Health
Minnesota woman survives after 25 minutes without pulse, warns others about sudden cardiac arrest
A Minnesota woman who went 25 minutes without a pulse is sharing her survival story to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Cheryl Jordan Winston was 48 years old in 2020 when she collapsed in her bedroom after experiencing SCA.
Her husband performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and shocked her with an AED (automated external defibrillator).
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Winston was taken to the hospital and put in a medically induced coma, where she remained for two weeks.
“Despite being without a pulse for 25 minutes, I have no long-term side effects and have been able to return to normal life,” she told Fox News Digital in an interview.
In 2020, Cheryl Jordan Winston was 48 years old when she collapsed in her bedroom after experiencing SCA. (Cheryl Jordan Winston)
Prior to experiencing her SCA, Winston had no symptoms at all — no fatigue or chest pain. She would later learn that it’s common for there to be an absence of symptoms prior to that type of cardiac event.
“I’ve also had no prior history of heart issues,” she said. “While there’s some family history of high blood pressure, there was nothing unusual in my family that would be linked to sudden cardiac arrest.”
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As part of a worldwide clinical study, Winston received an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the Medtronic Aurora EV-ICD, to prevent future life-threatening episodes.
“It monitors my heart, and if it sees an arrhythmia, it will provide therapy to return my heart rhythm to normal before a cardiac arrest,” she said. “I feel it’s added protection for me, since they never found a cause for my cardiac arrest.”
Winston is shown in the hospital after experiencing her sudden cardiac arrest in 2020. (Cheryl Jordan Winston)
Within two weeks, Winston was able to return to work and normal activities.
“I am feeling great,” she told Fox News Digital. “I make it a point to continue exercising regularly and focus on eating a healthy diet, just as I did before experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.”
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Dr. Alan Cheng, chief medical officer of Medtronic’s cardiac rhythm management division in Minneapolis, warned that cardiac arrest often results from a dangerously fast heart rhythm, and is deadly if not treated immediately.
“For patients at risk of developing these abnormal rhythms or who have already suffered cardiac arrest, we implant a stopwatch-sized defibrillator,” he told Fox News Digital.
“They monitor the heart’s rhythms 24×7, and deliver either a high-energy shock or low-energy, nearly undetectable, pacing pulses to restore the heart to a normal rhythm.”
Winston is pictured with some of the nurses who cared for her during her hospital stay. (Cheryl Jordan Winston)
ICDs have been around for more than 40 years, Cheng noted — but the one Winston received is different than the traditional version.
“ICDs are traditionally placed in the upper chest, with thin wires, called leads, threaded through the veins into the heart,” he said.
“Despite being without a pulse for 25 minutes, I have no long-term side effects and have been able to return to normal life.”
“They work extremely well in saving lives, but there are potential complications associated with those leads in the heart. With the new Aurora EV-ICD, that lead is placed outside the heart, under the sternum (breastbone).”
What to know about SCA
SCA is common and may account for about 15% of total fatalities, according to Dr. Mustali Dohadwala, medical director and practitioner at cardiology-focused private practice Heartsafe Boston.
(Dohadwala was not involved in Winston’s care.)
The doctor confirmed that sudden cardiac arrest typically occurs without any preceding signs or symptoms.
Sudden cardiac arrest is common and may account for approximately 15% of total fatalities, a cardiologist said. (iStock)
“Unfortunately, it can be an unheralded event that comes on spontaneously without warning,” he told Fox News Digital. “Up to 50% of those affected by SCA might have symptoms weeks prior to an SCA event or up to just minutes preceding an SCA.”
These symptoms may manifest as chest pain, shortness of breath, racing or skipping heart, lightheadedness or dizziness.
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“If someone experiences any of these symptoms, they should seek additional help and medical attention or have someone nearby call 911 immediately,” said Dohadwala.
Who is at highest risk?
SCA can stem from a multitude of conditions, Dohadwala noted, including advanced lung disease, significant sleep disorders, an extraordinarily stressful or anxiety-provoking situation, a severe injury, substance abuse or unintentional overdose of prescribed medications.
“However, it is most likely to occur in people who already have an underlying heart condition, whether it’s previously known or unknown,” Dohadwala said.
“SCA is the initial manifestation of significant coronary heart disease in 15% of those who suffer from this event.”
As part of a worldwide clinical study, Winston received an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the Medtronic Aurora EV-ICD, to prevent future life-threatening episodes. (Medtronic)
Risk of SCA also rises with age and other risk factors such as diabetes, uncontrolled cholesterol, cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption or a strong family history, he added.
Men are up to three times more likely to suffer SCA than women.
“Reasons for this are not well understood, but some researchers have considered that the estrogen hormone that is produced by a woman’s body might have beneficial effects on blood cholesterol levels, as well as protective effects on blood vessels,” Dohadwala said.
Tips for surviving and preventing SCA
Sudden cardiac arrest is particularly dangerous, Dohadwala said, “because it occurs as a result of sudden cessation of mechanical activity of the heart, resulting in a non-viable pulse and collapse of blood pressure, which can lead to sudden death.”
The doctor added, “Despite the many advances in the treatment of heart disease, the outcome and survival of patients suffering SCA remain poor.”
To increase chances of survival, a cardiologist recommends immediate CPR and defibrillation with an AED to restore electrical activity, heart muscle contraction and a viable pulse. (iStock)
To increase chances of survival, Dohadwala recommends immediate CPR (chest compressions) and defibrillation with an AED to restore electrical activity, heart muscle contraction and a viable pulse.
“This can improve the survival and overall outcomes significantly when compared with people suffering SCA receiving more delayed CPR from EMS personnel,” he said.
