Harvard Heart Letter: August 2007

Calculating your heart attack risk

Online calculators make it a snap to gauge your chances of having a heart attack. The most commonly used calculator is the Framingham risk score, made available online by the National Cholesterol Education Program. A newer one is the Reynolds Risk Score. It adds family history of premature heart disease and C-reactive protein to the Framingham calculations. More »

Outlook on diabetes drug less than rosy

The diabetes drug Avandia may increase the risk of heart attack in those taking it. Other medications are as effective at lowering blood sugar without Avandia's risks. More »

Aspirin: A user's guide to who needs it and how much to take

People at risk for heart attack or stroke will likely benefit from taking low-dose daily aspirin, but for some there are greater risks (such as ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding) that outweigh aspirin's help. More »

Heart Beat: Longer workouts better for boosting good cholesterol

Exercise helps boost the body's production of HDL cholesterol, but the amount of the increase can vary. The longer the workout, the more the body's HDL cholesterol level is likely to be raised. More »

Heart Beat: Pacemakers, iPods out of sync

An iPod or other digital music player held too close to the chest of a person with a pacemaker can interfere with the heart device's function. Cell phones can also cause this interference. More »

Heart Beat: Talking it up: speech and atrial fibrillation

Cardiologists found a case where too much talking was a trigger for atrial fibrillation. More »

In Brief

Eating soy nuts may lower blood pressure slightly. Allegedly natural male enhancement products were found to contain substances almost identical to ED medications, which could be dangerous to men taking a nitrate medication for chest pain. More »

Correction and Clarification

The medication Actiq was incorrectly identified in a previous article as a treatment for pain related to heart disease. As it is a narcotic, it should only be used in special cases. More »

Ask the doctor: Are Lipitor and Crestor equally good for me?

have been taking Crestor (10 mg) for several years. Now my insurance company tells me it is dropping Crestor from its preferred drug list and suggests I replace it with Lipitor. Will this be okay? More »

Ask the doctor: Do beta blockers and ACE inhibitors help or harm the heart?

Is my long-term use of beta blockers and ACE inhibitors setting me up for heart failure? I understand these drugs keep my heart rate low. If the heart is a muscle, and muscles are strengthened by exercise, won't slowing the heart weaken it? More »

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Calculating your heart attack risk

Outlook on diabetes drug less than rosy

Aspirin: A user's guide to who needs it and how much to take

Heart Beat: Longer workouts better for boosting good cholesterol

Heart Beat: Pacemakers, iPods out of sync

Heart Beat: Talking it up: speech and atrial fibrillation

In Brief

Correction and Clarification

Ask the doctor: Are Lipitor and Crestor equally good for me?

Ask the doctor: Do beta blockers and ACE inhibitors help or harm the heart?

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