Harvard Health Letter: May 2010

Thiazide Diuretics and Diabetes Video

A reader asks, "Thiazide diuretics are recommended for high blood pressure, but the ALLHAT study linked them to diabetes. Is this something to be concerned about?" View Dr. Nancy Keating's in the video below. More »

Treating H. Pylori Video

A reader asks, "I'm in my mid-80's and have H. pylori infection, but I don't have any symptoms. Do I need to be treated?" View Dr. Komaroff's response in the video below. More »

Washing Your Face Video

A reader asks, "I don’t wash my face very often because I’ve heard soap will dry out the skin. What do you think?" View Dr. Ken Arndt's response in the video below. More »

Editor's note

The editor in chief of the Harvard Health Letter introduces this year's edition of a special issue comprised entirely of "By the way, doctor" letters from readers. More »

By the way, doctor: Is not washing your face good for your skin?

I wash my face very little because I have heard soaps, no matter how mild, dry out the skin. What do you think - what should I wash my face with? More »

By the way, doctor: Should I stop taking these vitamins?

In addition to a multivitamin, I have been taking vitamin B12 supplements (1,000 mcg) for a few years, hoping to increase my energy. My recent blood profile showed a high level of B12 (1,826 pg/ml). Should I stop taking B12? My energy is about the same. More »

By the way, doctor: When is the best time to check your own blood pressure?

I'm starting to check my blood pressure at home. When during the day should I do it? More »

By the way, doctor: Will a fiber supplement interfere with my medications?

I take a fiber supplement, but have heard that I shouldn't be taking it at the same time as medication. How far apart should I take fiber and medicines such as Plavix and Crestor? More »

By the way, doctor: Should boys be getting the HPV vaccine?

Why are parents not being urged to get their sons vaccinated for HPV? More »

By the way, doctor: How can caffeine help migraines?

If coffee constricts blood vessels, why would it help migraine sufferers, since the constriction curtails blood flow, which would seem to cause more pain? More »

By the way, doctor: Could swimming in cool water give me a heart attack?

When I attempt to go into the outdoor pool at my beach club, I gasp for breath, get dizzy and light-headed. I read that some people who are very sensitive to cold water may sustain a heart attack from submersion in cold water. Is this a possibility? More »

By the way, doctor: Will thiazide diuretics increase my chances of getting diabetes?

Thiazide diuretics are often recommended as the first medication to use to control blood pressure, but I've heard that a large study called ALLHAT found an association between thiazide diuretics and diabetes. Is this something to be concerned about? More »

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Thiazide Diuretics and Diabetes Video

Treating H. Pylori Video

Washing Your Face Video

Editor's note

By the way, doctor: Is not washing your face good for your skin?

By the way, doctor: Should I stop taking these vitamins?

By the way, doctor: When is the best time to check your own blood pressure?

By the way, doctor: Will a fiber supplement interfere with my medications?

By the way, doctor: Should boys be getting the HPV vaccine?

By the way, doctor: How can caffeine help migraines?

By the way, doctor: Could swimming in cool water give me a heart attack?

By the way, doctor: Will thiazide diuretics increase my chances of getting diabetes?

By the way, doctor: Are gourmet salts better for you?

By the way, doctor: Is Avastin for macular degeneration a good choice?

By the way, doctor: What can I do about excessive belching and feeling full?

By the way, doctor: Does an H. pylori infection without symptoms need to be treated?

By the way, doctor: Can even one fatty meal cause heart problems?

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Create a plan to relieve your back pain

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Treating prostate cancer with combined hormonal-radiation therapy

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5 ways to boost bone strength early