Harvard Heart Letter articles from June 2006

Harvard Heart Letter archives from June 2006

Plavix isn't for everyone.(Clopidogrel for High Atherothrombotic Risk and Ischemic Stabilization, Management, and Avoidance (CHARISMA) trial)
June 1, 2006... Adding Plavix to aspirin doesn't help people without heart disease. There are several good reasons to fortify aspirin's anti-clotting action with the "superaspirin" Plavix (clopidogrel). Having stable heart disease or being at high risk...

Mechanical fix for fluid overload.
June 1, 2006... During a heart failure crisis, filtering the blood works as well as drugs to remove excess fluid. Heart failure sends more than one million Americans to the hospital each year, struggling to breathe through fluid-filled lungs. The...

Better heart attack prediction from new cholesterol tests?
June 1, 2006... Two simple tests could someday elbow aside, or at least complement, today's standard cholesterol tests. A multibillion-dollar industry rests on the squishy, fat-filled particle known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called bad...

A new wave in heart testing.
June 1, 2006... An odd variation on the electrocardiogram could help doctors determine who would get the most benefit from an implanted defibrillator. A test for heart signals so faint they are measured in millionths of a volt can help pick out who is...

Heave-ho for homocysteine?
June 1, 2006... High doses of B vitamins lower homocysteine but don't fix heart disease. After a troubled and contentious birth, the homocysteine hypothesis grew up to be embraced by some doctors, researchers, and a public hoping for an easy and...

Heart Beat; Pacemakers and mammograms.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A word of caution to women with a pacemaker or implanted cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD): When you have a mammogram, make sure the technologist doing the scan knows that you have a device to regulate your heart. Without this important piece of...

Heart Beat; What we don't know about prayer...
June 1, 2006... ... could fill a book. The latest chapter comes from a large study that showed no benefit in long-distance prayer for strangers. This study didn't, we need to stress right from the start, look at the power of personal prayer, prayer for a loved...

Heart Beat; Little support for that sinking feeling.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Fainting is frightening. Fortunately, it's a one-time thing for most people, brought on by standing too long, dehydration, an injection, or other triggers. Some people, though, faint repeatedly. If the culprit is a slow heartbeat, a pacemaker...

Heart Beat; High cholesterol can be a pain.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Pain in the Achilles tendon that isn't triggered by strain or an injury could be a sign of a genetic condition that can cause sky-high cholesterol levels. In people with this often overlooked condition, known as heterozygous familial...

Heart Beat; Exercise and cardiac arrest.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Women: Don't skip exercising because you're worried that your heart will slip into a potentially deadly rhythm and stop beating while you are out walking, jogging, or whatever. The chances of this happening are slim. Data from the ongoing...

In Brief.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Back on your feet again. After a heart attack, most people are told to wait six to eight weeks before returning to work or "normal activities." An Australian team suggests that those at low risk for having a repeat heart attack can get back to...

Ask the doctor; What to do about TIAs?(transient ischemic attacks)
June 1, 2006... Q. For the last few years, I have been experiencing what I think are mini-strokes. The first time it happened, I lost the sight in one eye for about a minute. Sometimes the vision in both eyes gets blurred for a few minutes. A few weeks ago I...