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Expert Advice for Navigating Menopause

Updated on May 18, 2026 | Your Health

Candice Fraser, MD, MBA

Menopause is a natural life stage, and while it can bring challenges, there’s encouraging progress in how it’s understood and treated. Awareness is growing, care is improving, and more resources are becoming available to support women through midlife.

“Partnering with a trusted health care provider can help you find the right approach for your needs,” says Candice Fraser, MD, MBA, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner and a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist at the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Mount Sinai. “Overall, the outlook for menopause care is brighter than ever.”

In this Q&A, Dr. Fraser explains how care has improved in recent years, such as in hormone therapy and non-hormonal medications, and how experts can help, especially when there is so much information available online, not all of it accurate. Dr. Fraser is also Assistant Professor in the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

What are the biggest gaps in menopause care today?

One ongoing issue is clinician education. Many doctors were once trained to avoid hormone therapy due to safety concerns from older studies, and not all training has caught up with newer evidence. Research is another gap. We still need better data on how treatments address the full range of symptoms. And with so much information online, patient education remains critical to help women sort fact from fiction.

Has menopause care improved in recent years?

Yes, there’s been real momentum. More clinicians are pursuing specialized training, and medical programs are beginning to include menopause-focused education. Health systems are also expanding services. For example, Mount Sinai Health System recently opened the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, reflecting a broader shift toward comprehensive, whole-person care during midlife. New treatment options are also emerging, including non-hormonal medications for symptoms like hot flashes.

What do many women not realize about perimenopause?

Perimenopause can affect the entire body, not just cause hot flashes. Symptoms may include brain fog, mood changes, joint pain, and urinary issues. Another common misconception is that hormone therapy is a cure-all; in reality, many symptoms have multiple causes. The good news is that lifestyle habits—like regular exercise, a balanced diet, good sleep, and stress management—can have a powerful impact.

Can you highlight a lesser-known symptom and how to manage it?

Pain during sex is common but often under-discussed, and it’s very treatable. A health care provider can help identify the cause. Simple options like lubricants or vaginal moisturizers may be enough. If not, low-dose vaginal estrogen is a safe and effective choice for many women. Other treatments, such as pelvic floor therapy, can also provide relief when appropriate.

Why is there a gap between perceived and actual symptoms?

Awareness is still catching up. Many women, and some clinicians, don’t yet recognize how wide-ranging menopause symptoms can be. At the same time, the flood of online information can create confusion. Encouragingly, as education improves, more women are getting clearer, more reliable guidance.

What’s the key takeaway for women?

Every menopause journey is unique, but no one has to navigate it alone. With better-informed clinicians, growing research, and more dedicated care centers, women have more support and options than ever before. Partnering with a trusted health care provider can help you find the right approach for your needs. Overall, the outlook for menopause care is brighter than ever. With continued progress in education, research, and specialized services, women can approach this transition feeling informed, supported, and empowered.

Learn more about the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness

What New Yorkers Need to Know About Hantavirus

Updated on May 15, 2026 | Featured, Your Health

A photograph showing a New York City street lined with apartment buildings.

Just weeks ago, you may never have heard of hantavirus. Then it became a frequent topic on the news and in discussions with friends and family in New York City and around the world.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and global health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, following an outbreak of a type of hantavirus on a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic Ocean. The CDC says the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains extremely low.

The World Health Organization reported the outbreak on May 2. Hantaviruses are a family of viruses usually spread by rodents that can cause serious illness and death.

Area health experts say there is no new concern for New Yorkers and no need to take special precautions.

“Outbreaks of this virus are really rare, and most of those cases that have been reported have occurred in the western areas of the United States,” says Bernard Camins, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an expert in infectious diseases. “There is no reason for people to worry, though health experts will continue to work to identify what has caused this unusual outbreak.”

Bernard Camins, MD

If you are planning a cruise and are concerned about the recent outbreak, you should speak with your doctor, according to Dr. Camins.

What makes the recent outbreak unusual is that it involves an outbreak of a hantavirus strain that previously could rarely be passed from person to person. Normally hantavirus is spread through direct contact with rodents or rodent droppings.

In fact, the Andes strain that is involved in these cases is the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread from person to person. This spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with the sick person with the virus, according to the CDC.

People most at risk for hantaviruses are those who handle rodents or clean up after them, such as pest exterminators or animal caretakers, according to the CDC.

