preeclampsia early in first pregnancy
A more personalized screening approach for a potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication related to blood pressure could better predict the condition during the first trimester, when it may still be preventable, new research suggests. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, showed a screening algorithm that combines...
When Mother's Day isn't a joyful holiday, there are ways to cope
For many people, Mother's Day celebrates special relationships, reinforces family bonds or evokes fond, poignant memories. But not for everyone. In some circumstances, the day of flowers and hugs and tributes to Mom can spark sadness, stress or even resentment. "Lots of people might struggle with the holiday," said Dr....
Just as she started a nursing career, 2 strokes changed the course of her life
Precious Guan was excited about her budding nursing career. Born and raised in California, she finished college there and went to New Hampshire for her master's degree. When she wasn't studying, she was outdoors, often hiking and rock climbing. Her career started at a Boston teaching hospital, where she began...
Anger's role in heart attack risk may start in the arteries
Short bursts of anger may temporarily damage the ability of blood vessels to properly dilate, a function believed to be pivotal in preventing arteries from hardening, new research suggests. The findings, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, may help explain how anger contributes to the risk...
Quick action on the golf course resulted in rapid recovery from stroke
George Richards had just hit his tee shot on the sixth hole. He was playing a nine-hole round with the same golfing buddies he met up with every Thursday afternoon near his home in Leland, North Carolina. The drive was pretty decent, landing in the fairway about 120 yards from...
Some action on a pickleball court can be fun and safe, even with a heart condition
Following his heart transplant in 2015, John Daniel tried to take advantage of the tennis courts at his condominium to stay healthy and active. "But it was an abysmal failure," he said. Neither he nor his wife, Leslie, enjoyed playing tennis when they tried it. A friend suggested they try...
Her lifelong goal of becoming a doctor changed after a trip to Peru
Life changed for María Patrizia Santos during a visit to Peru in 2017. It was not from a mystical experience at Machu Picchu in the Andes or one of the South American country's many other ancient sites, but from interviewing more than 150 caregivers about childhood anemia in the southern city of Arequipa.
Even after his cardiac arrest, doctor-comedian finds things to laugh about
Will and Kristin Flanary were fast asleep in their home in Portland, Oregon, when Kristin awoke to what sounded like Will snoring. She nudged him. The sound continued. She shook his shoulder. He didn't respond. Kristin turned on the light. Will, her then-34-year-old husband, was gasping for air. She shouted...
What is health equity? How the idea grew – and why it matters
It's an idea as old as modern medicine and as new as the latest medical research. No matter how you look at health equity, the conversation involves contradictions. But at its core are fundamental questions about illness and health, say experts who have watched the conversation move from the fringes of scholarly debate to the mainstream of 21st century health care.
Better heart health at midlife linked to less cognitive decline in Black women
Better heart health may mean middle-aged Black women are less likely to show cognitive decline than those with poor heart health, a study has found. Researchers said the study highlights the importance of heart health in protecting the brain. "Better cardiovascular health in women in their 40s is important to prevent later-life Alzheimer's disease, dementia and to maintain independent living," the study's lead author, Dr. Imke Janssen, said in a news release. She is a professor of family and preventive medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
'You have about 6 months to live': Woman who inherited heart problem needed transplant
Editor's note: Alison Conklin was featured in 2021. Her tale has changed dramatically since then. Having watched her mother collapse and die at age 42, Alison Conklin feared she would meet the same fate. She carried that angst with her since that day. The number 42 seemed to follow her around, be it at the deli counter or on a bib number assigned for a 5K race.
How a sedentary behavior expert finds time to move
Dr. Deborah Rohm Young's work might move you – or at least make you think about moving around a bit. As director of behavioral research in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, Young's extensive body of work includes many studies about the healthy effects of physical activity – and the problems that come with inactivity. She also led the panel of experts who wrote an American Heart Association science advisory on sedentary behavior in 2016.
1 in 5 people awaiting a transplant are Hispanic. Here's what to know about organ donation.
The number of Hispanic organ donors in the U.S. has increased in recent years, but that growth has been slow. Although organs are not matched by race and ethnicity, a significant gap remains between donors and transplant candidates among Hispanic people. About 15% of organ donors in 2023 were Hispanic,...
Prenatal tests showed their baby had not one, but two rare conditions
Before their baby was born, doctors had warned Stephanie and Justin Cervantes that his color at birth would be blue. Still – despite knowing he had heart issues, despite months of monitoring him in utero, despite endless conversations about his future – how can parents possibly prepare themselves for that?
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Heart and Stroke News: Stories about people, science and health, from American Heart Association News.
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