Harvard Heart Letter articles from November 2003

Harvard Heart Letter archives from November 2003

Major risk.(overview of four major risk factors for heart disease)
November 1, 2003... Most people with heart disease have one or more of the Big Four risk factors. Are you harassed by high homocysteine? Frightened by fibrinogen? Seeing red because of CRP? These so-called novel risk factors for heart disease might be worth...

Tricky forecast: Low pressure.(caring for hypotension)
November 1, 2003... Deep dips in blood pressure upon standing or after eating can cause dizziness, fainting, and falls. Here's how to cope with the problem. Steady readings from one doctor visit to another can give the impression that blood pressure is...

Seek out over-the-counter drug information.
November 1, 2003... To get the most out of the drugs you need to take each day, try working with an expert - your pharmacist. How many pills do you take each day? Two? Ten? Two dozen? Who do you turn to when you have questions or concerns about them? A doctor...

Pay attention to potassium.(importance of potassium for maintaining good heart health)
November 1, 2003... Getting more of this essential mineral, or holding onto what you have, helps the heart and blood vessels. Poor potassium. Its smaller chemical cousin, sodium, gets most of the limelight when it comes to blood pressure and heart health....

Valve job.
November 1, 2003... When the aortic valve fails, surgery is the only option. Prevention, once thought impossible, could help you avoid this major operation. Consider the lowly aortic valve: three half-moons, each the size of a split nickel, arranged in a...

Heart Beat - Don't let fear of fats trump the power of produce.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The psychological jolt of having a heart attack or needing an artery-opening procedure motivates many people to stop smoking, start exercising, and cut back on fatty foods. But even such life-wrenching events aren't enough to get most people to...

Ask the Doctor - Does eating chocolate harm the heart?
November 1, 2003... Q I read somewhere that cocoa butter doesn't raise cholesterol levels even though it contains a lot of saturated fat. If this is true, can I eat dark chocolate without worrying about what it's doing to my heart and blood vessels? A The...

Ask the Doctor - Why should I exercise if it isn't totally safe?(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Q Even though my weight and health are fine (good blood pressure and cholesterol), my doctor and my partner want me to be more active. But I don't like exercise, and I've heard of people dying while they exercise. Why should I bother doing...