Harvard Heart Letter articles from October 2007

Harvard Heart Letter archives from October 2007

Scaling back on antibiotics.
October 1, 2007... Most people, even those with heart disease, don't need to take antibiotics before a routine dental or surgical procedure. Since the 1950s, the American Heart Association (AHA) and other medical organizations have urged a sizable group of...

Driving under the influence of abnormal heart rhythms.
October 1, 2007... New guidelines refine how long to wait after getting an ICD. If you have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), your doctor probably told you to wait six months after getting it before driving. That advice comes from...

Add intervals of intensity for a stronger heart.
October 1, 2007... When it comes to exercise, interval training offers the best of both worlds. When faced with an arduous physical task, most people break up the work with short periods of rest. Piano movers alternate bursts of heavy lifting with rest...

Sticking it to blood pressure?
October 1, 2007... If acupuncture really lowers blood pressure, its effect is likely to be small -- and definitely temporary. For more than 2,000 years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used acupuncture to treat high blood pressure and...

Heart Beat; Nothing fancy.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... After a frightening increase in the 1960s and 1970s, death rates due to cholesterol-clogged coronary arteries have been falling since the 1980s. This decline owes as much to our collective hard work to control blood pressure, cholesterol,...

Heart Beat; Beans, beans, the magical fruit.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Beans, the object of countless flatulence jokes, are often dismissed as peasant food. For your heart and circulatory system, though, they are food fit for royalty. Eating beans regularly can lower cholesterol, influence blood sugar, and lower...

Heart Beat; The Mysterious Human Heart.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... One thing we wish we could do, but can't, is show you how the heart works or what ails it. A three-part series airing on PBS does just that. "The Mysterious Human Heart" delves into how this hardworking muscle beats, what can go wrong with it,...

Ask the doctor; Does Fosamax cause atrial fibrillation?
October 1, 2007... Q. I am 86 years old and have been taking Fosamax to strengthen my bones for nearly 10 years. A few months ago, I suddenly fainted and was later diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Did that happen because I was taking Fosamax? A. Probably...

Ask the doctor; Is it safe to fly with heart failure?(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Q. I was just diagnosed with heart failure. My husband and I like to travel. Is it okay for people like me to fly? A. Most people with well-controlled and stable heart failure can fly as safely as everyone else. The atmosphere contains...