<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en-US">
                        <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/authors/patrick-j-skerrett/feed/atom</id>
                                <link href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/authors/patrick-j-skerrett/feed/atom" rel="self"></link>
                                                    <title><![CDATA[Harvard Health Posts by Patrick J. Skerrett Feed]]></title>
                                <logo>https://www.health.harvard.edu/img/logos/hhp-logo-mark-lg.jpg</logo>
                                <image_height>173</image_height>
                                <image_width>144</image_width>
                                <subtitle>Harvard Health Blog: You'll find posts from Harvard Medical School physicians and our editors on a variety of health news and issues.</subtitle>
                                                    <updated>2015-07-04T15:41:53-04:00</updated>
                        <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Fourth of July grilling tip: Check for stray bristles after cleaning with a wire brush]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/happy-fourth-check-your-grill-for-stray-bristles-after-cleaning-with-a-wire-brush-201507045000" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/happy-fourth-check-your-grill-for-stray-bristles-after-cleaning-with-a-wire-brush-201507045000</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Like millions of Americans, I plan to fire up the grill today for a Fourth of July cookout. But I&#8217;ll be adding an extra step to my routine: checking the grate for bristles that may have fallen off my cleaning brush. An article in this week&#8217;s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describes six people injured by consuming grill-cleaning bristles hidden in grilled meat. Three had abdominal pain from wire bristles poking through the small intestine or colon. Three others had bristles stuck in the neck. All of the wire bristles were safely removed with open surgery or laparoscopy (&#8220;keyhole&#8221; surgery). The same team had published a report of six other cases earlier this year in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Twelve cases from one medical center over a three-year period does not an epidemic make. But it&#8217;s enough to suggest that ingesting wire bristles happens wherever home grilling is going on. Keep your grill bristle free by using a brush that&#8217;s in good shape. After you use a brush to clean your grill rack, use a towel or wadded up bunch of paper towels to wipe it down.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2015-07-04T15:41:53-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[The long goodbye: FDA ruling will eliminate trans fats from U.S. foods]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-long-goodbye-fda-ruling-will-eliminate-trans-fats-from-u-s-foods-201506178091" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-long-goodbye-fda-ruling-will-eliminate-trans-fats-from-u-s-foods-201506178091</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Partially hydrogenated oils, once a workhorse of the food industry, have gotten an official heave-ho from the U.S. food supply. In a long-awaited decision, the FDA ruled yesterday that partially hydrogenated oils, which are the main source of harmful trans fats, are no longer &#8220;generally recognized as safe.&#8221; That means any food company wanting to use partially hydrogenated oils must get the FDA&#8217;s approval to do so. Companies have until 2018 to stop using partially hydrogenated oils or to petition the FDA for approval. The move is a good one for individual and public health. Trans fats have been a favorite of the food industry because they increase the shelf life of liquid oils and make margarine easier to spread. But trans fats are bad for arteries. Removing them from the U.S. food supply would prevent between 72,000 and 228,000 heart attacks each year.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2015-06-17T16:05:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Pets can help their humans create friendships, find social support]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/pets-can-help-their-humans-create-friendships-find-social-support-201505067981" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/pets-can-help-their-humans-create-friendships-find-social-support-201505067981</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Pets can provide their owners with more than companionship. A new study, published online in the journal PLoS One, shows that pets can also help create human-to-human friendships and social support, both of which are good for long-term health. The effect isn&#8217;t limited to dogs. Other kinds of pets, including cats, rabbits, and snakes, can also be catalysts for making friends and finding social support. In a survey of residents of four cities, being a pet owner was the third most common way that respondents said they met people in their neighborhoods. Pet owners were 60% more likely than non–pet owners to get to know people in their neighborhoods they hadn&#8217;t known before. They were also more likely to have reported befriending someone they met through a pet-related connection or getting social support from them. As described in Get Healthy, Get a Dog, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, pet ownership has many direct physical and mental health benefits.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Mental Health" />
                        <updated>2015-05-06T14:00:35-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Editorial calls for more research on link between football and brain damage]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/editorial-calls-for-more-research-on-link-between-football-and-brain-damage-201503257828" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/editorial-calls-for-more-research-on-link-between-football-and-brain-damage-201503257828</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Is brain damage an inevitable consequence of American football, an avoidable risk of it, or neither? An editorial published yesterday in the medical journal BMJ poses those provocative questions. Chad Asplund, director of sports medicine at Georgia Regents University, and Thomas Best, professor and chair of sports medicine at Ohio State University, offer an overview of the unresolved connection between playing football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a type of gradually worsening brain damage caused by repeated mild brain injuries or concussions. The big question is whether playing football causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy or whether some people who play football already at higher risk for developing it. The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University hopes to provide a solid answer to that and other health issues that affect professional football players.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Men&#039;s Health" />
                        <category term="Mental Health" />
                        <category term="Memory" />
                        <category term="Medical Research" />
                        <updated>2015-03-25T19:46:46-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Edible marijuana — a half-baked idea?]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/edible-marijuana-candy-bars-201503127791" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/edible-marijuana-candy-bars-201503127791</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Marijuana-laced brownies have long been a way to get high. Now a new generation of &#8220;food companies&#8221; is taking the concept of edible marijuana in a somewhat scary new direction: marijuana-laced foods that mimic popular candies. These sweets could pose a danger to children, warns a Perspective article in today&#8217;s New England Journal of Medicine. From a marketing perspective, it&#8217;s a cute concept to sell Buddahfingers that look like Butterfingers, Rasta Reese&#8217;s that mimic Reese&#8217;s Peanut Butter Cups, or Pot Tarts that resemble Pop-Tarts. But the availability of edible marijuana products has led to an increase in emergency visits to hospitals because of kids accidentally eating edible marijuana products and in marijuana-related calls to poison and drug hotlines.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Pediatric health" />
