
Harvard Women's Health Watch
Every day, new findings are changing the way physicians diagnose and treat many medical conditions in women. It’s important that you be well informed about the health issues that impact women most. And there’s no better source for women’s health information than Harvard Women’s Health Watch. The facts come directly from the more than 8,000 doctors and researchers at Harvard Medical School. They will give you straight answers, put the risks and benefits into perspective, help you make informed decisions about your health, and take action to live a longer, healthier life.
Harvard Women’s Health Watch puts you in closer touch with everything that’s happening right now in the new age of women’s health and medicine. New prevention strategies, new diagnostic techniques, new medications and treatments. From heart disease in women to breast cancer, from diet and nutrition to vitamins and supplements, from hormone therapy to exercise and strength training, Harvard Women’s Health Watch focuses on health from a woman’s perspective.
In each eight-page monthly issue, you’ll find trustworthy, practical health information that can help you live a longer and healthier life. Discover:
- The single best exercise regimen for maintaining bone strength
- Which friendly fats are good for you – and taste great
- How to tell if you should get a heart scan
- The surprising truth about soy
- The new thinking on chemoprevention of breast cancer
- When hormone therapy may make sense
If it matters to women, it’s in Harvard Women’s Health Watch. You owe it to yourself to have the best health information available so you can make a real, positive difference in your health and well-being. Subscribe today.
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Articles in the January 2012 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- 12 for 2012: Twelve tips for healthier eating
- Sex and the older woman
- In the journals: Yoga and stretching are equally effective for easing low back pain
- Ask the doctor: What else can I do for Dupuytren's contracture?
- Ask the doctor: What happens to the plastic beads injected during uterine artery embolization?
- Ask the doctor: What can you tell me about uveitis?
Articles in the February 2012 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Disordered eating in midlife and beyond
- What to do about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Healing yourself after injury, illness, or surgery
- In the journals: Experts update guidelines for treating essential tremor
- Ask the doctor: Can getting rid of varicose veins cause venous insufficiency?
Articles in the January 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- 11 for 2011: Eleven important ways to assess your health
- Abnormal uterine bleeding in peri- and postmenopausal women
- In the journals: Pelvic floor muscle training can help reverse pelvic organ prolapse
- Easing bedbug anxiety
- Ask the doctor: What can you tell me about surgery for vertebral fractures?
- How to perform Kegel exercises
Articles in the February 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Job strain and heart disease risk in women
- Strange bedfellows: Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis
- Diverticular disease prevention and treatment
- What to do about dry skin in winter
- In the news: Report sets new dietary intake levels for vitamin D and calcium
- Ask the doctor: Does folic acid improve immunity?
- Ask the doctor: How should I remove eye makeup if I have blepharitis?
- Relaxation techniques
Articles in the March 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Hormone therapy: The next chapter
- Prolonged illness and grieving
- What to do about gallstones
- In the journals: Heart failure risk is lower in women who regularly eat modest amounts of chocolate
- Ask the doctor: How do I use a cane?
Articles in the April 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- FDA limits prescription acetaminophen
- Keeping up with your vaccinations
- Minimally invasive treatments for bothersome leg veins
- In the journals: Mindfulness meditation practice changes the brain
- In the journals: Timing of hormone therapy influences breast cancer risk
- Ask the doctor: Do I need an HPV test?
- Ask the doctor: What causes a craving for ice?
Articles in the May 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- When Patients Suddenly Become Confused
- Food allergies and food intolerances
- In the journals: Culturally appropriate storytelling may help control blood pressure in African Americans
- In the journals: A device to prevent heart failure is twice as effective in women
- Ask the doctor: Is hair straightening safe?
Articles in the June 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Soy may be okay for breast cancer survivors
- Conditions: When sweating is too much
- What to do about bunions
- In the journals: Major depression more likely during perimenopause than during premenopause
- Ask the doctor: How should I be screened for cardiovascular disease?
- Ask the doctor: What are the differences between soluble and insoluble fiber?
Articles in the July 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- New Alzheimer's guidelines define early stages of the disease
- Experts urge intensive lifestyle measures for lowering triglycerides
- Are there limits to laser refractive surgery after midlife?
- In the journals: Cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise therapy help ease chronic fatigue symptoms
- Ask the doctor: Is thermography a good screening tool for breast cancer?
- Ask the doctor: Do statins cause hair loss?
Articles in the August 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Psychotherapy at midlife
- Diagnosing and treating interstitial cystitis
- In the journals: Another drug prevents breast cancer in postmenopausal women
- In the journals: Fibroid embolization and surgery have similar five-year outcomes
- Ask the doctor: What can I do about xanthelasma on my eyelids?
- Types of psychotherapy
Articles in the September 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Bioidentical hormones: Help or hype?
- Tinnitus: Ringing in the ears and what to do about it
- In the journals: Napping boosts sleep and cognitive function in healthy older adults
- In the journals: Large trial finds annual screening doesn't reduce deaths from ovarian cancer
- Ask the doctor: Does creatine improve strength in postmenopausal women?
