Twin sisters Olivia (right) and Sofia Hart were diagnosed a with rare genetic condition that caused their hearts to enlarge and fail. (Photo courtesy of Sofia Hart) Fresh out of college with a degree in nutrition, Olivia Hart went home to Martha’s Vineyard to waitress and figure out her next steps. In her spare time,…
President Dwight D. Eisenhower uses a stethoscope to listen to the heart of Dr. Paul Dudley White, who had treated him for a heart attack. (American Heart Association) Heart disease is no stranger to the White House. But in a century of presidential cardiac crises, none affected America the way Dwight Eisenhower’s 1955 heart attack…
Heart transplant recipient Katherine Herrmann (right) with her husband, Ian, on their wedding day in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Devin Hill) While the other kids went out to play during kindergarten recess, Katherine Herrmann had to stay inside. She was born with a heart problem that required her to take medications every day. Because blood…
Volunteers help children learn CPR during the Buffalo Bills’ training camp in Rochester, New York, in August 2023. (Photo courtesy of Alik Matthews) Lea en español To some people, sixth grade might seem a little young to be taking responsibility for saving lives. Riley Clower and her classmates in Laramie, Wyoming, would disagree. Last fall,…
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad (far right) with four of her siblings. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad) Once a week, social connectedness expert Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad takes an afternoon to ski with her husband, Nathan. During the pandemic, the Salt Lake City couple started hiking together regularly. And after 30 years of marriage, they still set…
(melitas/iStock via Getty Images) Lea en español A century ago, so little was known about heart disease that people who had it resigned themselves to years of bed rest or, worse, an early death. Even less was known about how heart disease affected women – because nobody thought it did. Heart disease was considered a…
Dr. William Montague Cobb speaks at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. (Photo courtesy of Beth Israel Lahey Health) During an era of discrimination and segregation, Dr. William Montague Cobb fought racism with science. Cobb was a doctor, an anthropologist, a teacher, an author, an editor, a crusader for civil rights, and so much more. “It’s…
Cardiac arrest survivor Memphis Zabawa. (Photo courtesy of the Zabawa family) Memphis Zabawa loves playing soccer. Yet because he has asthma, all the running can be especially taxing. So, last fall, the seventh grader joined his school’s cross-country team. His first race went fine. Midway through the second race, all was going well, too. His…
(FG Trade Latin/E+ via Getty Images) On Super Bowl Sunday, you look forward to watching your favorite NFL team raise the championship trophy. All fun and games until the clock runs out, and the score leaves you feeling angry, blue or disappointed. For sports fans, watching their team lose the Super Bowl can generate quite…
(Bill Hinton Photography/Moment Open via Getty Images) The room buzzes with activity as a team of nurses races against the clock. But instead of working to manage a medical crisis, they’re playing a game that involves tinkering with jigsaw puzzles, black lights and locks to solve medical mysteries. It’s all part of an escape room…