Heart defect survivor Peyton Bono. (Photo courtesy of the Bono family) Peyton Bono makes sure her friends know the drill. If they’re at a pep rally, for instance, and it’s a hot day and she’s starting to feel dizzy and unsteady, they’ll probably see her count her heart beats. If she’s too overcome to speak,…

Stroke survivor Valerie Giglio. (Photo courtesy of Valerie Giglio) Whether presenting a closing argument to a jury as a lawyer or singing on stage as a professional musician, Valerie Giglio of Stoneham, Massachusetts, knows how to work a crowd. “You’re performing either way,” she said. When she was 42, she lost the ability to do…

(Fiordaliso/Moment via Getty Images) People born with heart defects face a higher risk for anxiety and mood disorders as children and adults and should have mental health support built into their routine health care, according to a new report meant to spur research on the lifelong effects of living with such heart conditions. The scientific…

(Ponomariova_Maria/iStock via Getty Images) Lea en español Chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, nausea: Are you having a heart attack or a panic attack? Doctors and psychologists agree you shouldn’t take a chance on it not being a heart attack. That’s because the symptoms of a heart attack and panic attack are so…

Christopher Holton (center) collapsed on a trail during a walk and was saved by two cyclists, Bryan Buckley (left) and Isang Isang. (Photo courtesy of Bryan Buckley) A week after Christopher Holton got a clean bill of health from his doctor at his annual physical, he set out for his daily walk on a wooded…

(Westend61 via Getty Images) Flu-like illnesses can increase the risk for stroke among adults, but being vaccinated might lower those odds, especially among those under 45, new research finds. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, found flu-like illnesses increased the odds of having a stroke in the month following infection,…

(LauriPatterson/E+ via Getty Images) Eating a modified version of traditional Chinese food containing half the amount of sodium may significantly lower blood pressure for Chinese adults in just a few weeks, new research shows. Published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, the study found that altering traditional Chinese cuisine to also reduce fat…

Stroke survivor Calli Varner with her cat, Lieutenant Dan. (Photo courtesy of Calli Varner) Calli Varner set the clock early so she could pack up after a relaxing Thanksgiving stay with her parents last November in her childhood home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. After a week of holiday indulgence, she was eager to go…

(DrAfter123/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images) Documented cocaine and marijuana use among young adults who had strokes rose substantially in recent decades, especially among white men and women, new research suggests. Overall, however, documented substance use among stroke patients was highest among young Black men. The authors of the study, published Thursday in the American Heart…

Cardiomyopathy survivor DeAnn Bartram (right) with her husband, Greg. (Photo courtesy of DeAnn Bartram) DeAnn Bartram was 16 when her father felt like he had a virus he couldn’t shake. Doctors said he had cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle can thicken, interfering with normal blood flow. Make a will, they said. Then they…