Harvard Heart Letter articles from October 2003

Harvard Heart Letter archives from October 2003

When playing the numbers is a sure bet.(monitoring blood cholesterol and other levels for heart health)
October 1, 2003... It pays to know your cholesterol levels and some other key markers of heart health. With so many numbers to remember - phone numbers, birthdays, PINs - does it make sense to keep track of your cholesterol and other related "numbers"? It...

Eating to lower cholesterol.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Don't think a healthy diet can do much for high cholesterol? Think again. Combining several changes known to affect cholesterol can work as well as drugs do. Although "low fat" has long been the main component of most cholesterol-lowering...

Living with amiodarone.
October 1, 2003... The story behind this effective heart-rhythm drug, the way it acts in the body, and even its side effects are on the strange side. Understanding its idiosyncrasies can help you use it safely. Many people with serious heart-rhythm problems...

Let the butt stop here.(smoking cessation methods)
October 1, 2003... Any time is the right time to stop smoking. A host of stop-smoking aids can boost your odds of success. In the old days, when smoking was just a bad habit, willpower was the only way to shuck it. But sheer willpower didn't work well then,...

Imaging advances.(in cardiology)
October 1, 2003... Tools that help doctors "see" inside blood vessels may help prevent heart attacks. With limited tools at their disposal, cardiologists must sniff out impending heart attacks much as early hunters tracked their prey. Instead of looking for...

Heart Beat - Healthy eating gets nutty.
October 1, 2003... At first glance, health claims on a package of peanuts make as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. Yet that's what you'll be seeing, thanks to the FDA's controversial labeling program. These food labels, says FDA commissioner Mark...

Heart Beat - Even a little exercise helps blood pressure.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... You've heard it before: Get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most if not all days of the week. It's great advice, and even better medicine. If you can't hit that target, though, exercising less often is far better than doing nothing, and it...

Ask the Doctor - Could a statin be causing my muscle and joint pains?(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Q I am a 64-year-old woman with high cholesterol caused by bad genes (familial hypercholesterolemia). Without medication, my cholesterol is above 450 mg/dL. So I am taking high-dose Lipitor (80 mg/day), WelChol, and Zetia to lower my...

Ask the Doctor - Should I take spironolactone for my heart failure?(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Q I am a 50-year-old man with congestive heart failure. My doctor has me on all the usual drugs, and a couple of years ago added spironolactone. I did okay with it for a while, but then began to notice that my breasts were getting bigger and...