                        <category term="Addiction" />
                        <updated>2015-03-12T13:30:35-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Panel suggests that dietary guidelines stop warning about cholesterol in food]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/panel-suggests-stop-warning-about-cholesterol-in-food-201502127713" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/panel-suggests-stop-warning-about-cholesterol-in-food-201502127713</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Warnings against eating foods high in cholesterol, like eggs or shrimp, have been a mainstay of dietary recommendations for decades. That could change if the scientific advisory panel for the 2015 iteration of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has its say. A summary of the committee&#8217;s December 2014 meeting says &#8220;Cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.&#8221; Translation: You don&#8217;t need to worry about cholesterol in your food. Why not? There&#8217;s a growing consensus among nutrition scientists that cholesterol in food has little effect on the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream. And that&#8217;s the cholesterol that matters. Doing away with the beware-cholesterol-in-food warning would simplify the art of choosing healthy foods. And it would let people enjoy foods that contain higher amounts of cholesterol, such as eggs, shrimp, and lobster, without worrying about it. A better focus is on reducing saturated fat and trans fat in the diet, which play greater roles in damaging blood vessels than dietary cholesterol.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Heart Health" />
                        <category term="Cholesterol and lipids" />
                        <updated>2015-02-12T00:00:00-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Cold hands: Could it be Raynaud&amp;#8217;s?]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cold-hands-raynauds-201412037567" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cold-hands-raynauds-201412037567</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[If your fingers turn ghostly white and numb when they get cold, you may have Raynaud&#8217;s syndrome (or disease or phenomenon). This common condition Raynaud&#8217;s is an exaggeration of the body&#8217;s normal response to cold. It usually affects fingers and toes, but may also affect the nose, lips, ears, and nipples. Named after the French physician who first described it in 1862, Raynaud&#8217;s is a problem in the body&#8217;s arteries. They spasm and collapse in response to cold or stress. Without a steady supply of warm blood circulating through them, the affected body part becomes pale. When the spasm ends and the arteries reopen, allowing blood to flow again, the finger, toe, or other body part turns pink or red. It may throb or tingle. Prevention—staying warm—is the best medicine. It&#8217;s possible to cut an attack short by running your hands under warm water, putting them in your arm pits, or waving your arms in circles to get the blood flowing. Other options include thermal feedback and relaxation techniques. More experimental options include Botox injections and sildenafil (Viagra).]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Men&#039;s Health" />
                        <category term="Women&#039;s Health" />
                        <updated>2014-12-03T23:29:22-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Heavy drinkers aren&amp;#8217;t necessarily alcoholics, but may be &amp;#8220;almost alcoholics&amp;#8221;]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heavy-drinkers-arent-necessarily-alcoholics-may-almost-alcoholics-201411217539" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heavy-drinkers-arent-necessarily-alcoholics-may-almost-alcoholics-201411217539</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Nearly one-third of American adults are &#8220;excessive&#8221; drinkers, but only 10% of them have alcohol use disorder (alcoholism). Those numbers, published yesterday in a national survey, challenge the popular idea that most people who drink too much are alcoholics. The new study, done by researchers with the CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, found that about 70% of all American adults drink alcohol at least now and then, about 30% report excessive drinking, and 3.5% have alcohol use disorder. It is higher among heavy drinkers (10%) and binge drinkers, ranging from 4% among those who report binge drinking once or twice a month to 30% among those who binge drink 10 times or more in a month. The knowledge that only 10% of heavy drinkers are alcoholic may be reassuring, but that doesn&#8217;t mean the other 90% aren&#8217;t have problems with drinking. Some are what Drs. Robert Doyle and Joseph Nowinski call &#8220;almost alcoholics.&#8221;]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Mental Health" />
                        <category term="Addiction" />
                        <updated>2014-11-21T20:17:24-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Raising beef creates more pollution than raising pork, poultry, dairy, or eggs]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/raising-beef-creates-pollution-raising-pork-poultry-dairy-eggs-201407227289" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/raising-beef-creates-pollution-raising-pork-poultry-dairy-eggs-201407227289</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[An report in this week&#8217;s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calculates several environmental costs of raising cows for meat and milk, poultry and pork for meat, and chickens for eggs. According to the report, per calorie of food that we consume, dairy, poultry, pork, and eggs have similar environmental costs. Compared with their average, beef production generated five times more greenhouse gases, needed six times more fertilizer and 11 times more irrigation water, and used 28 times the land. The same four costs for growing potatoes, wheat, and rice were two-fold to six-fold lower than the nonbeef foods in land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and fertilizer use, and about the same for irrigation water.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2014-07-22T19:18:54-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Selenium, vitamin E supplements increase prostate cancer risk]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/selenium-vitamin-e-supplements-increase-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk-201402287059" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/selenium-vitamin-e-supplements-increase-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk-201402287059</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Cancer" />
                        <category term="Vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements" />
                        <category term="Men&#039;s Health" />
