Harvard Heart Letter articles from December 2008

Harvard Heart Letter archives from December 2008

Resistant hypertension needs special attention.(Report)
December 1, 2008... Resistant hypertension needs special attention Changing medications, extra tests sometimes needed to control blood pressure. High blood pressure is like the proverbial genie in the bottle: hard to put back once it's out and about. At...

Wrist artery a safe approach to the heart.
December 1, 2008... Wrist artery a safe approach to the heart Angioplasty via the radial artery in the arm is a good alternative to the approach via the groin. Artery-opening angioplasty uses the body's circulatory system as a highway to the heart. The...

Beats per minute a signal of heart health.
December 1, 2008... Beats per minute a signal of heart health Slowing your heart rate with exercise and stress reduction may help you enjoy more beats. Most visits to the doctor include a check of your heart rate. It's such a simple measurement, done by...

Folic acid: Too much of a good thing?
December 1, 2008... Folic acid: Too much of a good thing? As is true for many supplements, this vitamin may be a double-edged sword. In 1996, the FDA ordered food makers to add folic acid to flour, breads, pasta, and other grain products. Babies were the...

Pre-dental antibiotics for few, not many.(Report)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Pre-dental antibiotics for few, not many There's no need for most people with heart disease or a valve problem to take antibiotics before having dental work. That's a reminder from the American Heart Association and the American College of...

Heart Beat: New COPD medications seem okay for the heart.(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)(Report)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Heart Beat New COPD medications seem okay for the heart Diseases that interfere with the flow of air in and out of the lungs are lumped under the term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The two most common are emphysema and...

Heart Beat: Green tea and statins.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Heart Beat Green tea and statins Some people drink green tea because they've heard it is good for the heart. That could be true. Green tea contains catechins, flavonoids, antioxidants, and scads of other substances that have been...

Heart Beat: Hot flashes and the heart.(Report)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Heart beat Hot flashes and the heart Hot flashes bedevil many women as they go through menopause. These episodes of intense heat, sweating, and flushing can disturb sleep, depress mood, and cause irritability. For some women, hot...

In Brief.(niacin is used to boost the level of protective high-density lipoprotein)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... In brief Niacin and HDL. Vitamin B3, better known as niacin, is commonly used to boost the level of protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) circulating in the bloodstream. University of Washington researchers have shown that niacin also...

Ask the doctor: Is it dangerous to have calcium in the aorta?(Report)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Ask the doctor Is it dangerous to have calcium in the aorta? Q. A test showed that I have calcium in my aorta. My doctor said it isn't serious, and that, as a 79-year-old, I will have to "live with it." Can you tell me more about this...

Ask the doctor: Do calcium supplements counteract calcium-channel blockers?(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Ask the doctor Do calcium supplements counteract calcium-channel blockers? Q. My doctor started me on a calcium-channel blocker for high blood pressure. I also take a daily calcium supplement for my bones. Will that counteract the...

Ask the doctor: Can you get a stent after bypass surgery and vice versa?(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Ask the doctor Can you get a stent after bypass surgery and vice versa? Q. A friend told me that if you get a stent you can't have bypass surgery later on. Is that right? And what about the opposite * getting a stent after having...