Articles in the January 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Searching for health information
- Calculating your heart attack risk
- Make your health information personal
- Observing JUPITER
- Nine tips for a healthier 2009
- Editors' note
- Ask the doctor: Is bundle branch block serious?
- Ask the doctor: Is it possible to reverse coronary artery disease?
- Changing picture of atherosclerosis
- Navigating the ocean of health information
- Ask the doctor: Are big surges in blood pressure dangerous?
- Links to resources for creating a personal health record
- January 2009 references and further reading
View the complete issue »
Articles in the February 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Six minutes to save a life
- Cardiac arrest: When minutes matter
- Bypass results vary by hospital
- Spotlight on heart tests: C-reactive protein testing comes of age
- Generic heart drugs as good as brand names
- Two-way street between depression and heart disease
- Heart beat: Preeclampsia poses later heart risk
- Heart beat: Statins, aspirin affect prostate cancer test
- Heart beat: Trial gives nod to home warfarin monitoring
- Heart beat: When success leads to failure
- Heart beat: C+E get an F for heart protection
- Heart beat: Beware cardiac arrest after heart attack
- Follow-up
- Ask the doctor: What does an enlarged heart signify?
- Ask the doctor: Could my statin or exercise be affecting my kidneys?
- Tracking down generic alternatives to brand-name drugs
- Links to Home INR monitoring information
- February 2009 references and further reading
View the complete issue »
Articles in the March 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- March 2009 references and further reading
- The flap over mitral valve prolapse
- Snapshot of the American diet: Foods out of balance
- Creating order from chaos: Taming atrial fibrillation
- Heart Beat: Exercise benefits clogged leg arteries
- Heart Beat: Gasping shouldn't delay CPR
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Can I have a catheter procedure to stop atrial fibrillation?
- Ask the doctor: Can I exercise even though my valves are leaking a little bit?
- Ask the doctor: Do statins affect blood pressure?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the April 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Women's heart centers
- April 2009 references and further reading
- Radiation in medicine: A double-edged sword
- Women's hearts need extra attention
- Potassium and sodium out of balance
- Heart Beat: Binge drinking and stroke
- Heart Beat: Osteoporosis drugs not linked to atrial fibrillation
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: Will taking arginine and citrulline protect my arteries?
- Ask the doctor: Does the length of the ST segment on an electrocardiogram matter?
- Ask the doctor: Does narrowing of the aortic valve get better on its own?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the May 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- May 2009 references and further reading
- Mindfulness in a hectic world
- Trial renews surgery vs. stent debate
- Take the plunge for your heart
- On the alert for deep-vein blood clots
- No need to avoid healthy omega-6 fats
- Heart Beat: Mindfulness helps ease heart failure
- Heart Beat: Say "nuts" to chips
- Heart Beat: A weight loss "secret": Calories matter
- Ask the doctor: How is atrial flutter different from atrial fibrillation?
- Is donating blood good for the heart?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the June 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Heart attack risk calculators
- June 2009 references and further reading
- Defining a moderate-intensity workout
- Exercise equals angioplasty for leg pain
- Treat "mini-strokes" as an emergency, not a gentle warning
- New guidelines refine aspirin prescription
- Heart Beat: Atrial fibrillation and blood pressure
- Heart Beat: Billions for heart care
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: How did my blood pressure suddenly become normal?
- Ask the doctor: Why aren't prevention efforts stopping an increase in heart disease?
- Ask the doctor: Do I need to take precautions if I stop taking warfarin before a colonoscopy?
- Ask the doctor: Will a memory-boosting supplement interfere with my heart medications?
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Articles in the July 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Implanting a biventricular pacemaker
- July 2009 references and further reading
- Regenerating the heart
- Redefining myocardial infarction
- Advanced pacemaker gets the heart in sync
- Heart infection can pose a medical mystery
- Heart Beat: A single pill for prevention?
- Heart Beat: Aspirin gets a backup against atrial fibrillation
- Heart Beat: Summer: A good season for cholesterol
- Heart Beat: Black tea and blood pressure
- Heart Beat: The biggest loser
- Heart Beat: Traffic, anger strain the heart
- On the horizon
- Ask the doctor: Why is peanut butter "healthy" if it has saturated fat?
