Harvard Heart Letter articles from February 2007

Harvard Heart Letter archives from February 2007

Put some bite into heart disease prevention.(Disease/Disorder overview)
February 1, 2007... Although the connection between oral health and cardiovascular health is still up in the air, taking care of your teeth pays off for other reasons. The billions of bacteria and other microscopic critters living in your mouth influence the...

Blood pressure drugs can boost blood sugar.
February 1, 2007... Depending on the drug, though, it may not matter. People with high blood pressure can turn to several types of medication when diet and exercise aren't enough to rein in their hypertension (see "So many choices"). Each of them does the...

Fish: Friend or foe?(Clinical report)
February 1, 2007... In addition to heart-healthy omega-3 fats, seafood can carry mercury and other toxins. For most people, the benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risks. If you are an average American, you eat 16 pounds of seafood a year. Although...

No benefit for late angioplasty after a heart attack.(Disease/Disorder overview)
February 1, 2007... Opening a blocked coronary artery immediately after a heart attack pays off; doing it after a day or so doesn't. You've been on the fence about that nagging chest pain and unusual fatigue for hours. You finally go to the hospital, where you...

Heart Beat; Dancing away from heart failure.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... If you'd rather waltz than walk or rumba than run, why not let dancing do double duty as fun and exercise? For people with heart failure, and maybe for others, dancing may do as much for the heart -- and more for the soul -- than working out on...

Heart Beat; Too soon to sell a gene test for warfarin?(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... One of the frustrations of starting warfarin (Coumadin) to prevent blood clots is finding the amount that's right for you. It can take several weeks of trial and error to settle on a daily dose that inhibits your blood's clotting cascade just...

Heart Beat; Is there an afterlife for pacemakers and defibrillators?(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The old adage "You can't take it with you" doesn't apply to a growing number of people with heart rhythm problems who are accompanied into the great beyond by a still-ticking pacemaker or fully functional implantable cardioverter/defibrillator...

Ask the doctor; What are the symptoms of, and tests for, an enlarged heart?(Disease/Disorder overview)
February 1, 2007... Q. How would I know if I had an enlarged heart? A. Things that make the heart work harder than usual can prompt it to enlarge. The most important symptom that raises the question of whether an individual has an enlarged heart is...

Ask the doctor; What's the skinny on fat-free half-and-half?(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Q. Is fat-free half-and-half good for you? A. Sure, in the same way that diet soda is good for you -- because of what you are not having. But it's not good for you in the way that fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are. Fat-free...