Heart attack survivor Cherée Johnson. (Photo courtesy of Cherée Johnson) We published nearly 100 inspiring stories of survival this year. These 10 profiles topped the list. 1. Months after learning to walk again, 24-year-old finally learns what caused her paralysis When Andrea Paez went from athletic to almost immobile, grief nearly overtook her. With determination…

Aubrey Virgin was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at age 2 and has faced numerous health challenges. (Photo courtesy of the Virgin family) Aubrey Virgin was a healthy, active 2-year-old when she developed a high fever. Then came a rash that quickly spread over her body. Lymph nodes in her neck swelled. So did her lips,…

(Lacheev/iStock, Getty Images) For the second year, stories about the COVID-19 pandemic are among our most popular. From virus complications to vaccinations, here are the 10 most-read COVID stories published in 2021. (Editor’s note: Because of the rapidly evolving events surrounding the coronavirus, the facts and advice presented in these stories may have changed since…

(Jorg Greuel/Photodisc, Getty Images) Twenty years ago, the Canadian province of Ontario launched an aggressive campaign to tackle stroke from every angle: It hyped prevention and awareness; beefed up its acute care practices and response times; and increased access to post-stroke rehabilitation. It worked. Stroke rates fell 32% within a decade. But that wasn’t all….

(Jose A. Bernat Bacete/Moment, Getty Images) From popcorn to pomegranates, here are the top 10 food stories readers craved this year, ranked in order of unique page views. 1. Popcorn as a snack: Healthy hit or dietary horror show? Prepared properly, popcorn can be a feel-good nutritious hit. Done wrong, it can get bad reviews….

Jillian Forsberg became a heart health advocate after losing her best friend to an aortic dissection in 2018. (Photo by Shelby Laine Photography) On a steamy July afternoon in Fort Scott, Kansas, 16-year-old Lindsey Lewis, dressed in a swimsuit and shorts and driving her well-loved convertible, picked up her friend Jill Overstake. They stopped for…

(Florin Prunoiu/Image Source, Getty Images) Lea en español Zip up your coat or you’ll catch a cold! Most people have probably heard some variation of that parental plea while growing up, or even directed such advice to their own children. It’s a sensible request, though when it comes to avoiding illness when temperatures dip, it’s…

Heart disease survivor Gary Saunders in a 2018 photo with his grandsons (from left: Jaxon, Austin and Jaden Banks) and black lab, Hunter. (Photo courtesy of Gary Saunders) For more than three years, Gary Saunders struggled with heartburn. Antacids helped – if he took a handful of them. He figured it was stress or the…

(vgajic/E+, Getty Images) And just like that, heart health and exercise became the talk of the town. By now it’s not a spoiler to say that in the latest “Sex and the City” revival, the character known as Mr. Big, played by 67-year-old actor Chris Noth, has an apparent heart attack after a session on…

(FG Trade/E+, Getty Images) A tool widely used by doctors to help determine who needs clot-busting therapy after a stroke has some missing pieces, according to new research that suggests adding a few simple tests could help improve treatment for people who have less common strokes in the back of the brain. Published Wednesday in…