Harvard Health Letter articles from September 2006

Harvard Health Letter archives from September 2006

The cervical cancer vaccine.
September 1, 2006... A new vaccine promises to save lives, but won't replace the Pap test. Cervical cancer once killed many American women -- mothers, daughters, and wives. But over the past 30 years, the number of cervical cancer deaths in the United States...

Multivitamins: Should you buy this insurance?
September 1, 2006... Studies have raised doubts about vitamins, but the multivitamin pill is still a good idea. The daily multivitamin pill is no substitute for a good diet. But none of us is perfect when it comes to healthful eating. We may know all about the...

Bone drugs may harm what they're supposed to protect.
September 1, 2006... The bisphosphonate drugs have been linked to death of bone tissue. Bones may seem solid, the sturdy frame that supports our soft and spongy flesh and insides. But at the cellular level, bone is in constant flux. Cells called osteoclasts...

Osteonecrosis of the jaw.
September 1, 2006... How common is it? A definitive prevalence study hasn't been done. In the meantime, less conclusive studies have found that up to 10% of multiple myeloma patients treated with bisphosphonates are affected, and nearly as many breast cancer...

By the way, doctor; Can four MRIs "miss" my TIAs?(transient ischemic attacks)(magnetic resonance imaging)
September 1, 2006... Q. Is it possible to have one or more TIAs in the past four years and not have them show up in four MRIs? A. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are symptomatically small strokes. Like a major stroke, a TIA occurs when a part of the brain...

By the way, doctor; Am I drinking too much?(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Q. How much alcohol is in a drink? I drink at least two jiggers (three ounces) of gin most days, and lately, I've been drinking three. Is that too much? I understand that women are more easily affected by alcohol than men. A. I think it's...