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September 28, 2025 Check out STAT+

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By Torie Bosch First Opinion editor

Last week, my 88-year-old great uncle, Arnold Risman, died. Uncle Arnie lived for 30 years with a transplanted heart and almost 20 with a kidney given to him by his daughter, Laura. Though he spent the last nine years of his life with dementia, his survival — well past the average of 12 to 13 years with a heart transplant — was a testament to both his hard work on his health and remarkable medical advances. I thought about him a lot this week while working on an exciting new First Opinion column that launches tomorrow with a three-part series about a revolution happening in medical care — and the new questions it brings. Stay tuned. Recommendation of the week: The Kansas City Star's three-part investigation into a local feud between companies selling kratom and 7-OH is a fascinating look at the big money and murky legalities around "gas station drugs."

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