Over a 30-year period, the CDC says there have been 890 cases of hantavirus in the United States. About 35 percent of those cases resulted in death. About 94 percent of cases occurred west of the Mississippi River, with the largest concentration in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona. Farm workers are at high risk for hantavirus infection, according to the CDC.

Because hantavirus is spread by rodents, there is a special concern among New Yorkers who may be accustomed to rodents in very populated areas, especially apartment buildings, or for those who may spend time at a country home.

But there is no new guidance from health authorities. They continue to recommend the usual precautions you should take if you are living, working, or cleaning in areas where there may be rodents, which would include, for example, making sure to keep rodents out of your living areas and following safe clean up practices. The CDC provides detailed guidance on how to avoid exposure to rodents and clean up areas with rodent droppings.

Read the latest on hantavirus from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Can’t Sleep? Waking Up Tired? Try These Sleep Specialist Tips

Updated on May 14, 2026 | Featured, Sleep, Your Health

A woman stretches in bed after a good night's sleep

Insomnia is a common disorder that makes it hard for you to fall asleep or stay asleep. In many cases, insomnia is temporary, such as the jet lag you may experience after a long flight. But if the problem is ongoing, you may have poor sleep habits or even a sleep disorder.

In this Q&A, Andrew W. Varga, MD, PhD, a Mount Sinai neuroscientist who specializes in sleep, explains how to sleep better and how to know if you might have a sleep disorder.

Andrew W. Varga, MD, PhD

What habits can help me sleep better?

Good sleep depends on three things:

Duration: Adults generally need 7 to 9 hours of sleep (slightly less with age)
Quality: Sleep should be uninterrupted
Consistency: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day

To sleep better:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—this is very important
Avoid screens like phones or TV before bed
Do calm activities like reading or deep breathing
Keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
Use the bed only for sleep—not cellphone scrolling, reading, or watching TV

A warm shower before bed can also help your body relax and cool down afterward, which makes it easier to fall asleep.

How do I know if I might have insomnia?

Falling asleep takes most people about 20 minutes, though some people may take up to 30 minutes. If it sometimes takes a little longer, that may be normal. But if it happens often and causes stress, it can be a sign you have poor sleep habits or a sleep disorder.
Sleep problems often follow a simple pattern called the “3P model”:

Predisposing factors: Some people are naturally more anxious or sensitive to stress, which can make sleep harder.
Precipitating (triggering) events: Big life stressors, like the loss of a loved one, stress from work, or a major life change like a divorce, can trigger sleep problems.
Perpetuating habits: Engaging in behaviors that make it hard to fall asleep.

What are examples of habits that create sleep problems?

Some of the most common examples are:

Lying in bed and tossing and turning can train your brain to think your bed is not for sleep
Using devices like phones and laptops can make it harder to fall asleep because light from screens keeps you awake
Getting out of bed to clean, work, or check emails can make insomnia worse

If you can’t sleep after about 20 minutes, it may help to get up and do something quiet in another room until you feel sleepy again.

Why do I wake up early and can’t fall back asleep?

The same patterns that make it hard to fall asleep can also cause early waking. However, other sleep issues, like breathing problems (sleep apnea), restless legs, and periodic limb movement disorder, can wake you up

Ask yourself or your sleep partner:

Do you snore loudly or gasp during sleep?
Have you ever stopped breathing during sleep?
Are your legs or arms often moving at night?

If the answer to any of these is “yes,” you may need to see a sleep specialist.

Why do I feel tired even after sleeping eight hours?

Even if you sleep up to eight hours, the quality of your sleep could be poor. People with inconsistent sleep schedules, like shift workers, often have this problem. Otherwise, this problem might be related to:

A sleep disorder, like sleep apnea or movement disorder, which breaks up sleep without you realizing it
A natural need for more sleep than others (some people need between 9 and 11 hours to feel rested)
Rare conditions that cause strong sleepiness no matter how long you sleep (such as narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia, neurological conditions that cause excessive daytime sleepiness)

If you often feel tired after sleeping, you should talk to a doctor.

When should I see a doctor about my sleep?

You should see a doctor about your sleep if:

You often feel tired even after enough sleep
You regularly have trouble falling or staying asleep
You snore loudly, gasp, pause in breathing, or have unusual movement during sleep
Sleeping partners notice you do these while you sleep

A sleep specialist can help find the cause and suggest treatment.

