News and Views from Harvard Health Blog

The science behind “broken heart syndrome”
Feb 14, 2012

Natural recoverers kick addiction without help
Feb 13, 2012

New anti-lice lotion is good news for nitpickers
Feb 10, 2012

New from Harvard Health Publications

• New report from Harvard Health offers tips for starting an exercise program and keeping it fresh

  Over the years, you've probably filled a number of prescriptions to help you get better or stay healthy. The most important one — which you may never have been given and can't fill at any pharmacy — is for exercise. Exercise? It's far better... Read more »

• Can you learn while you sleep?

  Getting enough restful sleep restores the mind and body, preparing both for the challenges that lie ahead. Without it, mood, concentration, and mental performance suffer. And according to research reported in the February 2012 Harvard Men’s Health... Read more »

• How stress can cause overeating

  Stress, the hormones it unleashes, and the effects of high-fat, sugary “comfort foods” can lead people to gain weight. The February 2012 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter explains the truth behind “stress eating” — how stress... Read more »

• Eating disorders can affect older women, not just teenagers

  Eating disorders are usually associated with teenage girls and young women, but more and more women in the baby boomer generation are suffering from them as well. Clinicians who treat eating disorders report an upswing in requests for help from... Read more »

• Is generic atorvastatin as good as brand-name Lipitor?

  In the February issue of the Harvard Health Letter, Editor in Chief Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff answers a question that’s on a lot of people’s minds these days: is atorvastatin, the generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, as good... Read more »

• Heart medications help only if you take them

  People with heart disease and other chronic conditions are usually prescribed one or more medications. But most take them only about half the time. Each year, this high rate of “nonadherence” leads to an estimated 125,000 deaths in the United... Read more »

• What is it about coffee?

  Remember when people (and their doctors) used to worry that coffee was bad for the heart, would give them ulcers, and would make them overly nervous? In excess, it can cause problems. But recent research has linked coffee to health benefits, not... Read more »

• Twelve tips for healthier eating in 2012

  If healthier eating is on your list of resolutions for 2012, look no further. The January issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch offers 12 ways to break old dietary habits and build new ones. According to the article “12 for 2012: Twelve tips... Read more »