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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A popular class of weight-loss drugs may prevent life-threatening cardiac complications by opening microscopic blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and University College London, identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
This discovery appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs — which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite — protect heart tissue from a condition known as “no-reflow.”
“In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny blood vessels within the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery is cleared during emergency medical treatment,” Dr. Svetlana Mastitskaya, the study’s lead author and a senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, said in a press release.
“This results in a complication known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny capillaries (blood vessels) remain narrowed even after the main blocked artery is cleared. (iStock)
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 medications could prevent this, according to the researchers.
How it works
When the GLP-1 hormone is released in the gut or administered as a drug, it sends a signal to the brain, which then sends a signal to the heart that switches on special potassium channels in tiny cells called pericytes.
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When these channels open, the pericytes relax, which allows the small blood vessels (capillaries) to widen and improve blood flow to the heart muscle, the researchers noted.
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The new study used animal models and cellular imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channels, the drugs no longer protected the heart — confirming they play a key role.
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments. (iStock)
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments during or immediately after a heart attack to reduce tissue damage.
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The researchers noted several limitations, including that the study relied on animal models.
Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway operates with the same timing and efficacy in humans.
While the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it des not establish whether long-term use of these drugs provides a pre-existing level of protection. (iStock)
Additionally, while the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it does not establish whether long-term use of the medication provides a pre-existing level of protection.
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The research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
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Collagen supplements have exploded in popularity, touted as everything from an anti-aging miracle to a muscle recovery booster.
But a sweeping new review conducted by U.K. researchers suggests that while collagen may help improve skin elasticity and ease arthritis pain, it does little for athletic performance or wrinkle reduction.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University analyzed 16 systematic reviews and 113 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 8,000 participants worldwide, which they say is the most extensive evaluation of collagen’s health effects to date.
The review found consistent evidence that collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity and hydration over time and provides significant relief from osteoarthritis-related joint pain and stiffness, according to findings published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.
A large U.K. review found that collagen supplements may improve skin elasticity and hydration over time. (iStock)
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis,” co-author Lee Smith, professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, said in a statement.
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“Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy aging, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use,” Smith added.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, supports skin, bones, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue, according to experts. Natural collagen production begins to drop in early adulthood and declines more sharply with age.
The study found that collagen supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis. (iStock)
The review found that long-term collagen supplementation was linked to improved skin firmness and hydration, but did not help skin roughness — a proxy for visible wrinkles.
Benefits appear to accumulate gradually, suggesting that collagen should not be viewed as an “anti-wrinkle ‘quick fix,’ but as a foundational dermal support for individuals seeking holistic skin maintenance,” the researchers said.
“If we define anti-aging as a product or technique designed to prevent the appearance of getting older, then I believe our findings do support this claim for some parameters,” Smith told the BBC. “For example, an improvement in skin tone and moisture is associated with a more youthful-looking appearance.”
Collagen supplementation was linked to reduced pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis, with stronger benefits seen over longer periods of use, and showed modest improvements in muscle mass and tendon structure that may support healthy aging.
Collagen did not significantly improve skin roughness, a marker of visible wrinkles. (iStock)
However, it did not show meaningful results when used as a fast-acting sports performance supplement, and evidence for benefits related to cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and oral health was mixed or inconclusive.
Dr. Daniel Ghiyam, a California-based physician and longevity specialist, said the findings align with what he sees in clinical practice.
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“Collagen is a targeted support tool, not a foundation of health or performance,” Ghiyam, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “When marketed that way, it makes sense. When marketed as a cure-all, it doesn’t hold up to the data.”
The authors noted that while many previous collagen studies have received financial support from the supplement industry, the current review did not receive industry funding.
Experts say collagen supplements may offer modest benefits for skin hydration and joint comfort, but they are not a cure-all. (iStock)
The team called for more high-quality clinical trials examining long-term outcomes, optimal dosages and differences between collagen sources, such as marine, bovine and plant-based alternatives.
Among its limitations, the review could not determine whether certain forms of collagen work better than others or what the optimal regimen should be.
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While the review included randomized controlled trials, the quality of the studies varied, with newer research generally showing stronger results.
Experts say more data and studies are needed to build on the findings. They also noted that diet plays a crucial role in skin health.
Collagen supplements, often sold as powders or pills, may improve skin elasticity and ease joint pain, experts say. (iStock)
Dr. Erum Ilyas, a Pennsylvania-based dermatologist and chair of dermatology at Drexel University College of Medicine, noted that the review analyzed previously published meta-analyses rather than generating new primary data.
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“At this time, I have not seen sufficiently strong independent evidence to routinely recommend collagen supplements to my patients,” Ilyas, who was not involved in the review, told Fox News Digital.
“Although some studies show modest improvements in markers such as hydration and elasticity, there remains limited independent, biopsy-confirmed evidence demonstrating sustained increases in dermal collagen content,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for comment.
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