Oprah Winfrey embraced weight loss drugs. Taylor Swift has become a role model for physical fitness. Matthew Perry died of addiction. The experiences of these stars resonated, perhaps because they reflect the hopes, ambitions, and struggles many of us share when it comes to health.
Let's take a look back at a remarkable year.
1. Shannen Doherty's stage 4 breast cancer spread to her bones
Actor and podcast host who rose to fame as the star of hit shows in the 80s and 90s. Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmedannounced in December that her breast cancer had returned and had metastasized to her bones.
After being diagnosed in 2015, Doherty underwent a single mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Although her cancer went into remission in 2017, she had a recurrence by 2020, and she later announced that the cancer had spread to her brain.
Despite the bad news, Doherty remained determined to continue living her life to the fullest. “I'm not finished living. I'm not finished loving yet. I'm not finished creating yet. I want things to change for the better, but I'm not finished yet.” she said in an interview. people. “I'm not done yet.”
read more: Actor Shannen Doherty reveals that stage 4 breast cancer has spread to her bones
2. Oprah reveals she dramatically lost weight with the help of medication
Long the subject of tabloid speculation about her fluctuating weight, daytime TV host Oprah Winfrey looked significantly thinner at an event promoting her new film in December. the color purpleHe is a co-producer of “.
Ultimately, Winfrey said she has a new tool in her arsenal: weight-loss drugs, in addition to hiking frequently and drinking a gallon of water a day.
“The fact that there are medically approved prescriptions to manage weight and stay healthier has felt like a relief, a relief, a gift to me in my lifetime, hidden away and ridiculed again.” It's not something that should be done,” Winfrey said in an interview.and people. “I’m done with being shamed by others, especially myself.”
read more: 6 lessons to learn from Oprah's massive weight loss reveal
3. Taylor Swift shares 3-hour treadmill workout in preparation for global 'Era' tour
pop megastar Taylor Swift said in an interview in December. time In addition to weight training, she sang her entire three-hour setlist while running on the treadmill every day in preparation for her blockbuster show. She continued this intensive training regimen for months, she added.
The 2023 Time Person of the Year revealed that he had been drinking “heavy” during previous tours, but for 'Eras' he has given up alcohol completely. “Doing that show with a hangover, I don't want to know that world,” she said.
read more: Taylor Swift sang a three-hour set list from all eras while running on the treadmill every day
4. Domestic Ketamine Use Led to Matthew Perry's Death
In October, friend Superstar and addiction recovery advocate Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in his bathtub and pronounced dead. An autopsy report in December revealed he died accidentally from the “acute” effects of ketamine, a hallucinogen-like drug. “Contributing factors to Mr. Perry's death include drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder),” the report states.
In a memoir of 2022 Friends, Lovers, and the Big Scary Thing, Perry revealed that he had struggled with alcohol and opioid addiction for many years. He was on ketamine therapy for depression at the time of his death, but his autopsy report suggested he was self-medicating with ketamine outside of his supervised treatment setting. .
read more: Matthew Perry dies from 'acute effects of ketamine'
5. Britney Spears reveals she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake
One of the biggest bombshells of Britney Spears' 2023 memoir the woman inside me, It was announced in October that she had become pregnant during her three-year relationship with Justin Timberlake and had an abortion. They started dating when she was 17 and he was 18.
“It was a surprise, but for me it wasn't a tragedy. I loved Justin very much. I always knew our family would be together someday,” Spears, now 41, wrote. “But Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy. He said, we're not ready to have kids yet, we're too young.”
“If it had been left to me alone, I never would have done it. Still, I was convinced that Justin didn't want to be a father,” she wrote.
Spears wrote that she performed a self-administered abortion at home to keep it a secret.
read more: 25 celebrities who spoke out about abortion
6. ALS claimed the life of Sandra Bullock's longtime partner Brian Randall
Brian Randall, 57, and Sandra Bullock, 59, did not choose to marry, but they have been a couple since 2015 and have raised three children together in a blended family.
In August, former model and photographer Randall passed away from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His family had not previously disclosed his diagnosis.
