Harvard Women's Health Watch articles from July 2005

Harvard Women's Health Watch archives from July 2005

Vitamin B6 may help prevent colorectal cancer in women.
July 1, 2005... A dietary component is poised to join a list of strategies that help lower our risk for this largely preventable cancer. Women with higher intakes of vitamin B6, whether from food or vitamin supplements, may be less likely to develop cancer...

Uphill or down: The health benefits of hiking depend on where you're headed.
July 1, 2005... Don't ignore the descent -- or the stairs down -- as an exercise strategy. Hiking is a popular way of being active outdoors, especially during summer. Although everyone knows that climbing up a hill or mountain is a great workout, we tend...

Making sense of multiple sclerosis.
July 1, 2005... Although a once-promising MS drug has been pulled off the market, other therapies are under investigation. Every week, about 200 Americans, most of them women, discover that they have multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic, incurable...

Breast pain: Not just a premenopausal complaint.
July 1, 2005... Menopause has come and gone. Why do I still have breast pain? In most cases, breast pain is a by-product of reproductive life: Like breast swelling, it waxes and wanes during the menstrual cycle, and it's one of the first symptoms of...

By the way, doctor; Do airport x-rays affect medications?
July 1, 2005... Q. I travel frequently and always carry my estrogen and thyroid pills with me. Could the radiation from airport security alter them or make them less effective? A. Most medications are not affected by the low doses of radiation emitted by...

By the way, doctor; Can a deep-breathing device help lower my blood pressure?
July 1, 2005... Q. I've heard you can lower your blood pressure by using a breathing device called Resperate. Do you know anything about this? A. A growing body of scientific research shows that exercises to slow breathing can lower blood pressure. Experts...