North Valley man changes lifestyle habits after being diagnosed with heart failure 

LOS BASNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the U.S. That's according to the latest report from the American Heart Association, which also revealed that rising obesity and kidney problems are the major contributing factors.

"In January, I believe in 2022, I got diagnosed with heart failure. At the same time, I got diagnosed with diabetes," said Nicholas Bolton of Los Banos. "The doctor at the time, his name was Dr. Murphy, came in and told me that my heart rate was at 10%."

That became a wake-up call for Bolton. His diagnosis even sidelined him from work for a year.

The journey wasn't easy, but he knew he needed to change his diet and lifestyle habits.

"I wasn't really a vegetable fan," said Bolton. "I started incorporating vegetables like garlic, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos and other stuff."

Bolton says at his heaviest, he weighed 276 pounds. Now, he's down to 173 and feels like a different person. Bolton exercises several times a week and is doing more to maintain a healthier diet.

"Since then, my heart rate has gone up to 55, 60%," said Bolton. "I've reversed my diabetes. That's helped with all the stuff I cut out: sugar, no salt."

The 2025 American Heart Association Heart Disease report revealed that in 2022, deaths related to cardiovascular disease were more than 940,000, which is an increase of 10,000 from 2021.

"We're finding that younger people are developing heart disease," said Dr. Vivian Torio, a Family Medicine Physician with Kaiser Permanente in Fresno. "So younger, meaning under the age of 40. There are different reasons for that. Part of that is obesity, increased incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol."

The report also found from 2017-2020, nearly 47% of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, obesity in both men and women is almost 42%, and almost 11% of adults were diagnosed with diabetes, while just over 46% had prediabetes.

"Consider lean meat: turkey, or chicken," said Dr. Torio. "Rather than the beef or the pork. Choose grilled rather than fried."

For those who are also struggling to change their habits, Bolton has this message:

"Don't give up and listen to your doctors, and just keep on trying, and someone's always in your corner."

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