Harvard Women's Health Watch articles from April 2006

Harvard Women's Health Watch archives from April 2006

Keeping weight-loss drugs in perspective.
April 1, 2006... If you're dangerously overweight, diet pills may help -- but not without major lifestyle changes. Diet drugs have gotten a lot of press lately. In January 2006, a federal advisory panel recommended that the FDA make available, over the...

In brief; Hormone therapy heart benefit may depend on timing.
April 1, 2006... A study suggests that hormone therapy may be good for the heart after all -- but only if it's initiated during a fairly narrow window of opportunity. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study, which...

In brief; Severe lupus responds to stem cell therapy.
April 1, 2006... Lupus -- more accurately called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -- is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects some 1.5 million people, 90% of them women. It usually starts during the childbearing years. Lupus causes the immune system to...

In brief; Insulin by inhaler: New option for diabetes treatment.(Pfizer Inc.'s Exubera)
April 1, 2006... For the first time since the introduction of insulin more than 80 years ago, a non-injectable way of taking the hormone will be available. Exubera, a fast-acting inhaled insulin, was approved by the FDA in January 2006 and should be on the...

"Narrow angles" a tip-off to eyesight risk.
April 1, 2006... Proper eye care can limit vision loss from most glaucoma -- and prevent one of its most serious forms. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause vision loss and blindness through damage to the optic nerve. Several factors contribute...

Soy: Not so miraculous?(Soy protein effect on women's health)
April 1, 2006... Soy has gained quite a reputation as a health food. In 1999, the FDA approved food label claims of a link between soy protein and a reduced risk for heart disease. The next year, the American Heart Association announced it "prudent" to include...

By the way, doctor; Should I be vaccinated against cervical cancer?
April 1, 2006... Q. Recently, I read about a vaccine against cancer of the cervix. Is this something I should consider? A. You're referring to two vaccines in development as of spring 2006 for use against the human papilloma virus (HPV), a virus that...