Harvard Heart Letter articles from December 2005

Harvard Heart Letter archives from December 2005

Disturbing uptick in defibrillator recalls.
December 1, 2005... Most pacemakers and implantable cardioverter/defibrillators work as they should, though the number recalled each year is growing. Two parallel trends capture the promise and perils of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter/defibrillators...

Some women need extra support after bypass surgery.
December 1, 2005... Bras designed for women recovering from bypass surgery may ease pain and minimize infections. Could a new type of bra help women recover from heart surgery with less pain and fewer infections? That's the question separate teams of...

Heart of the holidays.(risk factors for heart attack at Christmas)
December 1, 2005... 'Tis the season for many things -- thanksgiving, celebration, fellowship, and good cheer. Oh yes, and heart attacks. We offer 12 tips for a safer, healthier holiday season. The holiday season -- those sometimes intense weeks that begin...

Heart Beat; Mainstream thinking on alternative therapies.
December 1, 2005... Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of therapies stand (or lurk) in the shadow of aspirin, angioplasty, and other so-called standard therapies for preventing and treating heart disease. These alternative therapies range from the use of herbs and...

Heart Beat; Aspirin before bed.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... If aspirin is part of your daily medication routine, taking it before bedtime might improve your blood pressure even as it does its main job -- working against heart attack and stroke. In a small Spanish study, taking low-dose aspirin at...

Heart Beat; Slow down for fish.(benefits of eating cold water fish)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The omega-3 fats found in cold-water fish like salmon and the oils extracted from them protect the heart in several ways. They prevent the heart from lapsing into potentially deadly erratic rhythms, make platelets less sticky and so less likely...

Heart Beat; Good news about cholesterol.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Cholesterol levels for the mythical average American continue to inch downward. In 1960, the average total cholesterol level in adults was 222 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). In 2002, the last year with complete data, it stood at 203...

Heart Beat; Juice from the "jewel of winter" could be good for the heart.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The pomegranate, known to the ancient Greeks as the fruit of the dead, is making a run at becoming the fruit of a long, healthy life. From 2004 to fall 2005, several small studies showed that pomegranate juice or extracts may help prevent...

Heart Beat; Cell phones and heart devices.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... When cell phones first became popular, cardiologists worried that they might interfere with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICDs). A widely reported 1997 New England Journal of Medicine study showed that interference did...

Heart Beat; Follow-up: Stem cell therapy: Still more hope than help.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A handful of studies have revealed an exciting but very preliminary possibility that stem cells from the bloodstream, thigh muscle, or even the heart itself could be used to heal damaged hearts. This field is in its infancy. The few clinical...

Ask the doctor; Did a stroke damage my vision?
December 1, 2005... Q. A few months ago I gradually lost about 50% of the vision in my right eye. My ophthalmologist says this was caused by a small stroke. Am I now at higher risk for future strokes or heart attacks than someone who has not had a stroke? A....

Ask the doctor; Should I worry about my fast pulse?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Q. My pulse is usually on the high side. Does that mean I have a problem with my heart? A. In otherwise healthy people, I don't usually worry about the heart rate unless it is consistently above 100 beats per minute at rest. Heart rates...