Harvard Health Letter articles from July 2004

Harvard Health Letter archives from July 2004

Nine tips for patients.(suggestions for patients on how to take charge and advocate for themselves during appointments with doctors)
July 1, 2004... Few of us like being patients, but there are ways to take charge of the situation and make the best of it. It's no fun being a patient. You're sick or worried about being so. There's the loss of control to contend with as your illness (and...

All-in-one pills for heart disease.(proposed Polypill would contain a combination of drugs to prevent heart attacks and strokes)
July 1, 2004... A polypill may make sense, but drug companies are coming up with their own combinations. Taking your medicine these days often means taking not just one or even two pills but a whole assortment. Particularly for cardiovascular conditions...

Fainting.(causes, treatment and tips for prevention)
July 1, 2004... Simple maneuvers could keep you from losing consciousness if you're feeling faint. The most common causes of fainting are conditions that temporarily deprive the brain of the blood it needs. No organ "likes" not having enough blood. The...

The end of glasses?(various options for correcting vision problems)
July 1, 2004... First came LASIK. Now there's a procedure for baby boomers who don't want to wear reading glasses. But does it work? Behind your pupil and iris is a tiny, disc-shaped lens that adjusts so you can shift your focus easily back and forth...

What is a healthy bowel movement?
July 1, 2004... The characteristics of feces can offer clues to health problems, digestive and otherwise. Australian colorectal surgeon Dr. Michael Levitt wrote in his witty but plainly titled The Bowel Book: A Self-Help Guide for Sufferers that the...

Almonds, oh joy! But peanuts better?(health benefits of nuts)
July 1, 2004... They're good for us, but which nut is the best? Health-conscious people are mad about nuts these days. The enthusiasm comes from a steady drumbeat of studies over the past decade showing that they're genuine health food. Their most salient...

BY THE WAY, DOCTOR; Should I get an Lp(a) test?
July 1, 2004... Q I'm 70 and recently heard about a new blood test for something called lipoprotein(a) that might help determine if I'll get heart disease. Should I get this blood test? A Lipoprotein(a), which is often abbreviated as Lp(a), is a molecule...

By the Way, Doctor; Do stents do any good?
July 1, 2004... Q I read in the newspaper that angioplasty and stents don't do any good because narrowed arteries aren't the cause of most heart attacks. Is that true? A Before patients get angioplasty or stents, they (and their doctors) need to be clear...