New from Harvard Health

• Why talking on a cell phone distracts drivers

  It seems counterintuitive: why is talking on a cell phone while driving any more distracting than talking to a passenger? The reasons have to do with the way our brains process information, reports the Harvard Mental Health Letter. About eight in 10... Read more »

• Hold off on buying genetic testing kits

  From cancer to the common cold, almost every human malady has something to do with genes. In an effort to cash in on our growing understanding of the connection between genes and disease, more and more companies are marketing genetic testing kits... Read more »

• When to worry about a cough

  For most men, chronic coughing raises the specter of cancer. But is cancer really a common cause of a cough that lingers? And if it’s not, what is? The September 2010 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch discusses potential causes of this... Read more »

• New cases of hepatitis C are down, but millions are chronically infected and may not know it

  The number of cases of Hepatitis C is down, but millions are chronically infected and may not know it, reports the September 2010 issue of The Harvard Health Letter. Hepatitis C—sometimes shortened to “hep C”—is transmitted... Read more »

• Stand up for your heart’s health

  When a recent Australian study linked time spent watching television to heart disease, headlines like “Too much TV may lead to shorter life” were common. But television watching probably isn’t to blame in itself—sitting is... Read more »

• “Telestroke” helps patients at smaller hospitals

  Not all hospitals have the most up-to-date technology for evaluating people who may be having a stroke. But emergency rooms with access to a rapid-response stroke center via a consultation system known as “telestroke” can minimize brain... Read more »