Harvard Heart Letter articles from January 2004

Harvard Heart Letter archives from January 2004

Planning pays off if a heart attack strikes.
January 1, 2004... Knowing the warning signs and what to do if they appear can mean the difference between rapid recovery and long-term heart damage. If a heart attack strikes, will you be ready? Do you know what one feels like? Who to call? Where to go? The...

Artery opening trumps clot busting.(angioplasty for heart attack)
January 1, 2004... Angioplasty for heart attacks may prompt a shift to regional "heart attack centers." As late as a decade after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, doctors could do little to stop a heart attack. They could offer support, something for pain,...

Drug-coated stents boost benefits of angioplasty.
January 1, 2004... These tiny devices keep unclogged arteries open but don't prevent blockages from arising in other heart arteries. Stents, the springlike devices used to prop open cholesterol-clogged arteries, are revolutionizing procedures for opening...

Getting the most from cardiac rehabilitation.
January 1, 2004... Almost anyone with heart disease can benefit from a comprehensive program of exercise and education. In the 1950s, strict bed rest was thought to be the best medicine after a heart attack. Here's how one medical textbook of the time put...

The shape of healthy eating.
January 1, 2004... Confused by what constitutes healthy eating? Here's a quick guide based on the best evidence. If you are trying to follow a healthy diet but aren't sure anymore what that means, join the club. Dueling diet books and conflicting nutrition...

Heart Beat - Underestimating the hazards of peripheral artery disease.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The burning leg pain known as claudication affects more than just the ability to walk. It and other types of peripheral artery disease more than triple a person's chances of dying from a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problem....

Heart Beat - Shovel as if your heart mattered.(medical humor; heart attack prevention)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... (Note to snowbirds and southern readers: Chuckle and skip to the next item.) When snow starts falling, don't expect a snow blower to protect your heart from the rigors of shoveling. Detroit researchers who looked at heart-related deaths...

Heart Beat - Age no limit for bypass surgery.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Surgery to bypass a narrowed coronary artery relieves chest pain, increases the ability to exercise and be active, and improves quality of life. Yet some doctors hesitate to recommend the operation for older people because they are at greater...

Heart Beat - Hidden angina.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... You might think that anyone with angina - chest pain triggered by activity or stress - would see a doctor for help. But many don't, much to their detriment. In a British study of more than 10,000 government workers followed throughout the...

Heart Beat - Targeting HDL.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The more HDL (good) cholesterol floating in your blood, the better. That's because HDL counteracts artery-clogging LDL (bad) cholesterol. Too bad it's so difficult to increase HDL. Exercise can help nudge it upward. A drink a day can do the...

Ask the Doctor - Can coughing save my life if I'm having a heart attack?
January 1, 2004... Q Someone forwarded an e-mail to me about coughing during a heart attack. It said that if I am having a heart attack, coughing deeply and strongly every few seconds could save my life. Is that true? A The notion that you can stop a heart...