Take control of your sleep—schedule an appointment with a Mount Sinai sleep specialist

Can Wearables Really Monitor Your Heart Health? A Mount Sinai Cardiologist Explains

May 14, 2026 | Cardiology, Featured, Your Health

A female doctor and her male patient discuss data from the patient's smart watch, shown on his wrist. Data from his watch is displayed on his smart phone, which he is holding in his other hand

You have probably heard that wearable technologies like smartwatches can help you monitor your heart health. But do they really work, and how do you decide which is right for you?

In this Q&A, Matthew I. Tomey, MD, Associate Professor, Medicine (Cardiology), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says they can be useful, with a few things to keep in mind. He discusses what features to look for and why it’s important to talk to your cardiologist before you decide on a device.

Matthew I. Tomey, MD

What can a smartwatch or fitness tracker tell me about my heart?

Wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers can measure several things related to your heart and overall health:

Heart rate. Most devices use a technology called photoplethysmography (PPG), a light sensor on the back of the watch that shines into your skin and measures blood flow to estimate your pulse. In controlled settings, wrist-worn devices have been shown to measure heart rate with roughly ±3 percent error compared to standard medical equipment, though accuracy decreases during physical activity.
Heart rhythm. Some devices can alert you to an irregular heartbeat that may suggest atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder that increases the risk of stroke. Devices do this either by analyzing your pulse pattern in the background or by recording a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) when you place your finger on the watch.
Physical activity. Built-in motion sensors track steps, distance, and calories burned. Research shows that using a wearable activity tracker can help people with heart disease increase their daily walking by roughly 2,000 steps per day compared to not using one.
Sleep. Many devices estimate sleep duration and quality, which is relevant because poor sleep is linked to higher cardiovascular risk.
Blood oxygen level. Some devices estimate blood oxygen saturation, though the accuracy of this feature in consumer devices is still being studied.

These devices are not replacements for medical equipment, but they can provide useful day-to-day information about your health trends.

Are there any risks or limits to using a wearable to check my heart?

Yes. There are several important limitations and concerns to be aware of:

Accuracy varies. Not all devices perform equally. Accuracy depends on the brand, model, type of sensor, and what is being measured. For example, in a head-to-head study of five popular smartwatches, the sensitivity of automated algorithms for detecting AFib ranged from only 58 to 85 percent, and the devices could not determine the heart rhythm in 17 to 26 percent of recordings. When a doctor reviewed those same recordings, the rhythm could be identified 99 percent of the time. This highlights that these devices are screening tools, not diagnostic instruments.
Skin and fit matter. Accuracy can be affected by darker skin tones, tattoos, cold body temperature, obesity, poor skin contact, and how tightly the device is worn. Movement, especially during exercise, is a major source of error.
False alarms. The device may flag something as abnormal when nothing is actually wrong (a “false positive”). This can cause unnecessary worry and lead to additional medical visits and testing that may not have been needed. On the other hand, a normal reading does not guarantee that nothing is wrong.
They are not the same as medical devices. While some consumer wearables have received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for specific features, such as ECG recording or irregular rhythm notification, this clearance is for screening purposes only. An irregular rhythm alert from a wearable does not diagnose AFib. A doctor must review the data and confirm any diagnosis. Many other health features on these devices (such as blood oxygen or sleep tracking) have not been FDA-cleared at all.
Data overload. These devices generate large volumes of data continuously. Without a clear plan for how to use the information, it can become overwhelming rather than helpful, for both patients and doctors.
Privacy. Wearable devices collect sensitive health information. Privacy protections vary significantly across manufacturers, and health data from consumer devices are generally not protected by the same laws (such as HIPAA) that protect your medical records. It is worth reviewing a device’s privacy policy before purchasing.

How can I use a wearable to track my heart and build healthier habits?

Wearables are most useful when paired with clear goals and a plan. Before purchasing a device, consider:

What do I want to learn? For example, do I want to track how active I am, monitor my heart rhythm, or keep an eye on my resting heart rate over time?
What will I do with the information? Data alone does not improve health; acting on it does. For instance, setting a daily step goal and using the device to track progress has been shown in clinical studies to help people become more physically active.
Am I prepared to discuss the data with my doctor? If the goal is to manage a health condition, the device is most valuable when its data are shared with and interpreted by a health care provider.
Wearables can also support exercise safety. For people with heart disease, a doctor can help set a target heart rate range for exercise, and a wearable can help monitor whether activity stays within that safe zone.

