Regaining Independence

Following a stroke, about two-thirds of survivors receive some type of rehabilitation. This is a time of both hope and anxiety for stroke families: hope that the survivor will make a good recovery; anxiety or fear about what happens next and what to expect.

Meditation may decrease the risk of heart disease, but the key word to remember is “may.”

Research suggests that there is a possible modest benefit from various types of “sitting meditation.”

Out-of-pocket costs for chronic heart disease and stroke cause significant financial strain for one in four low-income families, even if they have health insurance, according to new research.

Insurance failed to protect low-income families from monumental costs caused by heart disease, said Dr. Rohan Khera, lead author of the preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research conference in Arlington, Virginia. The lack of quality health insurance is a big problem for these families, said Khera, a cardiology fellow at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.