Chelation therapy showed mininal benefit in preventing heart attack, stroke or death in people who had a previous heart attack, says a study. Chelation therapy uses chemicals that combine with metals or other toxins in the body. It is used to treat lead poisoning and certain medical conditions, such as iron overload. Chelation with a chemical called ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) has been promoted as a way to remove harmful metals from arteries. It is controversial. The study included 1,708 adults age 50 and older who had a previous heart attack. Half of the patients got 40 infusions of EDTA solution along with high doses of vitamin and mineral supplements into their bloodstreams; half got a placebo solution. The researchers followed the patients for an average of 4.5 years to see who had another heart problem.
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Having a defibrillator implanted does not preclude exercising.
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Many women who have been diagnosed with cancer in one breast opt to have a preventive double mastectomy. Yet 70% of these women may be having the surgery unnecessarily, research finds.
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Jet lag is common when flying long distance across several time zones. For every time zone you cross, it takes about a day for your body to adjust. There is no proven solution for jet lag, but you may be able to minimize its effects.
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An aspirin a day has been shown to lower the risk of a first heart attack in men and a first stroke in women, but it also increases the risk of major bleeding in the digestive tract or brain.
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After age 65, many people lose some of their sense of smell, and we don’t know exactly why. But if loss of smell lasts longer than a few weeks, it may indicate an underlying problem, and sometimes a serious neurological condition.
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I’m starting to check my blood pressure at home. When during the day should I do it?
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Blepharoplasty removes drooping excess skin and fat around the eye that comes with aging. The surgery is meant to change a person’s appearance to create a more youthful look or to improve a person’s vision.
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Aspirin reduces the risk of a second heart attack or stroke by 20%, yet doctors prescribe it for less than half the people who might benefit from it.
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Blood sugar on the high end of the normal range may be linked to brain shrinkage in areas associated with memory and thinking. It’s not clear if blood sugar causes the problem.
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