                        <updated>2014-02-28T00:00:00-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[New study adds caution to testosterone therapy for &amp;#8220;low T&amp;#8221;]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-adds-caution-to-testosterone-therapy-for-low-t-201401317013" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-adds-caution-to-testosterone-therapy-for-low-t-201401317013</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Mass marketing of testosterone therapy may have men eager to try this seemingly simple fix. But the latest science should have them scratching their heads and putting away the credit card—at least for now. A new study published in the online journal PLOS One shows an increase in the risk of having a heart attack in the months after starting testosterone therapy. The potential for danger was highest in older men. A report in the November 6, 2013, issue of JAMA showed that men who used testosterone therapy didn&#8217;t fare as well after artery-opening angioplasty as men who didn&#8217;t take testosterone. Neither was the type of study that can prove cause and effect. They can only show associations, or links. That means there&#8217;s no smoking gun here that testosterone therapy is harmful. But the studies do suggest caution. Given the uncertainly over the benefits and risks of testosterone therapy, what&#8217;s a man to do? Take a cautious approach, advises the Harvard Men&#8217;s Health Watch.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Prostate Cancer" />
                        <category term="Cancer" />
                        <category term="Men&#039;s Health" />
                        <category term="Heart Health" />
                        <updated>2014-01-31T22:19:40-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[On Veterans Day, don&amp;#8217;t let the &amp;#8220;invisible wounds&amp;#8221; of PTSD remain hidden]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/on-veterans-day-dont-let-the-invisible-wounds-of-ptsd-remain-hidden-201311116858" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/on-veterans-day-dont-let-the-invisible-wounds-of-ptsd-remain-hidden-201311116858</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Millions of American men and women have served in the Armed Forces, protecting and defending our nation. Although many died, most returned home to &#8220;pick up their lives.&#8221; That isn&#8217;t always easy. For some veterans, the trauma of war changes the brain in ways that can cause long-term problems. According to the American Psychiatric Association, more than 300,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with PTSD. Countless others probably suffer from this condition but have never sought help for it. Even sadder, in 2012 more military deaths were caused by suicide than by combat. If you know a veteran, thank him or her for having served our nation. And if you think he or she is having trouble, bolster your courage and ask. Beginning the conversation may open the door to healing.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Mental Health" />
                        <updated>2013-11-11T16:11:45-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Prostatitis: inflamed prostate can be a vexing health problem]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/prostatitis-inflamed-prostate-can-be-a-vexing-health-problem-201310292039" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/prostatitis-inflamed-prostate-can-be-a-vexing-health-problem-201310292039</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Prostatitis (infection or inflammation of the prostate gland) flies under the radar even though it affects up to one in six men at some point in their lifetimes. It triggers more than two million visits to doctors and untold agony each year.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Prostate Cancer" />
                        <category term="Men&#039;s Health" />
                        <updated>2013-10-29T15:16:37-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Stopping nosebleeds: a pinch will usually do the trick]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/stopping-nosebleeds-a-pinch-will-usually-do-the-trick-201310186769" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/stopping-nosebleeds-a-pinch-will-usually-do-the-trick-201310186769</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Most nosebleeds (the medical term is epistaxis) stop quickly. Some, though, need medical attention. An article posted online yesterday in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head &#038; Neck Surgery looks at treatment options for serious nosebleeds. The bottom line: Conservative options, like packing the nose with gauze, work just as well as more invasive efforts, have negative fewer side effects, and cost less. It makes sense to treat every nosebleed as if it is one that can be fixed at home. A good, strong pinch in the right place will often do the trick.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-10-18T19:33:53-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Overweight and healthy: the concept of metabolically healthy obesity]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/overweight-and-healthy-the-concept-of-metabolically-healthy-obesity-201309246697" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/overweight-and-healthy-the-concept-of-metabolically-healthy-obesity-201309246697</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Carrying too many pounds is a solid signal of current or future health problems. But not for everyone. Some people who are overweight or obese mange to escape the usual hazards, at least temporarily. This weight subgroup has even earned its own moniker—metabolically healthy obesity. Most people who are overweight or obese show potentially unhealthy changes in metabolism, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. But some people who are overweight or obese manage to avoid these changes and, at least metabolically, look like individuals with healthy weights. Such individuals have near-normal waist sizes, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, as well as good physical fitness. Metabolically healthy obesity isn&#8217;t common. And it may not be permanent.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Exercise and Fitness" />
                        <updated>2013-09-24T20:31:12-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Lyme disease 10 times more common than thought]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/lyme-disease-10-times-more-common-than-thought-201308206621" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/lyme-disease-10-times-more-common-than-thought-201308206621</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[The 30,000 cases of Lyme disease reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year are just the tip of the iceberg. According to a new CDC estimate, more than 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with the tick-borne disease each year. The new number was presented at the 2013 International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases, being held in Boston. Although the disease has been diagnosed in almost every state, most cases reported to the CDC are in the Northeast and upper Midwest—96% of cases come from 13 states. The new estimate comes from a multi-pronged approach: gathering case reports from doctors, sifting through health insurance claims, analyzing data from clinical laboratories (which do the tests necessary to diagnose Lyme disease), and surveying the public for self-reported Lyme disease.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Immune and infectious diseases" />