What should I tell my doctor if I am using a wearable to check my health?

Start by letting your doctor know that you are using a device and what you hope to learn from it. Setting expectations early can prevent frustration on both sides. Key points to discuss:

What role will the device play in your care? Clarify what your doctor is willing and able to review. Doctors may not be able to monitor continuous data streams on an ongoing basis, and there are currently no standardized systems for integrating consumer wearable data into most electronic health records.
What should prompt a call or visit? Ask your doctor which alerts or readings should lead you to seek medical attention and which can be noted for your next scheduled visit.
Share data selectively. Rather than presenting weeks of raw data, focus on trends or specific events (such as an irregular rhythm alert or a sustained change in resting heart rate) that are most relevant to your health questions.

Ideally, discuss the idea of using a wearable before purchasing one, so your doctor can recommend features that align with your health goals.

What features should I look for to track my heart and health correctly?

The best features depend on why you are getting the device:

For heart rhythm monitoring: Choose a device with ECG capability, not just pulse-based (PPG) monitoring. Devices with ECG functionality are superior for determining heart rhythm. Several smartwatches from major manufacturers have received FDA clearance for ECG recording and irregular rhythm detection. However, even ECG-equipped devices require you to actively initiate a recording; they do not continuously record your heart’s electrical activity.
For general fitness and activity tracking: Most major-brand devices are reasonably accurate for step counting and heart rate at rest. If you plan to monitor heart rate during vigorous exercise, a chest strap is more accurate than a wrist-worn device.
Look for FDA clearance for the specific feature you care about. A device may be FDA-cleared for one function (such as ECG) but not for others (such as blood oxygen). Check the manufacturer’s website for details.
Consider comfort and battery life. A device only works if you wear it consistently. Choose something comfortable enough for daily and overnight use.

How can I know if a device has been validated by research?

Look for studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals that have tested the device against standard medical equipment (such as a 12-lead ECG or hospital-grade heart monitor). A few things to keep in mind:

Manufacturer claims are not the same as independent validation. When independent researchers have tested popular wearables head-to-head, the accuracy has sometimes been lower than what manufacturers report.
Watch for excluded data. Some studies exclude recordings that the device labeled as “inconclusive” or “unreadable.” When those are included in the analysis, accuracy drops significantly. In real-world use, you will encounter inconclusive readings.
Study populations matter. Most large wearable studies have been conducted in people in their 40s and 50s. Performance may differ in older adults or people with other medical conditions.

Your doctor or a medical librarian can help you find relevant research on a specific device.

What else should I know about wearables for my heart?

Wearable technology for heart health is a rapidly evolving field. A few additional points:

Wearables may help manage chronic conditions. Beyond rhythm monitoring, there is growing research into using wearables to help manage conditions like heart failure, for example, by tracking activity levels, weight trends, and other signals that may indicate worsening symptoms before a hospitalization occurs. However, this area is still in its early stages, and most consumer devices are not yet designed for this purpose.
Artificial intelligence is expanding what devices can do. Newer algorithms are being developed to detect a wider range of heart conditions and to reduce the number of inconclusive or unreadable recordings. These advances are promising but still require further validation.
Equity matters. Not everyone has equal access to these technologies, and accuracy can vary across different skin tones and body types. Efforts are underway to improve device performance across diverse populations, but gaps remain.
The doctor-patient relationship is central. Wearables generate data, but clinical judgment is needed to interpret that data and make decisions. The most effective use of these devices will come from a partnership between patients and their health care teams.

Both doctors and patients should stay informed as this technology continues to develop. The ways wearable devices are used in medical care will continue to evolve, and staying engaged with your health care provider is the best way to make the most of these tools.

Take charge of your heart health—schedule an appointment with a Mount Sinai cardiologist

Ask the Expert: A Conversation With Anna Barbieri, MD, Clinical Strategy Leader for the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness

Updated on May 6, 2026 | Featured, Women's Health, Your Health

Anna Barbieri, MD

The new Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness exists to move women’s health care from fragmented encounters to coordinated, whole-person care.

“We know every woman’s health journey is different,” says Anna Barbieri, MD, Clinical Strategy Leader at the Center. “But too often, the experience feels the same with rushed appointments, disconnected specialists, and the burden of coordinating it all yourself. The Rowan Women’s Health Center was created to change that.”

