Harvard Health Letter articles from April 2003

Harvard Health Letter archives from April 2003

What you need to know about calcium.
April 1, 2003... Calcium is billed as the bone-building nutrient. But some experts argue that we should pay more attention to exercise and vitamin D. Starting on your 51st birthday, current government guidelines say you're supposed to consume 1,200...

Regular alcohol consumption is good for the heart.
April 1, 2003... Study after study has shown that moderate alcohol consumption - and moderate is always underlined - is good for your health, especially your heart. Red wine has been deemed particularly healthful and the reason perhaps for the Gallic (and a...

Older women don't get the heart medications they need.
April 1, 2003... Younger women are largely immune to heart disease. But after menopause, the rate of heart disease among women climbs fast, perhaps because estrogen levels decline. Many doctors had thought the solution might be to replenish the supply of...

Bell's palsy.
April 1, 2003... Early treatment with antiviral medications and corticosteroids may improve the chances for full recovery from this condition that suddenly paralyzes one side of the face. Bell's palsy is the sudden partial or complete paralysis of one...

Marathons: Blood, sweat, and cheers.(health aspects of marathon running)
April 1, 2003... Marathon running may be extreme, but there are some lessons about exercise in it for all of us. Here in New England, April brings hope for the Red Sox and another running of the Boston Marathon. The region's relationship with its...

Grape juice vs. red wine.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... They both come from grapes, so are they equally good for you? Few studies have compared grape juice and wine side by side. One that did found that red wine stirs up more antioxidant activity in the blood. Fermentation may make flavonoids,...

Leave no instrument (or sponge) behind.(preventing surgical accidents)
April 1, 2003... It happens, on average, about once a year at a large hospital, or in roughly 1 of every 1,500 open chest or abdomen operations: a sponge or instrument is left inside a patient. Such carelessness would almost be comical, if the consequences...

Adding Lipitor to the mix.(heart attack prevention)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Q I'm 84, 5-foot-9, and weigh 160. I do an hour's exercise every day. I take a diuretic, potassium, and calcium-channel blocker. Should I also take Lipitor to avoid a heart attack? A You certainly shouldn't start a statin like Lipitor...

Help with a prostate problem.
April 1, 2003... Q I'm 77 and have an enlarged prostate. I take Proscar once a day and saw palmetto three times a day. Yet I still have to get up two to seven times a night to urinate. What can I do to reduce the frequency of urination? A The medical term...

A side effect of COX-2 inhibitors.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A study in the November 2002 American Journal of Cardiology shows that COX-2 inhibitors (named for the enzyme they block) may affect the blood pressure of some people. The study included 1,100 people with arthritis who were also taking...