Over time, ALS causes irreversible damage to the brain and spinal cord. People with ALS gradually lose the ability to walk, use their hands and arms, speak, chew, and swallow.
read more: Sandra Bullock's longtime partner Brian Randall dies at age 57 from ALS
7. Madonna admitted to ICU with 'serious bacterial infection'
Pop icon Madonna “developed a severe bacterial infection and spent several days in the ICU” in June. As a result, she has had to delay the start of her “Celebration'' tour, which marks her 40th anniversary in the music industry.
Bacterial infections are usually not life-threatening, but can become serious if they spread to the heart, lungs, blood, or brain. Madonna did not reveal the initial cause of the infection.
read more: What is the “serious bacterial infection” that sent Madonna to the hospital?
8. Michael J. Fox Foundation develops breakthrough test for Parkinson's disease
In April, the Michael J. Fox Foundation announced that a new clinical test that analyzes brain and spinal fluid can accurately detect Parkinson's disease even in people without symptoms such as tremors or slowed or restricted movement. The results of a clinical trial evaluating this test were published in the following month's journal. lancet neurology.
This test was developed with funding from the Foundation as part of the Parkinson's Disease Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). Its founder, actor Michael J. Fox, now 62, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 29.
“When we started PPMI, we weren't looking for fish; we were chasing whales,” Fox said in a statement. “Here we are. Together, we are developing a cure for the inevitable Parkinson's disease.”
read more: Laboratory tests may detect Parkinson's disease even before symptoms appear
9. Drew Barrymore experiences hot flashes for the first time on TV
Actress Drew Barrymore, 48, first experienced perimenopausal hot flashes while taping a March episode of her eponymous daytime TV talk show, which featured guests Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. It was like I had experienced it.
During the interview, she paused to take off her blazer and told guests, “I feel like I'm having hot flashes for the first time!”
Hot flashes, along with night sweats, are known as vasomotor symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Menopause refers to the approximately 4 to 8 years before menopause when menstruation becomes irregular.
read more: 16 celebrities share their experiences living with hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms
10. Bruce Willis' family announces he has frontotemporal dementia
Actor Bruce Willis' family announced in an Instagram post in February that the 67-year-old actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare condition. “Unfortunately, communication problems are just one symptom of the illness Bruce is facing. We are relieved to finally have a clear diagnosis, albeit a painful one. ” the family said in a separate statement.
Frontotemporal dementia causes damage to the frontal lobes of the brain, causing problems with language, behavior, judgment, empathy, and foresight. Because people with this disease are unaware of their condition, family members may interpret their free behavior as rude or thoughtless, leading to hurt feelings and quarrels.
read more: Bruce Willis suffers from a rare form of dementia, family announces
11. Lisa Marie Presley dies from late complications of bariatric surgery
On January 12, Lisa Marie Presley was found unresponsive and taken to the hospital. She then went into cardiac arrest and died just a few hours later.
An autopsy by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, completed in July, determined that Presley died of complications from a small bowel obstruction. The blockage was caused by bariatric surgery scar tissue, a “known complication” of bariatric surgery. She had undergone surgery many years ago.
The risk of death associated with bariatric surgery today is about 0.1 percent, and the chance of serious complications is about 4 percent, according to the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Although small bowel obstruction can be treated, it can be fatal if not caught early.
read more: Lisa Marie Presley dies from complications years after weight loss surgery
12. Football player Damar Hamlin was hospitalized after suffering a dramatic cardiac arrest on the field.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, was struck in the chest and head during a Monday Night Football game in January. By all accounts, Hamlin was in great shape before going into cardiac arrest.
Hamlin's cardiac arrest was caused by a phenomenon called “Cordis motion,” in which a blunt force, such as a tackle, disrupts the normal heart rhythm. Fortunately, paramedics quickly performed life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Hamlin until he was taken to the hospital and placed in a medically induced coma to give his brain rest.
According to NBC Sports, Hamlin returned to the field in August.
read more: Can you recover from cardiac arrest? Experts put Damar Hamlin's recovery into context
