Harvard Heart Letter articles from May 2008

Harvard Heart Letter archives from May 2008

Know the warning signs.
May 1, 2008... Don't be left wondering when a stroke or heart attack strikes. Two-thirds of Americans can't identify the signs of a heart attack and say what needs to be done when one strikes. That's the unsettling news from a survey done by the Centers...

Heparin: a risky bridge over troubled waters?(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Warfarin keeps blood from clotting where it shouldn't, such as in a chamber of the heart, on a heart valve, or inside unbroken blood vessels. Millions of people take warfarin (Coumadin, generic) to prevent a clot-caused stroke, pulmonary...

Bypass surgery no barrier to sexual satisfaction.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Is a cardiac surgeon's needle the counterpoint to Cupid's arrow, dousing the spark of desire and sex? It may feel that way, especially right after bypass surgery. Even after chest and spirits begin to mend, some men and women don't feel like...

Dangers of skipping medications after a heart attack.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... As wake-up calls go, a heart attack is a big one. You might expect that people who survive one would do whatever they can for their hearts, at least right after getting out of the hospital. That isn't necessarily the case. In a study from...

Kudos on cholesterol?(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Congratulations (kind of), America! For the first time since records have been kept on this subject, the total cholesterol of the average American dropped below 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). The average in 1960 was 222 mg/dL;...

New guidelines for bleeding disorder.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Treatment for the most common inherited bleeding disorder, von Willebrand disease, may get a boost from new guidelines published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The half-million or more Americans with this disorder a many of...

Panic attacks linked to heart disease.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... A panic attack is an intense rush of fear or anxiety that can feel just like a heart attack, with chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, and a racing or pounding heart. In fact, panic attacks are a common cause of...

Are heart drugs causing my nighttime leg cramps?
May 1, 2008... Q. Many nights I wake up once, twice, or several times with leg cramps. The only medications I take are a statin, niacin, Plavix, and baby aspirin. Are any of them causing these aggravating cramps? A. It's possible. But there are other...