Filtered By:
Specialty: Consumer Health News
Source: Harvard Health Blog
This page shows you your search results in order of relevance. This is page number 3.
Order by Relevance | Date
Total 81 results found since Jan 2013.
How much should teens weigh to prevent heart disease as adults?
Follow me at @drClaire
We’ve long known that being overweight can lead to cardiovascular disease and early death. We also know that being overweight as a teen makes it more likely that someone will be overweight as an adult, which is why we pediatricians talk so much to teens and their parents about getting to — and staying at — a healthy weight.
But we may have set the bar too low. A study just published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) says that if we really want to prevent heart disease in adulthood, our teens should be much thinner than we currently tell them to be.
The number doctors use to figure o...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - April 19, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Children's Health Parenting Prevention Source Type: news
The many ways volunteering is good for your heart
If you do volunteer work, whether it’s at a school, soup kitchen, or senior center, perhaps you’ve experienced the emotional rewards of donating your time. What you might not realize, however, is that volunteering may offer some added advantages for your heart.
“There’s a growing body of research showing that volunteering is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes,” says Eric S. Kim, a research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A study he co-authored, published in Social Science and Medicine earlier this year, found that volunteers were more likely to use preventive healt...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - June 3, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Julie Corliss Tags: Behavioral Health Healthy Aging Heart Health Prevention Source Type: news
Advantages and disadvantages of off-pump bypass surgery
When surgeons devised ways to operate on a beating heart, many believed this approach would phase out the use of the heart-lung machine, the device that paved the way for life-saving open heart surgery. Not so, reports the March 2013 Harvard Heart Letter.
The heart-lung machine, first used in 1953, adds oxygen to blood and circulates it around the body. This lets doctors stop the heart, making it safer and easier to bypass cholesterol-clogged coronary arteries or fix other cardiac problems. While the machine helped save and improve countless lives, some experts blamed the heart-lung machine (also known as the pump) for the...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - March 1, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
High blood pressure is a silent danger in older women
Millions of American women harbor a secret even they don't know they carry. It's high blood pressure, an often silent, symptomless condition that can damage blood vessels and overwork the heart, leaving women prey to heart disease, stroke, and premature death. The April 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch looks at the reasons why so many women don't know their blood pressure and explains how the treatment of high blood pressure has changed.
A woman's risk of developing high blood pressure is extremely high if she lives long enough, says Dr. Deepak Bhatt, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Int...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - April 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Taking over the counter pain relievers safely
For aching joints or a throbbing head, millions of Americans turn to aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) every day. They are generally safe, but if not used carefully NSAIDs can have a dark side, according to the September 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch.
NSAIDs are widely used because they perform double duty. “They not only relieve pain, but they reduce inflammation too,” says Dr. Lucy Chen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and attending physician in the anesthesia, critical care, and pain medicine department at Massachusetts General Hos...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - August 23, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Having "the talk" when heart disease runs in the family
When heart disease or stroke runs in a family, it's important to talk about it with children and other close family members. The conversation may be hard, but the payoff—better health for all—can be huge, according to the September 2013 Harvard Heart Letter.
"Knowing your family history is one of most powerful tools we have to guide how we take care of ourselves from a health perspective," says Dr. Paula A. Johnson, professor of cardiology at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "This is a chance for your children to make changes that will have both...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - August 23, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Better food choices for better heart health: simple substitutions improve the diet
It's easier to follow a heart-healthy diet than you think. All it takes are some simple changes in food choices, reports the October 2013 Harvard Heart Letter.
Wholesale changes aren't necessarily needed. Instead, small changes can make a big difference, says registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the department of nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.
"The typical American diet contains a large proportion of unhealthy fats, too few fruits and vegetables, too much sugar and sodium, and too little fiber," she says. "This contributes to risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity."
The Harva...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - September 27, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Not taking necessary medications can sabotage health
Up to 80% of people—including more than half of those who've recently had a heart attack—don't take their medications as prescribed, reports the November 2013 Harvard Heart Letter.
