Harvard Health Letter articles from April 2006

Harvard Health Letter archives from April 2006

Atrial fibrillation: Beyond drug therapies.
April 1, 2006... Medications are the first treatment for atrial fibrillation, but if drugs don't do the job, there are other options. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the heart's upper chambers (the atria) race or quiver instead of keeping a normal rhythm....

Inflammation: A unifying theory of disease?
April 1, 2006... Research is showing that chronic inflammation may be the common factor in many diseases. When it comes to risk reduction, it often seems as though we need to keep a running tab of things to avoid or embrace. Lay off saturated fats to keep...

Body heat: Older is colder.
April 1, 2006... The normal temperature of 98.6° F is anything but, especially as we get older. Normal, when it comes to body temperature, is 98.6° F, right? Not really. The 98.6° F benchmark comes to us from Dr. Carl Wunderlich, a...

Get a good grip while toiling in the soil.
April 1, 2006... Ergonomic tools for gardeners are not what they're cracked up to be. With or without green thumbs, more Americans are trying their hand at gardening these days. In some surveys, it now ranks as the country's No. 1 outdoor leisure activity....

By the way, doctor; Is coconut oil healthful?(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q. I've read that organic coconut oil has health benefits. Could coconut oil improve lipid profiles if consumed every day? A. I doubt that coconut oil has health benefits, especially beneficial effects on lipids, and I wouldn't recommend...

By the way, doctor; Should I switch calcium supplements?
April 1, 2006... Q. A recent test showed I have some hip osteopenia. Now every day I take two Tums Ultra (800 mg of calcium) plus a multivitamin (200 mg of calcium). I also get a total of 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily. I've been advised that...