Harvard Heart Letter articles from April 2007

Harvard Heart Letter archives from April 2007

Mixed marks for heart surgery report cards.
April 1, 2007... Grading heart surgeons on how well their patients do is a good idea, but the process still needs some work. In a growing number of states, report cards that rate cardiac surgeons on the outcomes of their patients are now available. So far,...

9 ways to protect your heart when diabetes threatens it.
April 1, 2007... Diabetes and heart disease often go hand in hand. Here's how you can uncouple them. Diabetes and heart disease were once thought to be entirely unrelated disorders. New thinking suggests that they may actually spring from the same...

Statins for aortic valve narrowing?
April 1, 2007... Oh, to find a way to keep the aortic valve limber and lithe over the lifespan. All too often it becomes stiff and thick with advancing age, changes that interfere with its crucial function. The aortic valve starts out with three flexible...

Different shades of gray for post-heart attack depression.
April 1, 2007... Depression that develops for the very first time during recuperation from a heart attack affects recovery more than depression that started before the attack. Recovering from a heart attack is tough enough without facing the fog of...

Heart Beat; Home defibrillator skills slip away.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... A question we often get from readers is, "Should I buy a home defibrillator?" These shock boxes are the only way to revive someone having a cardiac arrest -- the sudden cessation of heartbeats capable of circulating blood. Since up to...

Heart Beat; Parkinson's drugs linked to heart valve trouble.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Heart valves leak for many reasons, from inborn malformations to age-related wear and tear. Add to the list two drugs commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease -- pergolide (Permax) and cabergoline (Dostinex). In two European studies,...

Heart Beat; New Start! for exercise.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Instead of playing solitaire on your home computer, turn it into a fitness center. The American Heart Association's Start! program aims to help Americans walk more and eat better. According to the association, every hour of regular exercise...

Heart Beat; Tea with a twist.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... If you drink tea only because you think it will protect you from heart disease, take it without milk. German researchers found that drinking black tea improved artery flexibility compared with drinking water, but they didn't see any improvement...

Ask the doctor; Is a lot of exercise bad for the heart?
April 1, 2007... Q. I know that exercise is good for my heart, which is one reason why I took up long-distance running. But I have heard that marathon running damages the heart. Is that true? A. Your question, variations of which have been batted around for...

Ask the doctor; Does it matter when I take a statin?(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q. My doctor put me on a statin and told me to take it after dinner. I would rather take it with breakfast. Does it matter? A. Statins block an enzyme that helps the liver make cholesterol. In most people, cholesterol production peaks late...