In the journals: Digital tablets make reading easier
Enlarged font sizes available on digital tablets can improve reading speed and comfort in people with vision loss.
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Month: January 2013
Ask the doctor: What does my doctor mean by “clearance for surgery”?
Cataract surgery puts very little strain on the heart. In the absence of symptoms of heart disease, the cardiovascular risks of cataract surgery are low.
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How sleep apnea affects the heart
In the sleep disorder called sleep apnea, sleep is interrupted many times a night. Sleep apnea appears to increase the risk of developing or dying from heart disease. Several treatments are available to halt sleep apnea and restore better sleep.
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Heart Advances from Harvard: Risk factors for peripheral artery disease pinpointed
Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, past or current smoking, and high cholesterol are the four factors most closely associated with the development of peripheral artery disease-blockages in the arteries of the legs or arms.
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Can you die of a broken heart?
In people at risk for heart disease, the stress of losing a loved one greatly increases the risk of suffering a fatal or nonfatal heart attack. In healthy people, the stress can cause a serious but reversible condition that imitates a heart attack.
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Common vision problems in women
Cataracts, dry eyes, and presbyopia are common eye conditions among older women. Having regular eye exams can detect serious problems early and help avoid vision loss.
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In the journals: Breast cancer drugs linked to heart failure in older women
Older women who are being treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin), alone or with a class of chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines, may be at increased risk for heart failure and heart muscle damage.
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In the journals: Other colon cancer tests may be good alternatives to repeat colonoscopy
After a negative colonoscopy at age 50, less invasive screening tests may be just as accurate, but carry less expense and risk for complications, than repeating the colonoscopy every 10 years.
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New hope for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease research has started to focus on prevention. Investigators are looking at targets such as beta-amyloid and tau tangles in the brain, as well as inflammation and blood vessel damage.
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Some heart attacks go unrecognized
More than one-third of heart attacks produce no symptoms, yet these so-called silent heart attacks are as dangerous as heart attacks that do cause symptoms.
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