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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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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