- FDA-approved bioidentical hormones for menopausal symptoms
Articles in the October 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- The breast density-breast cancer connection
- How to get rid of warts
- Update on vibration therapy for bone health
- In the journals: Novel foot-health program reduces falls in older people
- In the journals: Regular exercise may ward off cognitive decline in women with vascular disease
- Ask the doctor: How does hot pepper cream work to relieve pain?
- Ask the doctor: Do I need a Pap test at age 75?
- Risk factors for breast cancer
Articles in the November 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Screening after age 75
- When keeping stuff gets out of hand
- In the journals: Even a little exercise is good for the heart - especially a woman's
- In the journals: Sleep apnea increases dementia risk in older women
- In the journals: Cholesterol-lowering foods outdo low-saturated-fat diet
- Ask the doctor: What do you know about Prolia and Reclast for osteoporosis?
- What foods are included in the portfolio diet?
Articles in the December 2011 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Depression and cardiovascular risk in women
- The overlooked hazards of holiday eating
- Staying active despite osteoporosis
- In the journals: Vaginal estrogen ring helps relieve overactive bladder
- In the journals: Study elucidates health risks for DES daughters
- Ask the doctor: Should I have my magnesium level checked?
- Ask the doctor: Does vaginal estrogen have the same risks as oral or patch estrogen?
- Magnesium content in milligrams (mg) of certain foods
Articles in the January 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- 10 for 2010: 10 things you should know about heart disease
- In the journals: Cognitive behavioral therapy more effective than light therapy for relieving seasonal depression
- What to do about Bell's palsy
- Time for tooth whitening?
- By the way, doctor: What can I do about chronic leukorrhea?
- By the way, doctor: Is it safe to take high doses of vitamin D?
- By the way, doctor: Does carbonated water harm bones?
- Exercise resources
- Staying attuned to blood pressure
Articles in the February 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Preserving and improving memory as we age
- A doctor talks about: Screening mammography
- Essential tremor and how to manage it
- In the journals: Cocoa reduces inflammation associated with heart disease
- By the way, doctor: What can I do about vulvodynia?
Articles in the March 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Calcium beyond the bones
- Managing postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
- In the journals: Some antidepressants interfere with tamoxifen more than others
- Update: Thighbone fractures in women taking bisphosphonate drugs
- By the way, doctor: What's the right amount of vitamin C for me?
Articles in the April 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Progress report on ovarian cancer screening
- Tendon trouble in the hands: de Quervain's tenosynovitis and trigger finger
- In the journals: New analysis supports expanded use of statins in women
- In the journals: More studies find that regular exercise helps protect aging brains
- In the journals: Yoga may help improve women's sexual function
- By the way, doctor: Does laser treatment work for toenail fungus?
- Yoga and female sexual function
Articles in the May 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Advances in breast imaging
- Easing aching kneecaps
- In the journals: Study confirms link between certain diabetes drugs and fractures
- By the way, doctor: What are the health risks for DES daughters and their children?
- By the way, doctor: What do you know about the HCG diet?
- By the way, doctor: What can I do about twitching eyelids?
Articles in the June 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Getting help through couples therapy
- Bringing psoriasis under control
- In the journals: Exercise limits weight gain in normal-weight but not heavier women
- Urine color and odor changes
- By the way, doctor: Is krill oil better for the heart than fish oil?
- By the way, doctor: Does platelet-rich plasma therapy work for tennis elbow?
Articles in the July 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Too early to get up, too late to get back to sleep
- Progress in treating multiple myeloma
- In the journals: Study finds no link between bone drugs and unusual thigh fractures
- In the journals: Unequal leg length may be a risk for osteoarthritis of the knee
- Update: Home phototherapy for psoriasis is cost-effective
- By the way, doctor: What can I do to prevent cataracts?
- Medications that can affect sleep
- Relaxation techniques
Articles in the August 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Taking aim at belly fat
- Living wills and health care proxies
- In the journals: Studies find ways to reduce falls in older multifocal lens wearers
- In the journals: More happiness, less worry after age 50, study finds
- By the way, doctor: Should I get the shingles vaccine?
Articles in the September 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits
- Midurethral sling surgery for stress incontinence
- In the journals: The antidepressant citalopram cuts hot flash severity and frequency
- In the journals: Indoor tanning is strongly linked to melanoma risk
- By the way, doctor: What can I do about blepharitis?
Articles in the October 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- What's new in early breast cancer treatment?
- Workout for aching hands
- A doctor talks about: Radiation risk from medical imaging
- In the journals: Link between calcium supplements and heart attack risk unclear
- In the journals: Sitting can shorten your life
- By the way, doctor: Is it okay to drink grapefruit juice, as long as I don't take my statin at the same time?
Articles in the November 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Going off antidepressants
- How to release a frozen shoulder
- Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken-heart syndrome)
- In the journals: Early palliative care extends life in lung cancer study
- By the way, doctor: How much protein should I eat?