- Ask the doctor: Is the term "coronary heart disease" redundant?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the August 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Trials test closing a PFO
- August 2009 references and further reading
- Stomach-protecting drug could block Plavix
- Hole in the heart opens questions
- 13 ways to add fruits and vegetables to your diet
- When the lights suddenly go out
- Heart Beat: New name for TIA?
- Heart Beat: Preventable threats to survival
- Heart Beat: Extending the time for stroke treatment
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Are isometric exercises safe for the heart?
- Ask the doctor: What are silent heart attacks?
- Ask the doctor: Why do I get chest pain when I don't warm up before exercising?
- Ask the doctor: How can you tell when a leaky mitral valve needs to be fixed?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the September 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- September 2009 references and further reading
- Pain relief balancing act
- Walk often, walk far
- Heart Beat: Treating sleep apnea may pay off for the heart
- Heart Beat: Double treatment for heart attack
- Heart Beat: Anxious about angina
- In Brief
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Two-way street between heart and health
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Body fat: The good, the bad, the…
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Two-way street between head, heart
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Psoriasis is more than skin deep
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Testosterone, sex, and the heart
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: The ovarian connection
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Skeleton key
- Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Odd associations
- Ask the doctor: Does exercise help damaged heart muscle?
- Ask the doctor: Are there radiation-free tests for checking my arteries?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the October 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- CLEVER trial information
- October 2009 references and further reading
- 11 foods that lower cholesterol
- After a heart attack
- Atrial fibrillation, angioplasty drugs approved
- Cautious confirmation for easier aneurysm repair
- Heart Beat: Big chill for cardiac arrest
- Heart Beat: Trial Watch
- Ask the doctor: Does heart rate affect blood pressure?
- Ask the doctor: Should I wait to have my aortic valve replaced?
- Ask the doctor: Are some blood vessels more prone to blockages than others?
- Ask the doctor: Is vinegar good for the arteries?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the November 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- November 2009 references and further reading
- Sporadic high blood pressure deserves attention
- Exercise prescription for diabetes
- 6 steps to safer use of triple therapy
- Using music to tune the heart
- Heart Beat: Setting standards for pacemaker and ICD lead extraction
- Heart Beat: Heart failure tough on B vitamins
- Heart Beat: Statins before vascular surgery
- Heart Beat: Go Mediterranean for the brain and heart
- Heart Beat: Blood pressure reading affected by eating
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Is it worrisome to hear a pulse in my ear?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the December 2009 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Another reason to get a flu shot: your heart
- Vitamin D: a bright spot in nutrition research
- Blood pressure: How low should you go?
- Heart Beat: Peripheral artery disease and stroke
- Heart Beat: Shellfish for the heart?
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Should I double up on aspirin if I think I am having a heart attack?
- Ask the doctor: How can I keep my coronary arteries from going into painful spasms?
- Ask the doctor: Can I take red yeast rice instead of a statin to lower my cholesterol?
- December 2009 references and further reading
View the complete issue »
Articles in the January 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Gene tests for some, not all
- Do-it-yourself bypass
- Mechanical assist for heart failure
- Repairing the heart one cell at a time
- Heart Beat: Look alive - it's Monday!
- Heart Beat: New vitamin helps lower cholesterol
- Heart Beat: Chilling out
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Can I take a diuretic?
- Ask the doctor: Can a massage cause a stroke?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the February 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Mini strokes are a maxi problem
- Angiotensin inhibitor or blocker?
- Surgery or angioplasty for opening a clogged neck artery?
- Triglycerides: A big fat problem
- Heart Beat: Sexy supplements can be bad for the heart
- Heart Beat: Pedometer-powered walking
- Heart Beat: New blood sugar measure
- Follow-up
- Ask the doctor: Is this pain from my heart?
- Ask the doctor: Could heart surgery have affected my lung?
- Ask the doctor: Is my blood pressure normal?
- Ask the doctor: Are all dark chocolates good for the heart?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the March 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Troublesome medications
- Electrocardiogram: Visualizing the heart's electrical signature
- Focus on hormones: Estrogen therapy - benefits in the timing?
- Focus on hormones: Testosterone therapy's benefits, risks need crystallizing
- Heart Beat: It's never too late for healthy eating and exercise
- Heart Beat: Lopsided decline in heart disease deaths
- Heart Beat: Hole in the heart
- Heart Beat: It was only a matter of time: Plant sterols in chips
- Heart Beat: Good news keeps brewing on coffee and heart disease
- Heart Beat: A Chia Pet for diabetes?
