Harvard Health Letter articles from July 2005

Harvard Health Letter archives from July 2005

Then... and now.
July 1, 2005... The Harvard Health Letter celebrates its 30th birthday this November. For the next few months, we'll be using this space to look back at the changes in medicine over the past three decades as reflected in our pages. The front-page article...

When the weather is sizzling hot.
July 1, 2005... Finding some air conditioning, particularly if you're older, could save your life. France is one of the world's hot spots for tourists. Two years ago, that phrase took on a quite literal meaning for visitors and residents alike. In the...

Inflammation information.
July 1, 2005... Testing for C-reactive protein may be a good way to keep tabs on the inflammation that causes heart attacks. Over the past 10 years or so, researchers have changed the way they look at atherosclerosis. They used to regard it as a gradual...

Postoperative adhesions.
July 1, 2005... Ways to treat or prevent this outcome include further surgery, barrier agents, and--perhaps, surprisingly--Celebrex. Three years ago, Anna B. had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. The 45-year-old Seattle resident felt some discomfort...

Read the fine print: Recent calcium supplement studies.
July 1, 2005... Two recent studies -- one in the Lancet, one in the British Medical Journal -- have reported that calcium and vitamin D supplements don't prevent fractures. This sounds like another health news about-face: These supplements have long been...

Cigarettes: The lung cancer risk lingers.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... In April, ex-smokers were reminded that the habit they kicked may come back to haunt them. The newscaster Peter Jennings announced that he has lung cancer, even though he quit smoking 20 years ago (except for a brief relapse after the September...

In brief; Mosquito repellents: Going DEET-free.
July 1, 2005... Keeping mosquitoes away is a matter of comfort. Nothing wrong with that. But in recent years, American public health officials have started taking repellents seriously as a matter of disease prevention because of mosquito-borne West Nile virus....

In brief; Heart aches for clean air.
July 1, 2005... In the blame game for heart disease, the major players are smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, and genes. But some studies suggest that bad air also belongs on the team. Pollution researchers have coined the term "environmental cardiology"...

By the way, doctor; Are sleeping pills addictive?
July 1, 2005... Q. My primary care doctor tells me that all sleeping pills on the market are addictive. Does this mean you develop a craving for them or simply that you become unable to sleep without taking them? I'm 92 and realize that easy sleep and age...

By the way, doctor; Diabetes and eggs.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q. I read your item about eggs in the April 2005 issue with great interest. My husband has type 2 diabetes and has started eating two eggs about three times a week. He's looking to fill up on low-carb foods he likes. You mentioned that eggs may...