                        <updated>2013-08-20T17:36:54-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Aspirin-like drug may help diabetics control blood sugar]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/aspirin-like-drug-may-help-diabetics-control-blood-sugar-201307106450" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/aspirin-like-drug-may-help-diabetics-control-blood-sugar-201307106450</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[An old, aspirin-like drug called salsalate could help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. In the TINSAL-T2D trial, 286 volunteers took pills containing either salsalate or a placebo for nearly a year. Over the course of the trial, those in the salsalate group had lower blood sugar levels, and some were even able to reduce dosages of other diabetes medications they were taking. Experts aren&#8217;t exactly sure how salsalate helps control blood sugar, but its effectiveness supports the idea that inflammation plays a role in type 2 diabetes. Although the results are promising, what we really need to know about salsalate (or any new or repurposed drug) is how its long-term benefits and risks stack up against each other. The trial was too small and too short to determine those risks. According to the researchers, such &#8220;outcomes require continued evaluation before salsalate can be recommended for widespread use&#8221; by people with type 2 diabetes.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Diabetes and metabolic health" />
                        <category term="Medical Research" />
                        <updated>2013-07-10T18:29:34-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Fluids, cool air key to avoiding heat stroke]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fluids-cool-air-key-to-avoiding-heat-stroke-201307056443" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fluids-cool-air-key-to-avoiding-heat-stroke-201307056443</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Summer&#8217;s heat is as predictable as winter&#8217;s chill. Heat-related illnesses—and even deaths—are also predictable. But they aren&#8217;t inevitable. In fact, most are preventable. Most healthy people tolerate the heat without missing a beat. It&#8217;s not so easy for people with damaged or weakened hearts, or for older people whose bodies don&#8217;t respond as readily to stress as they once did. There are three different levels of heart-related illness: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Some simple choices can help you weather the weather. Drinking water and other hydrating fluids is essential. Putting off exercise or other physical activity until things cool down also helps. Chilled air is the best way to beat the heat. Sticking with smaller meals that don&#8217;t overload the stomach can also help.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Heart Health" />
                        <updated>2013-07-05T21:32:27-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Infection, autoimmune disease linked to depression]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/infection-autoimmune-disease-linked-to-depression-201306176397" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/infection-autoimmune-disease-linked-to-depression-201306176397</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health problems arise when something goes wrong with brain function. What causes that malfunction is an open question. A new study from Denmark suggests that a serious infection or autoimmune disease could trigger a mood disorder. How might an infection or autoimmune disorder lead to a mood or other mental health disorder? Infection causes localized and body-wide inflammation. Inflammation generates substances called cytokines that have been shown to change how brain cells communicate. In autoimmune diseases, the body&#8217;s defense system attacks healthy tissues rather than threatening invaders. It&#8217;s possible that in some cases the wayward immune reaction could target brain cells and other nerve cells throughout the body.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Mental Health" />
                        <category term="Inflammation" />
                        <updated>2013-06-17T09:47:07-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[What you can do about floaters and flashes in the eye]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-you-can-do-about-floaters-and-flashes-in-the-eye-201306106336" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-you-can-do-about-floaters-and-flashes-in-the-eye-201306106336</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2020-04-16T00:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[New public database shows hospital billing charges all over the map]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-public-database-shows-hospital-billing-charges-all-over-the-map-201305106231" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-public-database-shows-hospital-billing-charges-all-over-the-map-201305106231</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Most reputable companies that provide services tell you what you&#8217;ll get for your money. Hospitals are an exception. They haven&#8217;t traditionally made public the cost of operations and other procedures. This secrecy has let hospitals set widely different prices for the same procedure. It&#8217;s also made it impossible to do any comparison shopping. Yesterday&#8217;s release to the public of a once very private database shows just how big the differences can be from hospital to hospital. The database, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, details what 3,300 hospitals charged for the 100 most common treatments and procedures in 2011. It data reinforce the big differences in charges from one part of the U.S. to another. What&#8217;s new and surprising are the huge differences sometimes seen between hospitals in the same city, or even the same neighborhood.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-05-10T12:27:29-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Exercise is good, not bad, for arthritis]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/exercise-is-good-not-bad-for-arthritis-201305086202" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/exercise-is-good-not-bad-for-arthritis-201305086202</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[When pain strikes, it&#8217;s human nature to avoid doing things that aggravate it. That&#8217;s certainly the case for people with arthritis, many of whom tend to avoid exercise when a hip, knee, ankle or other joint hurts. Although that strategy seems to make sense, it may harm more than help. Taking a walk on most days of the week can actually ease arthritis pain and improve other symptoms. It&#8217;s also good for the heart, brain, and every other part of the body. Yet a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than half of people with arthritis don&#8217;t walk at all for exercise, and only 23% meet the current recommendation for activity—walking for at least 150 minutes a week. Walking is good exercise for people with arthritis, but it isn&#8217;t the only one. A review of the benefits of exercise for people with osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis) found that strength training, water-based exercise, and balance therapy were the most helpful for reducing pain and improving function.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Exercise and Fitness" />
                        <category term="Bones and joints" />