- Heart Beat: Red light, green light on medications
- Heart Beat: Checking blood pressure at home
- Ask the doctor: Is it okay to take aspirin, Plavix, and warfarin?
- Ask the doctor: Can a pacemaker cause dizzy spells?
- 9 ways to protect your heart when diabetes threatens it
View the complete issue »
Articles in the April 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Angioplasty or bypass surgery?
- Trial fails to enhance cholesterol drug's reputation
- Big trouble from small arteries
- State-of-the-heart therapy for prostate cancer
- Heart Beat: Golden opportunity to fight heart disease
- Heart Beat: Small price to pay for an extra 14 years
- Heart Beat: Dual duty for WelChol
- Follow-up
- Clarification
- Ask the doctor: Do people on warfarin need to avoid vitamin supplements that contain vitamin K?
- Ask the doctor: Is a nuclear imaging stress test the same thing as an exercise stress test or exercise echocardiogram?
- Ask the doctor: Are medications for ADHD safe for the heart?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the May 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Know the warning signs
- ACCORD's discord on blood sugar control
- It's time to accentuate the positive
- Get a hearty start on the day
- A new crystal ball
- Heart Beat: Heparin: a risky bridge over troubled waters?
- Heart Beat: Bypass surgery no barrier to sexual satisfaction
- Heart Beat: Kudos on cholesterol?
- Heart Beat: New guidelines for bleeding disorder
- Heart Beat: Panic attacks linked to heart disease
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Are heart drugs causing my nighttime leg cramps?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the June 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Don't delay when heart failure threatens
- A second look at beta blockers and blood pressure
- Heart Beat: Warfarin home monitoring program expanded
- Heart Beat: Chrome dome doesn't mean sicker ticker
- Follow-up
- Ask the doctor: Can I keep myself from fainting when I have blood drawn?
- Ask the doctor: Is high blood pressure in the morning a problem?
- Protecting the heart during noncardiac surgery
View the complete issue »
Articles in the July 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Age no barrier to blood pressure control
- Going after angiotensin
- Fish and fish oil: Good for most folks, but not all
- Does fitness offset fatness?
- Taking heart disease to new heights
- Heart beat: Air pollution fails the heart, vitamins may help
- Heart beat: Heart-stopping thrills
- Heart beat: Hands-only CPR
- Heart beat: Sweeter note sounded for iPod users
- Heart beat: Calcium scan benefit still uncertain
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: Should I worry about my low diastolic pressure?
- Ask the doctor: Does Tricor cause gallstones?
- Streamlined CPR guidelines a life-saving move
View the complete issue »
Articles in the August 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Heart Beat: Dangers of skipping medications after a heart attack
- Slow rehabilitation of drug-coated stents
- Seeing the heart with sound
- Hypertension and diabetes - double trouble
- Balancing hope and reality in heart failure
- Joint inflammation may point the finger at heart disease
- When quitters are winners
- Heart beat: Trial questions beta blockers for all before noncardiac surgery
- Heart beat: DASH diet ignored
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: How long do I need to keep taking Plavix?
- Ask the doctor: Can I have my hernia fixed while taking Plavix?
- Ask the doctor: Are community heart check-ups worth doing?
- Ask the doctor: Is sotalol making me tired and heavier?
- Get the lead out
View the complete issue »
Articles in the September 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Checking blood pressure: Do try this at home
- Aches and pains - is your statin to blame?
- Mediterranean diet sails well in the USA
- Heart beat: Post-heart attack angina common, and commonly untreated
- Heart beat: Heart disease a major killer among people with HIV/AIDS
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: What's the difference between blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c?
- Ask the doctor: What's the connection between statins and coenzyme Q10?
- Measuring blood pressure at home
View the complete issue »
Articles in the October 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Good sources of potassium
- Warning signs of a heart attack or stroke
- Harvard Heart Letter October 2008: References and further reading
- Dial 911 when a heart attack has your number
- Alcohol's cardiac effects differ by sex
- Ankle-brachial index
- Smaller surgery speeds recovery from valve fix
- Heart beat: Coffee: A connection to good health?
- Heart beat: CT scans may interfere with pacemakers, other devices
- Heart beat: Tapping the power of potassium
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: Is my blood pressure medicine changing my ability to taste?
- Ask the doctor: How is a blocked stent fixed?