“Despite the many advances in the treatment of heart disease, the outcome and survival of patients suffering SCA remain poor.”
Dohadwala also recommends an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, like the one Winston has, to prevent the recurrence of another potentially deadly event.
For patients who have one or more coronary artery blockages, treatment may also include an angioplasty, placing of stents or a surgical coronary artery bypass, he said.
(“It’s important for women to advocate for not only their heart health, but their health in general,” Winston said. “You know your body best, so if something feels wrong, go to your doctor to get checked.”)
Winston echoed the importance of people learning to perform CPR.
“It saved my life,” she said. “Fewer women receive bystander CPR, which needs to be administered quickly in a case of sudden cardiac arrest.”
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She also emphasized that patients — women in particular — need to be their own medical advocates.
“It’s important for women to advocate for not only their heart health, but their health in general,” she said. “You know your body best, so if something feels wrong, go to your doctor to get checked.”
An automated external defibrillator (AED) in a white box is an emergency defibrillator for people in cardiac arrest. (iStock)
Dohadwala noted that adjustments in medications and healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce SCA risk.
“It is possible that a heart-healthy lifestyle leading to controlled blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels through a thoughtful and discretionary diet, increasing regular physical activity, intentional weight loss, and stopping cigarette smoking might reduce SCA events,” he said.
For those with a family history, genetic screenings might be an option.
“The more awareness and knowledge we have about our health history, the better chance we have of avoiding problems like SCA in the future,” Dohadwala added.
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Eating too much salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but new research suggests it could trick the immune system into prematurely aging the blood vessels.
A preclinical study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified a biological chain reaction that links a salty diet to cardiovascular decay.
Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.
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After just four weeks of high sodium intake, the small arteries responsible for regulating blood flow lost their ability to relax, according to a press release.
The team found that the cells lining these vessels had entered a state of cellular senescence, a form of premature cellular aging in which cells stop dividing and release a mix of inflammatory signals that can damage surrounding tissue.
Excess salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but a new study goes deeper into its effects on the cardiovascular system. (iStock)
The researchers tried to replicate this damage by exposing blood vessel cells directly to salt in a laboratory dish, but the cells showed no harmful effects.
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This suggests that salt isn’t directly causing damage to the vascular lining but that the real culprit may be the body’s own defense mechanism, the researchers noted.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16, which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study. (iStock)
Once these cells age, they fail to produce nitric oxide, the essential gas that tells arteries to dilate and stay flexible.
To test whether this process could be reversed, the team turned to a class of experimental drugs known as senolytics.
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Using a cancer medication called navitoclax, which selectively clears out aged and dysfunctional cells, the researchers were able to restore nearly normal blood vessel function in the salt-fed mice, the release stated.
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By removing the decaying cells created by the high-salt diet, the drug allowed the remaining healthy tissue to maintain its elasticity and respond correctly to blood flow demands.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system into stopping the cells from dividing, the study suggests. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations. The transition from mouse models to human treatment remains a significant hurdle, the team cautioned.
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Senolytic drugs like navitoclax are still being studied for safety, and the team emphasized that previous trials have shown mixed results regarding their impact on artery plaque.
Additionally, the researchers have not yet confirmed whether the same IL-16 pathway is the primary driver of vascular aging in humans.
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Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests.
The observational study, led by Jorge Nieva, M.D., of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine, was presented this month at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego. It has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Researchers looked at dietary, smoking and demographic data for 187 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer at age 50 or younger.
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They found that among non-smokers, there was a link between healthier-than-average diets – rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and the chance of lung cancer development.
Young lung cancer patients ate more servings of dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains compared to the average U.S. adult, the researchers found.
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests. (iStock)
The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association.
“Commercially produced (non-organic) fruits, vegetables and whole grains are more likely to be associated with a higher residue of pesticides than dairy, meat and many processed foods,” according to Nieva. He also noted that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides tend to have higher rates of lung cancer.
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“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” Nieva told Fox News Digital.
The disease is becoming more common in non-smokers 50 and younger, especially women – despite the fact that smoking rates have been falling for decades, the researcher noted.
The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association. (iStock)
“These patients tend to have eaten much healthier diets before their diagnosis than the average American,” he went on. “We need to support research into understanding why Americans – and women in particular – who no longer smoke very much are still having lung cancer,” he said.
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The study did have some limitations, Nieva acknowledged, primarily that it relied on survey data and was limited by the participants’ memories of their food intake.
“Also, the survey participants were self-selected, and this could have biased the findings,” he told Fox News Digital.
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking.”
The researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides, relying instead on average pesticide levels for certain types of food. Looking ahead, they plan to test patients’ blood and urine samples to directly measure pesticide levels, Nieva said.
Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.
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“This work represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults,” said Nieva. “Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future investigation into lung cancer prevention.”
“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but is by no means certain,” a doctor said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the study is “interesting,” but that it “raises far more questions than it answers.”
“It is a small study (around 150) and observational, so no proof,” the doctor, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
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“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but it is by no means certain,” Siegel went on. “How much exposure is needed? How much of it gets into food and in which areas? This requires much further study.”
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Kayla Nichols, communications director for Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network, a distributed global network, said the organization agrees with the study’s conclusion that more research should be done on the rise in lung cancer, particularly in individuals eating diets higher in produce and fiber.
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” the researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“There is a bounty of existing research that already links pesticide exposure to increased risk of multiple types of cancers,” Nichols, who was also not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. She called for more research on chronic, low-level exposures to pesticides, as well as more effective policies to protect the public from pesticide residues on food.
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The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as industry partners including AstraZeneca and Genentech, among others.
Fox News Digital reached out to several pesticide companies and trade groups for comment.
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