Harvard Health Letter articles from November 2004

Harvard Health Letter archives from November 2004

Why do we eat so much?
November 1, 2004... It's simple: Blame the environment! A nice, cozy atmosphere, big helpings, the way the food is arranged -- seemingly small variables like these may go a long way toward explaining the American penchant for overeating. Research into bad...

Leeches and maggots: Not appealing, might help with healing.
November 1, 2004... The blood-sucking leeches and flesh-eating maggots you might see in a horror movie are moonlighting these days in hospitals and doctors' offices --with the FDA's blessings, no less. Doctors have found that leeches can help skin grafts and...

Choline: There's something fishy about this vitamin.
November 1, 2004... Never heard of choline? Join the crowd. Yet this vitamin is a critical part of your diet. It participates in a number of biochemical chain reactions that create cell membranes and is the forerunner of a protein needed by kidney cells. Choline...

Which cholesterol test should you get?
November 1, 2004... The number of tests has proliferated. But for most people, the traditional fasting cholesterol is still the way to go. Time to get your cholesterol checked. Okay, but which test should you get? It's not so simple anymore. Here is a rundown...

Bush vs. Kerry: Who is healthier?
November 1, 2004... Both candidates are active, so their cardiovascular systems seem to be in tip-top shape. But they've had health problems typical of men their age. Ads, debates, policy positions, media coverage -- those are things that decide presidential...

Statins not associated with cancer.
November 1, 2004... Statin drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor) are so widely used that even a whiff of suspicion can billow into a cloud of concern. If you go by the results of most trials, there's no reason to worry that taking a statin...

BY THE WAY, DOCTOR; How could former President Clinton have undetected heart disease?
November 1, 2004... Q When I read that President Clinton learned for the first time in early September 2004 that he had severe heart disease, I was shocked. His health must have been monitored as closely as anyone's. How could something this serious have escaped...