In this Q&A, Dr. Barbieri explains how the Center was created to move women’s health care from fragmented encounters to coordinated, whole-person care by bringing the right experts together, listening deeply, and creating a streamlined plan that supports the whole woman at every stage of life.

In simple terms, what problem is the Center designed to solve?

Fragmentation. Women are often left piecing together care. They have to retell their story, juggle opinions, and try to connect the dots on their own. We bring that care together. Our teams communicate, share a plan, and coordinate the care so patients don’t have to.

How will a patient’s experience feel different?

You won’t feel rushed or dismissed. We take the time to understand what’s happening in your body and your life. Then we build a clear, personalized plan that makes sense across specialties. Care here is holistic, integrated, proactive, and intentional. We are not taking a symptom-by-symptom approach.

Women often manage separate appointments for hormones, sleep, mental health, and more. How do you simplify that?

Those issues are connected, so that’s where we start. Our guided clinical pathways bring the right experts together under one roof, and the care including appointments is coordinated by a dedicated navigator—essentially a care guide that helps organize the journey through the health care system. There’s a shared plan and clear next steps aimed at eliminating any gaps.

Many women say they don’t feel heard. How is this different?

Being heard isn’t optional. It’s essential to good medicine. We’ve built our model around longer visits, deeper listening, and a culture that takes women’s concerns seriously.

What does coordinated care actually look like from the patient’s perspective?

Seamless. There’s a clear entry point, a thoughtful assessment, and a plan that unfolds over time. Specialists communicate directly with each other, so patients aren’t stuck playing messenger. The personal navigator is the glue making sure all details are taken care of efficiently.

What about major transitions like perimenopause or postpartum recovery?

These aren’t one-visit issues. We support women over time through education, evidence-based treatments, and adjusting care as needs evolve. The goal is thoughtful help with symptoms and long-term health, not crisis-driven visits. It’s impossible to cover all aspects of these transitions such as emotional health, sleep, energy, and gynecologic health in a single 15-minute time slot. That is why we designed our care pathways to unfold in a way that addresses these and other layers of health. For example, we know that women can struggle with sleep problems, and adequate sleep is critical for women’s health and plays a vital role in regulating various functions of your body.

How do you make sure care is truly personalized?

It starts with listening, but it’s also grounded in data and shared decision-making. Every treatment has its intended benefits and trade-offs. We consider a woman’s symptoms, risks, goals, and preferences and build a plan together. What’s right for one patient may not be right for another.

Who might be part of a woman’s care team?

Depending on her needs, that could include gynecology, cardiology, endocrinology, behavioral health, nutrition, pelvic floor therapy, and more. The difference is that everyone works within a shared model, with shared goals.

What excites you most about the future of women’s health care?

We’re moving from reactive, episodic care to integrated, lifelong care. That means connecting hormonal health in young adulthood to midlife and beyond, integrating emotional and cognitive health, and blending medical treatments with lifestyle strategies. We’re also bringing research directly into clinical care so knowledge advances faster.

Learn more about the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness

Watch the new HERology podcast

Stories of Philanthropy: Read more about the vision of Carolyn Rowan

A Tennis Lesson: My Friend Was Having a Stroke While We Played Tennis and Didn’t Know It

Updated on May 26, 2026 | Featured, Your Health

Author David Schwab, left, and his tennis partner James

My friend recently had a stroke while we were playing tennis and didn’t know it.

This may seem hard to believe. But it was confirmed after a visit to the Emergency Room, hours after we had stopped running around the court and smashing tennis balls.

James, 62, is one of the fittest guys I know and one of the most intense competitors on the tennis court. Thanks to medical professionals, he is fine now. After spending three days in the hospital, where he was treated for a stroke and prescribed a blood thinner, he doesn’t have any lasting effects. Doctors are trying to figure out whether this might have been related to a pre-existing condition.

But the lesson is clear: Don’t ignore symptoms, and call 911 immediately if you suspect a stroke, which is the key to recovery and avoiding long-term damage, according to the American Stroke Association. A stroke is a medical emergency and, while those who are older and have existing conditions such as high blood pressure are more at risk, a stroke can happen to anyone, which is the point of Stroke Awareness Month in May.

“We see these kind of cases all the time. Strokes can happen for all kinds of reasons, including in people who are healthy and have minor symptoms,” says Laura Stein, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Neurology, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who treats patients and is a researcher who focuses on improving the detection of strokes and the emergency services available to treat patients.