                        <updated>2013-05-08T18:38:50-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Survival skills for all-you-can-eat buffets]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/survival-skills-for-all-you-can-eat-buffets-201303226015" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/survival-skills-for-all-you-can-eat-buffets-201303226015</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[All-you-can-eat buffets are a boon for hungry, thrift diners and a nightmare for dieters or those trying to maintain a healthy weight. If you are in the latter camp, here are two tips from Brian Wansink, the master of mindful eating: 1) Take a walk around the entire buffet to scope out your options before serving yourself. 2) Put your food on a small plate instead of a big one. Those come from observations of more than 300 men and women dining in two dozen all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurants. Understanding the many factors that influence what and how you eat can help you take more control of your eating habits. Who you eat with, how you are feeling, and activities like parties or shopping can influence when and how much you eat.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-03-22T14:59:27-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Physical therapy works as well as surgery for some with torn knee cartilage]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/physical-therapy-works-as-well-as-surgery-for-some-with-torn-knee-cartilage-201303206002" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/physical-therapy-works-as-well-as-surgery-for-some-with-torn-knee-cartilage-201303206002</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Tiny shock absorbers in the knee (each one is called a meniscus) provide a key cushion between the thighbone and the shinbone. They are prone to tearing, and sometimes just wear out. A torn meniscus can cause pain or other symptoms, like a knee that locks. But sometimes they don&#8217;t cause any symptoms. In a youngish person, when a knee-wrenching activity like skiing, ultimate Frisbee, or slipping on the ice tears a meniscus, the damage is often repaired surgically. But a torn meniscus is often seen in the 9 million Americans with knee osteoarthritis, and for them the best course of action hasn&#8217;t been crystal clear. Results of the Meniscal Tear in Osteoarthritis Research (MeTeOR) trial published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that physical therapy may be just as good as surgery. Both therapies led to similar improvements in knee function and pain at six and 12 months.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Bones and joints" />
                        <updated>2013-03-20T22:18:34-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[New concussion guidelines say &amp;#8220;When in doubt, sit it out&amp;#8221;]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-concussion-guidelines-say-when-in-doubt-sit-it-out-201303185994" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-concussion-guidelines-say-when-in-doubt-sit-it-out-201303185994</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[New guidelines for recognizing and managing sports-related concussions could help protect the brains of millions of athletes at all levels of play, from professional football to youth soccer. The guidelines, released today by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), replace a now-outdated set published in 1997. The guidelines step away from trying to &#8220;grade&#8221; concussions or diagnose them on the field or sidelines. Instead, they focus on immediately removing from play athletes who are suspected of having a concussion until they can be evaluated. &#8220;When in doubt, sit it out.&#8221; The AAN estimates that concussions cause between 1.6 million and 3.8 million mild brain injuries each year. Many athletes don&#8217;t get medical attention for these injuries, often because they or their coaches don&#8217;t recognize the warning signs or take them seriously. The new guidelines should help better identify athletes who have suffered concussions and improve how concussions are managed and treated.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Exercise and Fitness" />
                        <category term="Mental Health" />
                        <updated>2013-03-18T20:21:41-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Distracted driving: We&amp;#8217;re Number 1]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/distracted-driving-were-number-1-201303155980" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/distracted-driving-were-number-1-201303155980</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Americans drive while talking on a cellphone or texting more than their counterparts in seven European countries. A report published yesterday showed that 69% of American drivers surveyed said they had talked on a cellphone while driving at least once in the previous month (31% said they did it &#8220;regularly or fairly often&#8221;), and 31% said they had read or sent text messages while driving. The least distracted drivers were in the United Kingdom. Not surprisingly, younger drivers were more likely to have reported talking on a cellphone or texting while driving. The statistics on distracted driving are chilling: In 2011 (the last year with complete statistics), 3,331 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver, and nearly 400,000 were injured. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that distracted driving accounts for about one in five crashes in which someone was injured.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-03-15T14:08:06-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Take a nap to adjust to Daylight Saving Time]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/take-a-nap-to-adjust-to-daylight-saving-time-201303115968" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/take-a-nap-to-adjust-to-daylight-saving-time-201303115968</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[It always takes me a few days to get used to Daylight Saving Time. While I love the extra hour of light at the end of the day, I&#8217;m not so wild about the extra hour of darkness in the morning or waking up an hour earlier than I need to. And I sure miss the hour of sleep I lost yesterday. That lost hour seems to be a big deal. A report in this month&#8217;s American Journal of Cardiology details the jump in heart attacks seen in a large Michigan hospital the first week after the start of Daylight Saving Time, and the small decline after it ends in the fall. A few years back, researchers showed a similar pattern in Sweden. The number of traffic accidents are similarly affected. In a Canadian study, there were more accidents on the Monday after the start of Daylight Saving Time than there were on the Monday the week before the change. If ever there was a perfect day for a nap, today would be it. A single nap won&#8217;t fully reset your body clock or make up for a lost hour of sleep, but it can help. It&#8217;s also a good way to stay sharp, especially in the afternoon.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Sleep" />
                        <updated>2013-03-11T16:00:19-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Adult immunization schedule updated as vaccination rates lag]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/adult-immunization-schedule-updated-as-vaccination-rates-lag-201302115878" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/adult-immunization-schedule-updated-as-vaccination-rates-lag-201302115878</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[To get or stay healthy, many people focus on exercising more, eating better, or quitting smoking. Getting recommended vaccinations is another relatively simple strategy for health that an alarming number of Americans overlook. Vaccination isn&#8217;t just for kids. Adults should get immunized against infectious agents that cause the flu, pneumonia, whooping cough (pertussis), shingles (herpes zoster), and more. The latest schedule for adult immunization has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It now recommends adding a second anti-pneumonia vaccine for people with compromised immune systems. It also says that all adults age 65 and older should get the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, as should pregnant women with each pregnancy. When it comes to adult immunization, Americans aren&#8217;t doing very well. One-third of older Americans don&#8217;t get the pneumococcal vaccine,  84% don&#8217;t get the shingles vaccine, and 87% don&#8217;t get the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine. In addition to protecting yourself from an infectious disease, immunization also protects others.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Colds and flu" />
