Medical devices Archive

Wristwatch-style fitness monitors use a sensor that detects blood flow through the skin to estimate a person’s heart rate. Some brands are more accurate that others, but none are as accurate as chest-strap monitors. 

Splitting a pill into two equal halves is sometimes necessary when needing to adjust dosage, or as a means to save money buy purchasing higher-dose pills. However, splitting is not safe for all pills, so a person should always consult a pharmacist or doctor.

Medications such as aspirin, statins, ACE inhibitors, and beta blockers are prescribed to certain patients to lower the chance of a first or repeat heart attack. New research shows that they also may reduce the severity of attacks that do occur.

Women who used Tät, a smartphone app, did more pelvic floor exercises and had greater reductions in episodes of stress incontinence.

Some drugs go too far, dulling emotions across the spectrum. A dose adjustment or a switch to a different medication can help.

 Image: Wavebreakmedia/Thinkstock

When your doctor prescribes a medication for depression, the goal is to reduce painful feelings of sadness or hopelessness. The majority of people taking the most commonly prescribed antidepressants—selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—improve substantially. But sometimes, SSRIs go beyond improving mood and make a person feel too little emotion. "Some people feel like they've lost the richness of daily life," says Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Serotonin and SSRIs

What you should do

Millions of older adults aren’t taking their blood pressure drugs as directed. Ways to combat adherence problems include asking a doctor for less expensive drugs, understanding what a medication is for, and reporting side effects. 

Prescription drug prices are rising. Three strategies may help lower your pharmacy bill.

 Image: UrosPoteko/Thinkstock

If you're trying to avoid (or already have) heart disease, chances are you're taking several prescription medications. In fact, about a third of adults over age 62 take at least five prescription drugs, which can be a real budget buster for some people. And recent rises in drug prices, especially for new, brand-name medications, are enough to make anyone gulp.

"By working with your doctor and your pharmacist and spending some time shopping around, you may be able to lower your pharmacy bill," says John Fanikos, director of pharmacy at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. He suggests three main strategies:

The discovery of 44 gene sites associated with high blood pressure may provide leads for developing new drugs to treat this common condition. 

Herbal supplements are sometimes advertised to improve a man’s sex life by increasing blood flow to the penis, but many are not proven effective for treating ED and may cause serious side effects.