- How to taper off your antidepressant
Articles in the December 2010 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- The health benefits of strong relationships
- How to put your smartphone "on call"
- In the journals: Grip strength and other physical measures predict lifespan
- In the news: FDA approves the first oral drug for reducing multiple sclerosis relapses
- What to make of the new warning on bisphosphonates
- By the way, doctor: How much aspirin should I take to reduce my risk for colon cancer?
- By the way, doctor: What can I do about chilblains?
- Sources for smartphone apps
Articles in the February 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Should women with normal cholesterol be taking a statin?
- In brief: Hypnosis helps reduce hot flashes in breast cancer survivors
- In the journals: Research finds that many older people can't get up from a fall
- Foot conditions: Recognizing and treating Morton's neuroma
- Prevention: Have your vaccinations had a check-up lately?
- By the way, doctor: Can I have endometriosis even after a hysterectomy?
Articles in the March 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- What to do about sinusitis
- Conditions: Cold fingers, cold toes? Could be Raynaud's
- In the journals: Experts revise guidelines for irritable bowel syndrome
- In the journals: Exercise, especially treadmill, eases peripheral artery trouble
- By the way, doctor: I have a joint replacement - should I take antibiotics before procedures?
- By the way, doctor: Why is it unhealthy to have high triglycerides?
Articles in the April 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Mindfulness in a hectic world
- So you have primary hyperparathyroidism
- Alzheimer's caregiving: Day-to-day challenges
- In the journals: Heart experts recognize the benefits of daily omega-6s
- In the journals: Weight loss reduces urinary incontinence in heavy women
- In the journals: Alcohol can increase the risk of heart rhythm problems in middle-aged women
- By the way, doctor: What causes Beau's lines?
- Mindfulness resources
- By the way, doctor: Is vaginal estrogen safe for breast cancer survivors?
Articles in the May 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Experts recommend low-dose aspirin to prevent stroke in women
- Foot health: What to do about an ingrown toenail
- In the journals: High resting heart rate predicts heart risk in women at midlife
- In the journals: B vitamins may protect against macular degeneration
- In the journals: Exercise eases nighttime leg twitches
- The health benefits of tai chi
- By the way, doctor: Do I need CTX testing during a Fosamax "holiday"?
Articles in the June 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Treating female pattern hair loss
- Recognizing and avoiding tick-borne illness
- In the journals: Scientists discover how shift work may threaten health
- In the journals: Triple-negative breast cancer rate is triply high in black women
- By the way, doctor: What can I do about strep B vaginitis?
Articles in the July 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Getting your vitamins and minerals through diet
- Left behind after suicide
- In the journals: Routine ovary removal during hysterectomy ill-advised for most women
- In the journals: Average duration of hot flashes may be longer than previously thought
- By the way, doctor: Is taking calcium a problem if you have pseudogout?
- By the way, doctor: What can you tell me about peppermint oil?
Articles in the August 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Staying attuned to blood pressure
- Exercise to go
- In the journals: Radio wave treatment is effective against Barrett's esophagus
- In the journals: Pelvic organ prolapse: Vaginal delivery is not the only cause
- In the journals: Perimenopausal mental lags are real but temporary
- By the way, doctor: What causes ice-cream headache?
- By the way, doctor: What do you think of platelet-rich plasma therapy?
- Medications for treating hypertension
- Experts call for home blood pressure monitoring
Articles in the September 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Botox: Beyond cosmetic fixes
- Anaphylaxis: An overwhelming allergic reaction
- In the journals: Link found between migraines with aura and late-life brain lesions in women
- In the journals: Soy extracts don't improve bone density in older women
- In the journals: Endometrial ablation is shown to be safe and effective
- By the way, doctor: Is a tanning bed safer than sunlight?
Articles in the October 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Molecular advances in early breast cancer
- Becoming a vegetarian
- In the journals: Study shows that a new type of osteoporosis drug reduces fracture risk
- In the journals: Psychodynamic therapy is effective in treating chronic worry
- By the way, doctor: Should I try Renessa for urinary incontinence?
- By the way, doctor: Should I have my knee replaced?
Articles in the November 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- Sodium, salt, and you
- In the journals: Yoga therapy helps relieve chronic lower back pain
- In the journals: Weight lifting eases lymphedema symptoms in breast cancer survivors
- In the journals: Nonsurgical approach unlocks contracted fingers
- Flu update: This year, reducing your risk for the flu will require two kinds of shots
- By the way, doctor: Does hormone therapy cause dementia?
- By the way, doctor: Do inversion tables work?
Articles in the December 2009 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch include:
- What to do about postmenopausal fracture risk
- Treating hypothyroidism
- In the journals: Healthy lifestyle, including plenty of physical activity, cuts colon cancer risk
- In the journals: Optimism may lower your risk of heart disease
- In the news: Large trial will test vitamin D and omega-3s
- By the way, doctor: Do I need a booster vaccination against whooping cough?
- By the way, doctor: What causes acid reflux in the throat?
- MET-hour equivalents of various physical activities
From the editors of the Harvard Women's Health Watch. The following are links to online information mentioned in past issues of Harvard Women's Health Watch or to extra information we couldn't fit into the printed version.

