Harvard Health Letter articles from March 2003

Harvard Health Letter archives from March 2003

Card tricks.(prescription drug discount plans)
March 1, 2003... Getting a prescription drug discount card can save you money, but you may have to earn it. Finding the right card involves shopping around and reading the fine print. Prescription drugs are expensive. A year's supply of a brand-name...

A cheaper way to control high blood pressure.
March 1, 2003... Diuretics can cause side effects, including fatigue, elevated blood sugar, and impotence (although other blood pressure medications also can cause impotence). Yet many doctors have felt that the side effects were being overblown by...

Fish vs. fish oil capsules.
March 1, 2003... Can you skip the fish and get the same benefits from taking fish oil capsules? Nutrition researchers believe that the lion's share of fish's health value comes from two omega-3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid...

Hard facts about stones.(kidney stones)
March 1, 2003... Kidney stones can be painful, but most pass. By some estimates, about 10% of Americans will have a kidney stone at some point in their lives. People tend to get their first stones in their 20s and 30s. A first usually means a second....

The smallpox vaccine: Frequently asked questions.
March 1, 2003... When can I get the vaccine? Next year, although the initial announcement in December 2002 mentioned that some vaccine might be made available this year to people who "insist on being vaccinated." If I was vaccinated when I was...

In Brief - Retirement benefits.(health benefits of retiring)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Many people believe that working helps keep us healthy as we get older. A job, it's said, keeps you active, mentally stimulated, and socially connected - all of which are major ingredients in that elusive recipe for a long and hale seniorhood....

In Brief - Toil in the soil.(gardening-related health issues)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Last year, Dutch researchers published the results of a study relating physical activity to blood sugar levels among 424 men, ages 69-89. As you might expect, men who were more active were less apt to have high levels, and biking and gardening...

In Brief - Leave the driving to them.
March 1, 2003... About half of Americans who die from a heart attack do so in the first hour after the attack without receiving any medical attention. Of course, not all those lives could have been saved, but many might have been. Often people don't...

By the Way, Doctor - Don't rely on the BMI.(body mass index)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Q I'm 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, so my BMI is 26. I exercise a lot, and no one thinks I'm overweight. But the BMI charts say I am. What do you think? A The BMI is a good, but not great, way of assessing whether someone is overweight. Most...

By the Way, Doctor - Vitamin E: Gamma- vs. alpha-tocopherol.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Q Is gamma-tocopherol a better form of vitamin E than alpha-tocopherol? A This is a complicated question, and the answer depends on what flavor of data you prefer. Yes, some lab studies have suggested that the gamma-tocopherol form...

By the Way, Doctor - Does selenium interfere with other vitamins?(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Q I've had prostate cancer and am taking selenium in hopes of keeping it under control. Will it affect the absorption of vitamins? A I'm not aware of any research showing that extra selenium causes that kind of problem. But that doesn't...