- Ask the doctor: How do I know if my new valve isn't working correctly?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the November 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- More information on no-surgery valve repair
- Do you have sleep apnea?
- Harvard Heart Letter November 2008: References and further reading
- More information on the long QT syndrome
- Sleep apnea wakes up heart disease
- Flap over tilapia sends the wrong message
- No-surgery valve repair puts excitement to the test
- Living with long QT syndrome
- Slow down and savor the flavor
- Heart Beat: Drugs, angioplasty nearly equal for angina relief
- Heart Beat: Uncertainty dogs Zetia and Vytorin
- In brief
- Ask the doctor: Is low blood pressure a problem?
- Ask the doctor: Are there different kinds of heart failure?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the December 2008 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- More reading on resistant hypertension
- Folic acid and folate in foods
- December 2008 references and further reading
- Resistant hypertension needs special attention
- Wrist artery a safe approach to the heart
- Beats per minute a signal of heart health
- Folic acid: Too much of a good thing?
- Pre-dental antibiotics for few, not many
- Heart Beat: New COPD medications seem okay for the heart
- Heart Beat: Green tea and statins
- Heart Beat: Hot flashes and the heart
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Is it dangerous to have calcium in the aorta?
- Ask the doctor: Do calcium supplements counteract calcium-channel blockers?
- Ask the doctor: Can you get a stent after bypass surgery and vice versa?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the January 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Are you prepared for a cardiac emergency?
- Making connections good for the heart and soul
- Talking, tools make for better medical decisions
- Ask the doctor: Can coronary artery grafts break?
- Ask the doctor: Is it okay to stop taking warfarin when atrial fibrillation stops?
- Ask the doctor: Do I need a thallium stress test every year?
- Reader to Reader
- Trying times for painkiller choices
- Heart Beat: Real age - diabetes
- How qualified are health claims for food?
- Heart attack warning signs
- Defibrillators deliver the shock of a lifetime
View the complete issue »
Articles in the February 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Simple changes in diet can protect you against friendly fire
- Put some bite into heart disease prevention
- Blood pressure drugs can boost blood sugar
- Fish: Friend or foe?
- Heart Beat: Dancing away from heart failure
- Heart Beat: Too soon to sell a gene test for warfarin?
- Heart Beat: Is there an afterlife for pacemakers and defibrillators?
- Ask the doctor: What are the symptoms of, and tests for, an enlarged heart?
- Ask the doctor: What's the skinny on fat-free half-and-half?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the March 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- New drug fizzles at raising HDL
- Some blood pressure drugs act as a skeleton key
- Heart Beat: Alcohol and high blood pressure
- Heart Beat: Fatal attraction?
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: Do grapes and grape juice protect the heart like wine does?
- Ask the doctor: Is it dangerous for me to go over my target heart rate?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the April 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Mixed marks for heart surgery report cards
- Aldosteronism: Too much of a good thing
- Statins for aortic valve narrowing?
- Different shades of gray for post-heart attack depression
- Heart Beat: Home defibrillator skills slip away
- Heart Beat: Parkinson's drugs linked to heart valve trouble
- Heart Beat: New Start! for exercise
- Heart Beat: Tea with a twist
- Ask the doctor: Is a lot of exercise bad for the heart?
- Ask the doctor: Does it matter when I take a statin?
- Report cards on cardiac surgeons and hospitals
- Heart Disease and Diabetes
- Life-saving training
View the complete issue »
Articles in the May 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Sleep problems, heart disease often in bed together
- No benefit for late angioplasty after a heart attack
- Late blood clots tarnish drug-coated stents
- Heart scans hold intermediate promise
- A new way to control blood pressure
- New tool refines heart risk prediction
- What the latest diet trial really means
- Heart beat: As the hammock swings
- Heart beat: States of the heart
- Heart beat: Study suggests limiting use of aspirin plus warfarin
- Ask the doctor: Is weight lifting safe if I have a stent?
- Ask the doctor: Is my breathlessness a heart or lung problem?
- Ask the doctor: Does a low ejection fraction doom me to inactivity?
- Ask the doctor: Can eye drops for glaucoma affect the heart?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the June 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Yellow light on pain relievers
- Reception still fuzzy for fast CT scans of the heart
- COURAGE to make choices
- Heart Beat: Big bend for blood pressure?
