Harvard Women's Health Watch articles from July 2007

Harvard Women's Health Watch archives from July 2007

Repaying your sleep debt.
July 1, 2007... If sleep were a credit card company, many of us would be in deep trouble. Medical evidence suggests that for optimum health and function, the average adult should get seven to nine hours of sleep daily. But more than 60% of women regularly...

What to do about rotator cuff tendinitis.
July 1, 2007... The best way to treat the most common cause of shoulder pain is with simple home therapies. Swinging a tennis racket, digging in the garden, placing a book on a high shelf, and reaching back to insert your arm into a sleeve -- these are...

In Brief; Study reveals the biology of patient-psychotherapist empathy.
July 1, 2007... Empathy is the ability to understand the situation of others and imagine how they feel. It's at the heart of our closest personal ties and a key element in the relationship between clinicians and patients, especially in psychotherapy. Studies...

In Brief; Overweight linked to lower death risk in older women.
July 1, 2007... According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the 97 million overweight or obese people in the United States are at risk for various chronic diseases as well as death from all causes. But some research suggests that this...

In Brief; Drop in breast cancer may reflect decline in hormone use.(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The sharpest decline in the number of new breast cancer cases ever observed in a single year occurred between 2002 and 2003. That same year, hormone therapy prescriptions took a nosedive following the abrupt termination -- for safety reasons --...

Number of hormone therapy prescriptions* in the United States, 2000-2004.(Statistical data)
July 1, 2007... Sources: Adapted from SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2004, available online at seer.cancer.gov/csr, and Ravdin PM, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, April 19, 2007, pp. 1670-74. *For Premarin and Prempro, the two most commonly...

By the way, doctor; Should I supplement my diet with Ambrotose?(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Q. What do you know about the health supplement Ambrotose? I looked it up on the Internet, where it's described as an "advanced glyconutrient." A. The term "glyconutrient" sounds impressive, but it simply means sugar (glyco) that the body...

By the way, doctor; Should I take an intravenous drug for osteoporosis?
July 1, 2007... Q. I've been taking a Fosamax pill once a week for two years for osteoporosis. I heard that there is an intravenous drug for osteoporosis that's taken just once a year. Should I consider switching to it? A. The report that a yearly...