Female heart attack patients undergoing angioplasty have a higher risk of death than men, but stenting may improve their outcomes, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Vitamin E is one of the most widely used supplements, taken regularly by nearly a quarter of adults ages 55 and over. But recent research suggests that it may not do as much good in preventing cancer and other diseases as once thought, and it might actually cause harm.
By the beginning of this year, a consensus had developed on the link between COX-2 drugs and heart disease risk: The evidence for cardiovascular side effects was strongest for Vioxx and Bextra, intermediate for Celebrex, and weak for naproxen. An overview article in the March issue of the Harvard Health Letter explains this consensus, and can serve as a base of information that readers can turn to as this story continues to unfold.
Over a romantic candlelit dinner, the eyes may be the windows to the soul. In a more prosaic light, they’re windows to the heart, according to the March issue of the Harvard Heart Letter. A look into the eye can reveal the silent damage wrought by high blood pressure and diabetes and reflect the risk of a future stroke or heart attack.
Although statin drugs successfully lower LDL cholesterol for most people, a small subset of patients don’t respond well to these medications or need to stop taking them because of side effects. “All told, the statins are the safest and best tolerated of all cholesterol-lowering medications, but the second- and third-choice drugs can have first-rate benefits, either alone or together,” says Dr. Harvey Simon, editor of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved a new device that is intended to prevent ruptures of descending thoracic aneurysms by making a new path for blood flow. The GORE TAG Endoprosthesis System is the first endovascular grafting system approved to treat aneurysms of the thoracic aorta, the main artery that carries blood in the body.
Mice that lack a protein made by the PCSK9 gene have only half the “bad” cholesterol of normal mice, which researchers say may lead to new drugs for humans.
Gerontology is the study of old age, stressing the social and behavioral looks of aging. Although aging is a lifelong process and changes in its effects on individual people, old age has been generally stated as beginning at the age of 65.
Researchers may have come up with another reason to eat well. A new study suggests diets rich in fruits, vegetables and dairy foods can prevent the disabilities that often come with age.
New York researchers suggest preventing gum disease might significantly improve a person’s chances of avoiding vascular problems.