                        <updated>2013-02-11T17:06:55-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[High-dose vitamin C linked to kidney stones in men]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/high-dose-vitamin-c-linked-to-kidney-stones-in-men-201302055854" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/high-dose-vitamin-c-linked-to-kidney-stones-in-men-201302055854</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[File this under &#8220;if a little bit is good, a lot isn&#8217;t necessarily better:&#8221; taking high-dose vitamin C appears to double a man&#8217;s risk of developing painful kidney stones. In an article published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine, Swedish researchers detail a connection between kidney stone formation and vitamin C supplements among more than 23,000 Swedish men. Over an 11-year period, about 2% of the men developed kidney stones. Men who reported taking vitamin C supplements were twice as likely to have experienced the misery of kidney stones. Use of a standard multivitamin didn&#8217;t seem to up the risk. Many people believe that extra vitamin C can prevent colds, supercharge the immune system, detoxify the body, protect the heart, fight cancer, and more. To date, though, the evidence doesn&#8217;t support claims that extra vitamin C is helpful. If high-dose vitamin C doesn&#8217;t improve health, then any hazard from it, even a small one, is too much.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Men&#039;s Health" />
                        <updated>2013-02-05T14:23:28-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[The trick to recognizing a good whole grain: Use carb-to-fiber ratio of 10-to-1]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-trick-to-recognizing-a-good-whole-grain-use-carb-to-fiber-ratio-of-10-to-1-201301145794" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-trick-to-recognizing-a-good-whole-grain-use-carb-to-fiber-ratio-of-10-to-1-201301145794</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[&#8220;Whole grain&#8221; has become a healthy eating buzzphrase, and food companies aren&#8217;t shy about using it to entice us to buy products. Browse the bread, cereal, or chip aisle of your favorite grocery store and you&#8217;ll see what I mean. Last year, nearly 3,400 new whole-grain products were launched, compared with just 264 in 2001. And a poll by the International Food Information Council showed that 75% of those surveyed said they were trying to eat more whole grains, while 67% said the presence of whole grains was important when buying packaged foods. But some of the products we buy may not deliver all the healthful whole-grain goodness we&#8217;re expecting. Identifying a healthful whole-grain food can be tricky. A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health says the best way is to choose foods that have at least one gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrate. Fiber and carbs are both listed on the nutrition label.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-01-14T19:13:07-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Generic drugs: don&amp;#8217;t ask, just tell]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/generic-drugs-dont-ask-just-tell-201301075766" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/generic-drugs-dont-ask-just-tell-201301075766</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Greater use of generic drugs could save the healthcare system—and American consumers—billions of dollars that would be better spent elsewhere. What&#8217;s holding us back? Some consumers are reluctant to use generic medications, thinking they are inferior to &#8220;the real thing.&#8221; Doctors are also a big part of the problem. Up to half of physicians hold negative perceptions about generic drugs. And a new study to be published in tomorrow&#8217;s JAMA Internal Medicine shows that about 4 in 10 doctors sometimes or often prescribe a brand-name drug just because their patients ask for it. Prescribing a brand-name drug when a generic is available is a huge source of wasteful spending that could easily be prevented. People ask for brand-name drugs because they have heard of them through advertising or word of mouth, while their generic alternatives generally aren&#8217;t advertised. Doctors could help save billions of dollars by just saying &#8220;no.&#8221;]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-01-07T21:48:53-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Many drivers asleep at the wheel]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/many-drivers-asleep-at-the-wheel-201301045758" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/many-drivers-asleep-at-the-wheel-201301045758</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[If you&#8217;ve ever nodded off while driving, you aren&#8217;t alone. In a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.2% of Americans admitted to falling asleep while driving at least once in the previous month. The just-published survey, conducted in 19 states and the District of Columbia, found the sleepiest drivers in Texas (6.1%) and Hawaii (5.7%), and the most alert ones in Oregon (2.5%) and the District of Columbia (2.6%). Individuals most likely to have fallen asleep while driving were those who said they unintentionally fell asleep during the daytime at least once during the preceding month, those who said they snore at night, and those who reported sleeping less than six hours a night. Keep in mind that these numbers reflect only the percentage of people who were aware they had fallen asleep. They don&#8217;t include those who fell asleep while driving without recognizing that had happened.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2013-01-04T16:08:42-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[12 tips for holiday eating]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/12-tips-for-holiday-eating-201212242506" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/12-tips-for-holiday-eating-201212242506</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Healthy aging and longevity" />
                        <updated>2019-08-28T00:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Simple blood test helps bring celiac disease out of the shadows]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/simple-blood-test-helps-bring-celiac-disease-out-of-the-shadows-201212205712" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/simple-blood-test-helps-bring-celiac-disease-out-of-the-shadows-201212205712</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[What happens when the body rejects a protein found in many foods? Ask anyone with celiac disease. This increasingly common condition—it&#8217;s grown four-fold since the 1950s—causes a host of aggravating and potentially disabling symptoms such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, cramps, fatigue, weight loss, and more. But it&#8217;s also a trickster, causing subtle changes that may not be identified as stemming from celiac disease, like iron-deficiency anemia, low vitamin D, or a suspicious broken bone in an otherwise healthy person. People with celiac disease can&#8217;t tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, even in small amounts. It once took an average of 10 years to diagnose celiac disease. Today it can happen faster, thanks to a simple blood test that detects anti-gluten antibodies.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-12-20T16:22:37-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Is retirement good for health or bad for it?]