- Heart Beat: High pulse pressure poses risk for atrial fibrillation
- In Brief
- Heart Beat: A heartfelt legacy from long-lived parents
- Heart Beat: More evidence against trans fats
- Follow-up
- Ask the doctor: Can I stop taking my blood pressure medicine?
- Ask the doctor: Should I take nitroglycerin during exercise?
- A road map to life in the fat lane
View the complete issue »
Articles in the July 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- What triggers heart attacks?
- Guidelines offer women a change of heart
- Heart Beat: Drive-through angioplasty?
- Heart Beat: Applying cardiac advances saves lives
- Heart Beat: Migraine, heart disease linked
- Ask the doctor: Is warfarin turning my toes purple?
- Ask the doctor: What causes C-reactive protein levels to vary?
- Ask the doctor: Can you really prevent heart disease?
- Ask the doctor: Why does my father feel wires poking him in the chest months after open-heart surgery?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the August 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Outlook on diabetes drug less than rosy
- Aspirin: A user's guide to who needs it and how much to take
- Heart Beat: Longer workouts better for boosting good cholesterol
- Heart Beat: Pacemakers, iPods out of sync
- Heart Beat: Talking it up: speech and atrial fibrillation
- In Brief
- Correction and Clarification
- Ask the doctor: Are Lipitor and Crestor equally good for me?
- Ask the doctor: Do beta blockers and ACE inhibitors help or harm the heart?
- Calculating your heart attack risk
View the complete issue »
Articles in the September 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Shake the salt habit for a longer life
- When high cholesterol is a family affair
- Skipping a beat - the surprise of palpitations
- Heart Beat: Paying attention to potassium in heart failure
- Heart Beat: A square of chocolate keeps the doctor away?
- Heart Beat: Diabetes poses danger for the heart, body
- Heart Beat: Waist watching
- Heart Beat: Warfarin trumps aspirin for stroke prevention in elderly
- Follow-up
- Ask the doctor: Is red yeast rice good for lowering cholesterol?
- Ask the doctor: Why is my blood pressure higher in one arm than the other?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the October 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Scaling back on antibiotics
- Driving under the influence of abnormal heart rhythms
- Add intervals of intensity for a stronger heart
- Sticking it to blood pressure?
- Heart Beat: Nothing fancy
- Heart Beat: Beans, beans, the magical fruit
- Heart Beat: The Mysterious Human Heart
- Ask the doctor: Does Fosamax cause atrial fibrillation?
- Ask the doctor: Is it safe to fly with heart failure?
- Antibiotics before dental work
- Driving and abnormal heart rhythms
View the complete issue »
Articles in the November 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Come back to the garden of eatin'
- No denying the power of produce
- In with the good, out with the bad
- Translating good food into better diets
- 12 tips for holiday eating
- Ask the doctor: Is canned fish good for the heart?
- Ask the doctor: How many calories do I need?
- Diets for the heart
View the complete issue »
Articles in the December 2007 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Genetic help for a blood-thinner balancing act
- A blood pressure problem that's isolated in name only
- Heart Beat: Teachable moment
- Heart Beat: Steering clear of pacemaker infections
- Heart Beat: Newer bypass technique may be safer for women
- Heart Beat: ACE, ARB duet questioned
- Heart Beat: Take a shot against heart disease
- Heart Beat: Too few get the best therapy for an ailing heart
- Ask the doctor: How do I handle conflicting advice about exercise?
- Ask the doctor: Is yerba mate good for my heart?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the November 2006 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Putting activity in your day
- Simplicity still rules for heart disease forecast
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Heart Beat: Baby, it's cold outside
- Heart Beat: Getting away from secondhand smoke
- Heart Beat: Take aspirin before ibuprofen, not after
- Heart Beat: Portion distortion
- Heart Beat: Spicy medicine, or just spice?
- In Brief
- Ask the doctor: What is vasospastic angina?
- Ask the doctor: Does a collapsed stent need fixing?
View the complete issue »
Articles in the December 2006 issue of Harvard Heart Letter include:
- Sudden death isn't always so sudden
- Artificial heart helps the beat go on
- Salt substitutes deserve a place at the table
- Squeezing your way to lower blood pressure
- Heart Beat: What foods are rich in antioxidants?
- Heart Beat: Searching for dollar-saving generics
- Heart Beat: Statins may need a boost in blacks
- Heart Beat: Stick it to 'em
- Follow-up: Pacemakers and MRIs
- MRI safe pacemakers?
View the complete issue »