There are many different ways people fail to take their medications. Some take their pills erratically, forgetting to take the proper dosages or deliberately taking their pills every other day. Some take their medications like clockwork for a while, and then stop. Others never even get their prescriptions filled.
Cost is a big part of the problem. "Affordability—what people pay out of pocket—is a big barrier," says Dr. Ni...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - November 3, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Are there "superfoods" for heart health?
Myth or reality: eating certain superfoods can strengthen the heart and protect against heart attack and stroke? It's mostly just myth and wishful thinking, reports the March 2014 Harvard Heart Letter.
There's no question that some foods are rich in nutrients that may help keep arteries clear and the heartbeat stable. It's great to eat them. But what's really important is eating a variety of fresh, unprocessed foods that deliver all of the nutrients needed to keep the heart healthy, not just those in a few so-called superfoods.
"It's really about the whole package—the combination of nutrients and micronutrients that ...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - February 27, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Personalizing "lower is better" for blood pressure treatment
Many men with high blood pressure were surprised—and a little confused—when a panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health recommended a change in the treatment goal for people over age 60. Instead of taking medications to lower pressures to 140/90, they can now settle for a target of 150/90. Several factors come into play when deciding on the best blood pressure target, reports the May 2014 Harvard Men's Health Watch.
The ideal blood pressure is under 120/80. As it rises above that threshold, the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems follows. Above 140/90, doctors generall...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - April 29, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Take common-sense steps to stay safe this summer
When the mercury rises, heat can strain the limits of the body's cooling system. Its driving engine, the heart, takes on a heavier load in hot weather to keep body temperature within norms, reports the July 2014 issue of the Harvard Men's Health Watch.
For otherwise fit, active men, handling the heat requires no more than knowing their limits and drinking enough fluids. But what about men with heart conditions? "They are going to be more sensitive to the heat," says Dr. Joanne Foody, director of cardiovascular wellness services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "They may just need to limit their activitie...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - June 27, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Biomarkers aim to help predict heart disease risk
Wouldn't it be wonderful if a single blood test could gauge the heart's health? Medicine isn't quite yet at that point. But there are a few indicators that can signal where your cardiovascular health is headed and let you know whether you need to take action now to prevent a heart attack or stroke, according to the August 2014 Harvard Women's Health Watch.
Substances called biomarkers they reflect processes that are going on inside the body. "Biomarkers could be used both for predicting disease risk and for selecting those who would potentially benefit most from therapy," says Dr. Samia Mora, a cardiologist at Brigha...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - July 25, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
How to tame stubbornly high blood pressure
High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke
and heart disease. Dozens of medications and other therapies are available to
treat high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Yet many people can't
get their blood pressure under control even by taking multiple medications, reports
the September 2014 Harvard Heart Letter.
"When people have high blood pressure despite being on
three different medications, including a thiazide diuretic, they have what's
known as resistant hypertension," says Dr. Joshua Beckman, a cardiologist
at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Some people with resistant hypertension may...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - August 23, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Treating gum disease may help the heart
Gum disease has long been linked to heart disease. New
research suggests that for people with both conditions, treating the gum
disease may lower their health care costs and the number of times they end up
in the hospital, reports the November 2014 Harvard
Heart Letter.
Gum disease begins when the sticky, bacteria-laden film
known as plaque builds up around your teeth. Daily tooth brushing and flossing
and regular cleanings by a dentist or hygienist can prevent and even reverse
gingivitis, the earliest form of gum disease (also called periodontal disease).
Left untreated, gingivitis can turn into gum disease. The gums pull...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - October 30, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
How much alcohol is safe? It varies from one person to the next
A decent body of
research has made the phrases "consume alcohol in moderation" and
"good for the heart" go together like gin and tonic. But moderate
drinking may not be good for everyone, so a personalized approach is best,
reports the November 2014 Harvard Men's Health Watch.
"For some people, depending on what medications you are
taking and other factors, even light drinking might not be a good thing,"
says Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, associate professor of medicine at Harvard-affiliated
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "For other people, moderate drinking
could plausibly be beneficial." “Moderate” when applied...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - October 30, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
