Harvard Heart Letter articles from August 2000

Harvard Heart Letter archives from August 2000

Picking Up the Pace of Your Daily Walk.
August 1, 2000... Recent research points to yet another benefit of physical activity: prevention of stroke. Stroke is not only a major cause of death in Americans, but also a source of devastating disabilities. With an already long list of good reasons to...

Can Walnuts Prevent Heart Disease?
August 1, 2000... People worried about heart disease are continually told about all the things they shouldn't eat. But how often do they hear about foods (other than fruits and vegetables) that might actually reduce their risk of heart disease? Recent evidence...

Have the Problems of Beta Blockers Been Overrated?
August 1, 2000... Beta blockers are among the best medications for the treatment of hypertension, angina, and coronary artery disease, and as recent research shows, they even offer benefits for congestive heart failure. Then why has the use of beta blockers for...

Q.(right bundle branch block)
August 1, 2000... The right ventricle bundle of nerves in my heart is blocked, and the doctor I went to did not seem concerned at all. Yet a friend of mine who had the same condition almost died when the left bundle shut down. He just happened to be in the...

Q.(proper time to take blood cholesterol-lowering agents)
August 1, 2000... The package insert with my cholesterol-lowering medication says I should take it in the evening, but my doctor says it doesn't matter. Which is right? A Strictly speaking, the package insert is probably right. The highest rate of...

Q.(coronary heart disease care and prevention)
August 1, 2000... I am generally healthy, but I had a heart attack last year. At my age, 78 years old, I find it hard to take it seriously when my doctor and my children tell me that I should be lowering my cholesterol and exercising. It seems to me that the...

Q.(aortic valve stenosis)
August 1, 2000... I am 78 years old and have diabetes and a heart murmur from narrowing of my aortic valve. My doctor tells me that the narrowing is not so severe that I need surgery, but warns me that I may need an operation some day. Naturally, I would like to...

Ask the Doctor.(calcification of the arteries)
August 1, 2000... Q I am 74 years old, and recently had a chest x-ray. My doctor told me it was fine. But I saw the report, and it said that I had calcification of the arch of my aorta. Should I be worried? A Your doctor was reassuring you because your chest...

How Dangerous is Viagra?
August 1, 2000... When the first effective pill for male impotence reached the marketplace in 1999, the roller-coaster ride began. First, there was the predictable rash of jokes and publicity for the pill, known as Viagra. Then came surging sales as many of the...

Chest Pain in Women -- In the Head or in the Heart?
August 1, 2000... Chest pain is an extremely common symptom and one of the most common reasons for individuals to visit general practitioners, cardiologists, and emergency rooms. For some people, chest pain is a critical warning that the heart muscle is not...