Harvard Health Letter articles from November 2003

Harvard Health Letter archives from November 2003

The 'precursor' syndrome.(diagnosis of preconditions for select diseases)
November 1, 2003... Catch a problem early and you prevent serious illness and suffering. But are we creating a bonanza for the pharmaceutical industry in the process? Up until 2003, if your systolic blood pressure was 120 to 129 and your diastolic pressure...

The big chill: Raynaud's phenomenon.
November 1, 2003... Having cold hands is common - Raynaud's phenomenon is not. Bundling up helps both. Low blood flow through the hands and other extremities is a normal physiological response to cold temperatures. In people with Raynaud's (pronounced...

Preventing delirium in the hospital.
November 1, 2003... Sometimes it can't be avoided. But small things like making sure someone wears her glasses may help. Hospitalized patients of any age can become delirious, but people over age 65 are especially vulnerable. Like many mental health...

Sizing up South Beach.(popular diet)
November 1, 2003... It makes some good points, but The South Beach Diet has problems typical of diet books: Lack of proof and some dubious claims. The American appetite for diet books seems insatiable, and we're gobbling up copies of The South Beach Diet....

Are you wary of herbal medicines?
November 1, 2003... Join the crowd. Some figures show sales are down. Consumers need quality products and credible research. Internet stocks may not be the only 90s bubble that has burst. Information Resources Inc., a Chicago market research firm that tracks...

In Brief - Less food for thought.(eating habits and risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Overeating seems to be bad for just about everything below the neck, but it may also be a problem for what's above it - the brain. Several studies have shown a connection between low-calorie and low-fat eating and a lower risk for...

In Brief - Flu vaccine: Through the nose, not the needle.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In 2003, it became possible for some people to get their flu vaccine without actually getting a shot. The FDA approved FluMist, a flu vaccine that comes in the form of a nasal spray. Although the nasal administration of medication is...

In Brief - Heart attack prevention: Trust the old reliables.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Most people know that if your cholesterol is high, you're more likely to have a heart attack. Smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes also have well-deserved reputations for putting people on the path to heart trouble. Yet it's often...

By the Way, Doctor - What type of hip replacement should I get?(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Q I'm a 52-year-old tennis player who needs a hip replacement. The orthopedists in my area do a metal-ball-in-polyethylene-cup replacement that I'm told lasts 10-15 years. But I've heard that metal-ball-in-metal-cup replacements last longer....

By the Way, Doctor - BP varies, so which reading should you use?(blood pressure)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Q I read your July 2003 article on the updated blood pressure guidelines with interest because I have high blood pressure. But one thing bothers me about articles on blood pressure: They always seem to talk about blood pressure as if it were...