Heart Beat: Summer: A good season for cholesterol
Levels of LDL cholesterol drop a few points in summer, while HDL rises slightly.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Month: April 2010
Aches and pains – is your statin to blame?
About ten percent of people who start taking a statin experence muscle pain. Usually this will go away on its own, or by adjusting the dosage of the medication or switching to a different one.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
A new way to control blood pressure
The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body’s system of regulating blood pressure.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
In Brief
Brief reports on a link between heart transplants and higher risk of skin cancer, the possibility that drinking coffee or tea may slightly lower the risk of diabetes, and atherosclerosis in mummies.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Ask the doctor: Is it possible to reverse coronary artery disease?
I have coronary artery disease. Is this something I can have cured or get rid of, or is keeping it from getting worse the best I can do?
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Treating prostate cancer: No rush to judgment
Research affirms that allowing time to pass between prostate cancer diagnosis and surgery does not adversely affect the likelihood of a recurrence of the cancer.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Red meat and colon cancer
A number of studies have shown a link between increased consumption of red meat and an increased risk of colon cancer. Dietary changes and regular exercise are the best options for reducing one’s risk.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
In the journals: Hormone therapy: Gallbladder risk is lower with a patch than a pill
Women who take hormone therapy have a higher risk of gallbladder disease, but a study found that women who received hormones through a skin patch or gel had a lower risk than those who took hormones orally.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
By the way, doctor: What can I do about chronic leukorrhea?
I’m a healthy 62-year-old and have developed a vaginal discharge and discomfort. Tests for vaginal infections have been negative. Nothing helps. I’d appreciate your thoughts on this problem, which my gynecologist calls “chronic leukorrhea.”
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Testosterone and the heart
Testosterone has been linked to cardiac risk factors like peripheral artery disease, but researchers are beginning to examine the possibility that testosterone therapy might be beneficial for men with heart disease.
Content restricted. Requires subscription