Harvard Heart Letter articles from August 2007

Harvard Heart Letter archives from August 2007

Outlook on diabetes drug less than rosy.
August 1, 2007... Early work suggests that rosiglitazone (Avandia) may not be best for the heart. In May 2007, millions of people with diabetes got something extra to worry about -- the possibility that a drug they were taking to control blood sugar might...

Aspirin: A user's guide to who needs it and how much to take.
August 1, 2007... Just because you can buy aspirin without a prescription (and for pennies a tablet) doesn't mean everyone should be taking it to prevent a heart attack or stroke. You might expect that by now doctors and researchers would know everything...

Heart Beat; Longer workouts better for boosting good cholesterol.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Exercise is often touted as a way to boost protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. What hasn't been clear is how much exercise, or what kind, is best. Japanese researchers set out to fill that knowledge gap by pulling together...

Heart Beat; Pacemakers, iPods out of sync.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... If you have a pacemaker or implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), you've probably been warned not to keep a cell phone in your breast pocket or hold it near your heart. The same rule should apply to an iPod or other portable music or video...

Heart Beat; Talking it up: speech and atrial fibrillation.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Many things can set off atrial fibrillation (AF), the rapid and erratic beating of the heart's upper chambers. Triggers range from heavy alcohol consumption and stress to dehydration and downing an ice-cold drink. Cardiologists at Central...

In Brief.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Soy nuts and blood pressure. Eating foods made from soybeans can lower cholesterol a little bit. Here's another possible benefit: Eating soy nuts may modestly lower blood pressure. Among 60 older women, eating a half-cup of unsalted soy nuts a...

Correction and Clarification.(Correction notice)
August 1, 2007... Our article "Yellow light on pain relievers" in the June 2007 issue inaccurately listed Actiq as a pain reliever for people with heart disease. The drug is approved only for breakthrough cancer pain. Arnold Robbins, M.D., a psychiatrist in...

Ask the doctor; Are Lipitor and Crestor equally good for me?(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q. I have been taking Crestor (10 mg) for several years. Now my insurance company tells me it is dropping Crestor from its preferred drug list and suggests I replace it with Lipitor. Will this be okay? A. Both Crestor (rosuvastatin) and...

Ask the doctor; Do beta blockers and ACE inhibitors help or harm the heart?(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q. Is my long-term use of beta blockers and ACE inhibitors setting me up for heart failure? As I understand it, these drugs reduce my heart's pumping power and keep my heart rate low. If the heart is a muscle, and muscles are strengthened by...