Laura Stein, MD, MPH

“Stroke can be very subtle, and patients need to take any sudden change in neurologic function seriously,” she says. In fact, if you suspect stroke you should call 911 and not drive to hospital. That’s because you can begin receiving treatment immediately in the ambulance and because the 911 response system is specifically set up to take you to the hospital best equipped to treat the type of stroke you may be having, according to Dr. Stein.

On the tennis court that morning, something did not seem right from the outset. When we walked on the indoor court as we normally do about 6:30 am, James told me he didn’t feel great. He asked if I had ever seen streaks of light in my eyes. He said something about “bumping into things” at his house that morning. He said he had trouble driving to the club. I was a bit alarmed. For most people, these signs might be discounted as early morning fog before you have your coffee. But not him. I suggested he sit down on the chair beside the net. He brushed me off and popped open a new can of balls.

Most people may associate strokes with obvious symptoms, such as a drooping face or slurring your words. But other key signs can be more subtle, such as balance loss, vision changes, and speech difficulty as James was experiencing.

So we began playing as if nothing were wrong. We are pretty strong players. We don’t sit around much. Our goal is to hit as many tennis balls, as hard as we can, for at least an hour and 15 minutes. I’m not in such great shape, so occasionally I try to stop early. But he normally won’t have it. We played for 90 minutes as we often do.

Stroke affects women in unique ways. Learn more about how stroke risk changes across a woman’s life, what warning signs to watch for, and steps women can take to reduce their risk.

During this time, he seemed a bit off, not so much in how hard he was hitting the ball but in his manner on the court. He seemed at times a bit subdued, unfocused, agitated. You would notice things like this because this guy is normally so focused when we’re playing.

When we finally did stop, we stood by the net, pulling off our soaked tennis shirts for dry ones and packing our tennis bags. He said he still didn’t feel good. I suggested he sit down. He scoffed at that. But he looked a bit dazed. Some might have that look of exhaustion after an intense workout, but not him. Often he heads to the gym. I asked if he could drive himself home. He paused for a moment, and he seemed to think about that. So I offered to take him. Declined.

I urged him to make sure that he spoke with his wife when he got home; I knew she would know what to do. Unbeknownst to him, I drove behind him to make sure he got to his house, a 15-minute drive away in the northern New Jersey town where we both live.

“Stroke can be very subtle, and patients need to take any sudden change in neurologic function seriously.” — Laura Stein, MD, MPH

When I got home, I was still very concerned. About 20 minutes later I got a text: His wife was taking him to the nearby urgent care center. I was relieved.

The urgent care doctor would immediately send him to the Emergency Department at nearby Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. The doctor called ahead, so at the ED they were waiting for him at the door with a wheel chair. There were a series of tests. The next day, a neurologist confirmed he had had a stroke, which meant that a clot had blocked the blood supply to a part of his brain. And it probably was related to a pulmonary embolism (a clot in his lung) he had years earlier, something his doctors will be examining further.

Eleven days later, James and I were back on the tennis court. Since our last session, James had seen several specialists and his own primary care doctor. They told him there was no evidence of lasting damage from the stroke. He is taking a blood thinner and will be talking more with his doctors about what other treatments may be needed.

On the court, all seemed back to normal. But my friend is well aware of how lucky he was. Stroke is more treatable than ever thanks to recent innovations in care. But the fact remains, the sooner you can get care, the better. If you can get treatment for stroke within 4.5 hours of the first symptoms, you are more likely to recover with little or no disability, according to the American Stroke Association. James knows he missed that window, and the outcome could have been much worse.

And he’s not alone in missing potentially alarming symptoms. Days later, Sandra Lee, otherwise known as Dr. Pimple Popper, a dermatologist with her own popular show on Lifetime network, would tell People magazine how she overlooked the symptoms she was having a stroke while shooting an episode.

Fortunately, James now has much to look forward to. He and his wife recently retired. They just sold their New Jersey home of 20 years and are preparing to move to North Carolina and their dream retirement community, where there are plenty of tennis courts. James expects to play every day.

David Schwab is a writer and editor in the Mount Sinai Marketing and Communications Department who oversees the Mount Sinai Today digital news site. He has been playing tennis since he was in elementary school, starting with a wood racquet.

Learn more about stroke from the American Stroke Association

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