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-retirement-good-for-health-or-bad-for-it-201212105625" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-retirement-good-for-health-or-bad-for-it-201212105625</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[For many people, retirement is a key reward for decades of daily work—a time to relax, explore, and have fun unburdened by the daily grind. For others, though, retirement is a frustrating period marked by declining health and increasing limitations. For years, researchers have been trying to figure out whether the act of retiring is good for health, bad for it, or neutral. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health looked at rates of heart attack and stroke among men and women in the ongoing U.S. Health and Retirement Study. Those who had retired were 40% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those who were still working. The increase was more pronounced during the first year after retirement, and leveled off after that. The results, reported in the journal Social Science &#038; Medicine, are in line with earlier studies that have shown that retirement is associated with a decline in health. But others have shown that retirement is associated with improvements in health, while some have shown it has little effect on health.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-12-10T18:06:27-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Recipe for health: cheap, nutritious beans]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/recipe-for-health-cheap-nutritious-beans-201211305612" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/recipe-for-health-cheap-nutritious-beans-201211305612</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Beans, the butt of countless flatulence jokes, are often written off as food for poor people, or cheap substitutes for meat. Given what beans can do for health, they should be seen as food fit for royalty—or at least for anyone wanting to get healthy or stay that way. The beans described here are what botanists call legumes, and others call &#8220;pulses.&#8221; They include black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), lentils, peanuts, soybeans, and others. Legumes are an excellent source of protein and fiber. They are low in fat. They are also nutrient dense, meaning they deliver plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other healthful nutrients relative to calories. An article in the current Archives of Internal Medicine showed that adding more beans to the diet can help people with diabetes lower their blood sugar. These findings are in line with a growing body of evidence on the health benefits of eating beans. They&#8217;ve been linked to reduced risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon and other cancers, as well as improved weight control.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-11-30T15:32:08-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Mini-relaxations to ease holiday stress]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mini-relaxations-to-ease-holiday-stress-201211235568" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mini-relaxations-to-ease-holiday-stress-201211235568</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Stress" />
                        <category term="Healthy aging and longevity" />
                        <updated>2012-11-23T00:00:00-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Turkey: a healthy base of holiday meals]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/turkey-a-healthy-base-of-holiday-meals-201211195550" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/turkey-a-healthy-base-of-holiday-meals-201211195550</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Done just right, Thanksgiving dinner can be good for the heart. The bird at the center of the feast was once in line to be our country&#8217;s mascot. Benjamin Franklin and other turkey aficionados thought of this fowl as wild, wary to the point of genius, and courageous. When cooked, it has another excellent quality—turkey meat is much easier on the heart than many other holiday main courses. Other mainstays of traditional Thanksgiving feasts, like cranberries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and pecans, are healthy on their own, but tend to lose their virtue by the company they keep (butter, brown sugar, whipped cream, marshmallows, and more). If you&#8217;re set on a traditional dinner, alternative recipes abound for healthier stuffing, vegetables, and desserts. You can also start your own traditions. After all, today&#8217;s Thanksgiving dinner bears little resemblance to the original feast.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-11-19T15:55:56-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Doctors aren&amp;#8217;t immune to addiction]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/doctors-arent-immune-to-addiction-201211165538" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/doctors-arent-immune-to-addiction-201211165538</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[It&#8217;s easy to think of doctors as paragons of the health and wellness they try to restore in their patients or help them maintain. Some are, and some definitely aren&#8217;t. One in 10 physicians develop problems with alcohol or drugs at some point during their careers. Those who admit they have an addiction to alcohol or drugs, as well as those who slip up and get reported, usually have to go through an intense substance abuse program before they can practice medicine again. Such physician health programs are pretty effective, helping around 80% of doctors recover from their problems. But these programs raise some ethical questions, according to Harvard Medical School&#8217;s J. Wesley Boyd and John R. Knight, who wrote a review of physician health programs in the Journal of Addiction Medicine. They should know, having spent a total of 20-plus years as associate directors physician health programs.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Addiction" />
                        <updated>2012-11-16T18:02:22-05:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Treatment for head lice effective with one dose and no combing]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-treatment-for-head-lice-effective-with-one-dose-and-no-combing-201211015484" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-treatment-for-head-lice-effective-with-one-dose-and-no-combing-201211015484</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-11-01T12:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[World Stroke Day: Emphasize prevention, early detection]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/world-stroke-day-emphasize-prevention-early-detection-201210295462" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/world-stroke-day-emphasize-prevention-early-detection-201210295462</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[The term &#8220;stroke&#8221; conjures up a frightening bolt out of the blue. It certainly feels that way when it happens. But the sudden onset hides most strokes&#8217; decades-long development stemming from slow but steady damage to blood vessels, the growth of artery-clogging plaque, or the erratic heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. This long gestation means it is often possible to avoid a stroke by fighting arterial corrosion. Today is World Stroke Day—a moment to pay close attention to stroke. Worldwide, this brain-damaging condition afflicts millions of people each year, and kills more than 6 million. In the United States, about 800,000 people have strokes each year, and about 140,000 die from them. There are two main messages of World Stroke Day: Stroke can be prevented. Stroke can be treated if detection and treatment happen quickly.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Heart Health" />
