Health
After suffering heart attack on treadmill, Utah mom issues warning: ‘Listen to your body’
When Justine Carter stepped on the treadmill for a quick energy boost last May, she never thought it would lead to a near-death experience.
The Utah mother, 33, was fit and healthy — but 12 minutes into her walk, she started having shortness of breath and a pain in her back that penetrated to her chest.
When that was followed by violent vomiting, Carter assumed she’d been hit with a terrible stomach flu.
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“That’s where things get a little bit hazy,” she told Fox News Digital during an interview.
Justine Carter (left) experienced a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) while on the treadmill. At right, she reunites with the EMS team who saved her life at HCA Healthcare’s Mountain View Hospital. (Justine Carter)
Carter called her husband and mother-in-law, but has no recollection of the conversations.
“The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital.”
Her husband and mother-in-law had found her in the bathroom, where Carter appeared to be having a seizure and had very slow breathing.
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Her mother-in-law, Teresa Carter — a nurse at HCA Healthcare’s Mountain View Hospital in Payson, Utah — kept her alive with CPR until emergency medical services arrived.
For 25 minutes, Carter’s heart didn’t beat, and blood only circulated to her body through CPR.
“Everything was pretty ominous,” Teresa Carter told Fox News Digital during the same interview.
Justine Carter and her husband, Kevin Carter, are pictured during her recuperation in the hospital. (Justine Carter)
“She had what we call ‘tombstone rhythm’ on the monitor, which tells us she was having a heart attack, and that her heart muscle was not getting enough oxygen.”
At HCA Healthcare’s Mountain View Hospital, doctors confirmed that Carter had experienced a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which is a tear in the wall of a coronary artery that can lead to a heart attack, heart rhythm problems or even sudden death.
What to know about SCAD
Carter’s condition, SCAD, has no known cause or risk factors.
Most patients who have the condition are women in their 40s and 50s who are otherwise healthy, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
“Patients are often women who are otherwise healthy.”
While there is no specific known cause, “scientists think it’s likely that multiple factors may cause SCAD, such as abnormalities in the arteries, genetics, hormonal influences or inflammatory issues,” the AHA’s website states.
“Although it is not perfectly clear what causes SCAD, patients are often women – very similar to Justine’s case – who are otherwise healthy,” Dr. Mark Bair, medical director of the emergency department at HCA Healthcare’s Mountain View Hospital — the physician who treated Carter — told Fox News Digital.
Justine Carter was reunited with her first responders team and clinical colleagues at HCA Healthcare’s Mountain View Hospital in August 2024. (Justine Carter)
“In fact, it’s often the case that SCAD patients have few or no risk factors for heart disease at all,” he went on.
“Extreme physical and emotional stress are risk factors, as is fibromuscular dysplasia, which affects arterial blood vessels, genetic connective tissue disorders and very high blood pressure.”
Carter had no concerning warning signs before the event.
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“I just felt like I had low energy that day and didn’t feel up to par — but I just thought it was because it was winter and cloudy outside,” she said.
A week after the first heart attack, the day she returned home from the hospital, Carter experienced another cardiac event.
As with the first time, she had chest pain and severe nausea, along with dangerously low blood pressure.
Justine Carter is pictured the day after coming out of a coma at HCA Healthcare’s Mountain View Hospital in Payson, Utah. (Justine Carter)
“The second event was every bit as scary as the first,” she told Fox News Digital.
Carter was life-flighted to HCA Healthcare’s Timpanogos Regional Hospital, which has a full cath lab team and a cardiothoracic surgeon, in case she needed open-heart surgery.
The cardiac team found that Carter’s original aortic tear had grown in length, causing more swelling and yet another blockage.
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“When she arrived at the hospital, her blood pressure was not life-supporting,” said Teresa Carter. “Truly, I thought her heart was just going to give out, and was afraid we might lose her.”
After restoring blood flow by using a balloon to compress the artery wound, the cardiac team implanted a small heart pump to temporarily relieve Carter’s heart of some of its workload while she recovered.
‘Incredible’ recovery
Today, Carter is back at home, feeling stronger every day.
“Justine is doing great and has a wonderful prognosis with good care and prevention techniques,” Bair told Fox News Digital.
Justine Carter (left) is pictured with her mother-in-law, Teresa Carter, who saved her life by administering CPR after her heart attack. (Justine Carter)
When Carter first arrived at Mountain View Hospital’s ER, Bair was worried that she could have ongoing neurological damage because of the 25 minutes that she wasn’t getting oxygen to her brain, he said.
“However, due to the wonderful things that were done in the field, she has fully recovered.”
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Carter’s mother-in-law starting CPR and the resuscitation efforts of the EMS crews were key to her survival, Bair noted, along with the “heroic steps” performed in the hospital to preserve her brain function.
“Her recovery has been incredible to watch,” he added.
After completing cardio rehab, Carter is now able to take her dog on walks, but hasn’t yet been cleared to resume her running or hiking activities.
“It’s often the case that SCAD patients have few or no risk factors for heart disease at all.”
“I was really tired for the first two weeks, and then my energy level started coming up,” she said.
“Now I can get through the whole day without needing a nap.”
Every three months, Carter visits her cardiologist to make sure her heart is functioning as it should.
Justine Carter is pictured with her husband, Kevin Carter, after leaving the hospital. (Justine Carter)
Although SCAD can’t be predicted or prevented, Bair emphasized the importance of good lifestyle choices, like eating a heart-healthy diet, engaging in moderate exercise, reducing stress and treating high blood pressure.
“Adults should also get necessary, quality sleep and have regular visits with their physician,” he advised. “Tobacco use is also the most preventable risk factor for heart disease.”
Lessons learned
Carter’s heart attacks have been “life-changing,” she said, teaching her the following valuable lessons.
1. Listen to your body
“As women, we tend to put everyone else’s needs above our own,” she said. “We have to say, ‘This is how I’m feeling and this is what I’m going to do about it.’”
Carter’s heart attacks have helped her realize it’s OK to slow down and let others do things for her.
“Now, if I’m tired, I just tap out.”
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“If something feels ‘off,’ don’t hesitate,” she advised. “Just call 911, because a lot of things can be prevented if you do that.”
Baid also stressed the importance of paying attention to new or different symptoms, including chest pain, abnormal shortness of breath, and extreme weakness or dizziness.
2. Learn life-saving techniques
It’s important for people to know CPR and be prepared to use it in emergency situations until EMS arrives, Justine and Teresa Carter agreed.
It’s important for people to know CPR and be prepared to use it in emergency situations until EMS arrives, Justine and Teresa Carter agreed. (iStock)
“Even for non-medical people, it’s such a valuable skill to have,” said Teresa Carter. “You will most likely be able to help someone you love.”
3. Don’t live in fear
Although SCAD events usually can’t be predicted or prevented, Carter is determined not to live in fear.
“If you spend every day in fear, you won’t enjoy life.”
“You can live your life scared of a lot of things, but if you spend every day in fear, you won’t enjoy life,” she said. “Life is fragile and short, so just enjoy it for what it is.”
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Carter reiterated her gratitude for the team at HCA Healthcare Mountain View Hospital.
“I’m only here because of them,” she said. “All I can say is, ‘Thank you.’”
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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?’”
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.
“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.”
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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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.
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.”
“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.
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.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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