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20 worst places to live if you have asthma, per major health organization

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20 worst places to live if you have asthma, per major health organization

Nearly 28 million people in the U.S. have asthma, or about one in 12 people — and depending on where you live, the condition may be more difficult to manage.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recently released its Asthma Capitals report, which ranks the 100 most populated U.S. states based on how challenging they are for people with the chronic respiratory disease.

“This is not a report about ‘bad’ cities for asthma — rather, it is a report that indicates the factors that can make living with asthma more challenging,” Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of the AAFA in Virginia, told Fox News Digital via email.

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The report designates “asthma capitals” based on the prevalence of the disease, the number of asthma-related emergency room visits, and asthma-related deaths.

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Nearly 28 million people in the U.S. have asthma, or about one in 12 people. (iStock)

“The cities at the top of the report tend to score higher than average in at least two of these categories,” Mendez noted. 

“High rates of hospitalization or death due to asthma indicate a lower quality of life for people with asthma in these cities.”

This report also acknowledges that where people live can significantly impact their health, Mendez said. 

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“Social, economic and environmental disadvantages play a role in determining asthma outcomes,” he noted. 

“Many of the top asthma capitals are also facing major challenges and inequities that lead to health disparities.”

Asthma sufferers should have an action plan that includes medications, ways to recognize worsening symptoms, and steps to take in an emergency. (iStock)

Risk factors for asthma — including air quality, poverty, access to specialists, tobacco policies, use of medications and lack of health insurance — are also factored into the report.

Added Mendez, “We see the report as a way to highlight factors impacting asthma.”

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Top 20 ‘asthma capitals’

The AAFA identified the following 20 cities as the top “asthma capitals.”

1. Allentown, Pennsylvania

2. Rochester, New York

3. Detroit, Michigan

4. Springfield, Massachusetts

5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

6. Cleveland, Ohio

7. Lakefield, Florida

8. Baltimore, Maryland

9. Charleston, South Carolina

10. Providence, Rhode Island

11. Fresno, California

12. Richmond, Virginia

13. Greenville, South Carolina

14. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

15. Memphis, Tennessee

16. Spokane, Washington

17. St. Louis, Missouri

18. Poughkeepsie, New York

19. New York, New York

20. Columbus, Ohio

The full list of 100 top asthma capitals is listed in the report, which can be accessed from the AAFA’s website.

      

6 tips for those living in an ‘asthma capital’

For those with asthma who live in one of the more challenging locations, the AAFA recommends taking the following steps to make the condition more tolerable.

1. Follow an Asthma Action Plan

To keep asthma under control, this plan should include information about medications, ways to recognize worsening symptoms and steps to take in an emergency.

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2. Get recommended vaccines

Mendez noted that getting vaccines for respiratory infections such as the flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumonia can help to manage asthma symptoms.

3. Take steps to manage allergies and indoor air quality

“We spend 90% of our time indoors, so it is important to take steps to improve indoor air quality,” Mendez told Fox News Digital. 

“Patients should speak with their health care team to determine what plan is best for them,” an expert said. (iStock)

“These can include using certified asthma- and allergy-friendly air cleaners, and ensuring that cleaning products reduce allergens and are free from airway irritants.”

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4. Follow infection protection protocol

This may include wearing a mask in crowded places, washing hands properly and avoiding contact with sick people, according to Mendez.

“We spend 90% of our time indoors, so it is important to take steps to improve indoor air quality.”

5. Adhere to a healthy lifestyle

Getting the optimal amount of rest, drinking plenty of water and eating healthy foods can help make asthma more tolerable, per the AAFA.

6. Maintain contact with an asthma specialist

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“There are treatment options available that can help prevent the risk of an asthma attack, thus making it possible to live with this chronic lung disease,” Mendez said. 

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“Patients should speak with their health care team to determine what plan is best for them.”

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Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode

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Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode

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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.

In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.

“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.

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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.

“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.

Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)

John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.

After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”

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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.

An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.

John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)

“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”

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Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.

“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”

It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.

“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.

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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.

As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”

As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)

Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.

The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.

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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”

Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.

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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.

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“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.

Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)

“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”

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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”

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Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.

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One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say

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One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say

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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.

That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.

Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.

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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.

The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.

Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)

“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”

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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.

In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.

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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”

As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.

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Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)

“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.

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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”

“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”

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“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”

Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.

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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.

“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.

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Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.

Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)

This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.

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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.

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“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”

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I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take

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I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take


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