                        <updated>2012-10-29T14:00:52-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Peripheral artery disease: often silent, sometimes deadly, potentially preventable]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/peripheral-artery-disease-often-silent-sometimes-deadly-potentially-preventable-201210245448" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/peripheral-artery-disease-often-silent-sometimes-deadly-potentially-preventable-201210245448</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Heart Health" />
                        <updated>2012-10-24T00:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Puberty starts earlier in many American boys]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/puberty-starts-earlier-in-many-american-boys-201210225437" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/puberty-starts-earlier-in-many-american-boys-201210225437</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Two years ago, new research showed that American girls were hitting puberty at younger ages than ever. The same thing is happening with boys: they are starting puberty almost two years earlier than they did 30 to 40 years ago. Why this is happening isn&#8217;t clear, but it could affect social and sexual behaviors. A new study shows that the average age of puberty is now 10 years for white boys (about one-and-a-half years earlier than what has long been considered &#8220;normal&#8221;), 9 years for African-American boys (about two years earlier than expected), and 10 years for Hispanic boys, which is unchanged from before. Although early puberty is increasingly common, it can be a signal of a tumor in the brain, pituitary glands, or elsewhere; an underactive thyroid gland; or other medical problems.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Pediatric health" />
                        <updated>2012-10-22T23:11:29-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Daily multivitamin-multimineral may help protect against cancer]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/daily-multivitamin-multimineral-may-help-protect-against-cancer-201210175419" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/daily-multivitamin-multimineral-may-help-protect-against-cancer-201210175419</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Americans&#8217; love affair with vitamins—more than half of us take one a day—isn&#8217;t well supported by science. Trials of single vitamins, like E, C, and beta carotene, have been a bust. Whether multivitamins offer any health benefits has been something of a mystery. Now a new report indicates that taking a standard multivitamin-multimineral pill every day for more than a decade reduces the odds of developing cancer by 8%. The finding comes from the Physicians&#8217; Health Study II, a Harvard-based trial in which nearly 15,000 male physicians took a daily pill containing 31 vitamins and minerals (Centrum Silver) or a placebo. The reduction could be due to fixing micronutrient deficiencies. It&#8217;s also possible that low doses of several vitamins and minerals might work together in other ways to prevent cancer. A daily multivitamin-multimineral supplement can provide some nutritional insurance, but it&#8217;s no replacement for vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other healthful foods.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Cancer" />
                        <updated>2012-10-17T19:26:51-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Tattoos and infection: Think before you ink]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tattoos-and-infection-think-before-you-ink-201210125405" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tattoos-and-infection-think-before-you-ink-201210125405</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Healthy aging and longevity" />
                        <updated>2012-10-12T00:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Suicide often not preceded by warnings]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/suicide-often-not-preceded-by-warnings-20120924515" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/suicide-often-not-preceded-by-warnings-20120924515</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-09-24T12:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Use glycemic index to help control blood sugar]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/use-glycemic-index-to-help-control-blood-sugar-201208135154" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/use-glycemic-index-to-help-control-blood-sugar-201208135154</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Healthy aging and longevity" />
                        <updated>2012-08-13T00:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[The Cheesecake Factory: a model for health care?]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-cheesecake-factory-a-model-for-health-care-201208095139" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-cheesecake-factory-a-model-for-health-care-201208095139</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[In a new essay entitled &#8220;Big Med,&#8221; physician-author Atul Gawande muses in The New Yorker if The Cheesecake Factory and other successful chain restaurants could serve as a model for improving health care. He wondered how a large restaurant could deliver &#8220;a range of services to millions of people at a reasonable cost and with a consistent level of quality,&#8221; while hospitals and other parts of the U.S. health care system can&#8217;t. The experience prompted Dr. Gawande to meet with managers, cooks, and other workers at a Boston-area Cheesecake Factory to see how it delivers good food and a good dining experience time after time. He then goes on to compare the restaurant&#8217;s procedures with what goes on in hospitals.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-08-09T15:49:49-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Trade sports drinks for water]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trade-sports-drinks-for-water-201207305079" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trade-sports-drinks-for-water-201207305079</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <category term="Healthy aging and longevity" />
                        <updated>2012-07-30T00:00:00-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Silent Spring at 50: Connecting human, environmental health]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/silent-spring-at-50-connecting-human-environmental-health-201206114870" />
            <id>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/silent-spring-at-50-connecting-human-environmental-health-201206114870</id>
                                            <author>
                    <name><![CDATA[Patrick J. Skerrett]]></name>
                </author>
                                        <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Fifty years ago this week, the first installment of Silent Spring appeared in the pages of The New Yorker. The book, published a few months later, was a sustained, meticulously reported account of the toll that widespread aerial spraying of DDT, dieldrin, aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, and other synthetic pesticides was taking on birds, raccoons, fish, bees, and even the supposed beneficiaries of spraying—humans. Silent Spring is often portrayed as a book about saving birds and other wildlife. Another important theme is the essential but fragile connections between environmental health and human health. Silent Spring was instrumental in banning the use of many dangerous pesticides. It helped spark the modern environmental movement, launch the Environmental Protection Agency, and pass the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Acts. It is in the Modern Library&#8217;s 100 best nonfiction books, and Discover magazine named it one of the 25 greatest science books of all time.]]>
            </summary>
            
                        <updated>2012-06-11T14:21:53-04:00</updated>
        </entry>
    </feed>
