Social networks and health: Communicable but not infectious
Old-fashioned social networking – the face-to-face kind – can affect our health, both positively and negatively.
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Heart Beat: Just-in-case electrocardiograms not recommended
An expert advisory panel reiterated its belief that healthy people who have not been diagnosed with heart disease do not need to get an electrocardiogram test.
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Ask the doctor: Is it okay to keep on taking Ambien for my sleeping problems?
I am 70, have had sleep problems, and have started to take Ambien every night. It seems to be working very well. Is it okay if I keep on taking it?
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Ask the doctor: Are artificial sweeteners a good alternative to sugar?
More and more nutrition advice seems to be anti-sugar these days. So are artificial sweeteners a good alternative?
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Ask the doctor: Why is poultry a protein on your Healthy Eating Plate?
I saw Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate and noticed that poultry was listed as a healthy protein. I am not surprised that you’re recommending fish, nuts, or beans. But why poultry?
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Ask the doctor: Is the alternative to warfarin safe and effective?
My wife’s medication to treat atrial fibrillation recently was changed from warfarin to a new drug called Pradaxa. They say that the new medicine does not require regular INR tests and is just as effective. Is that so?
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Ask the doctor: Should I get more potassium from a salt substitute?
You’ve emphasized that people generally eat too much sodium and not enough potassium. Could I solve both problems at once by replacing my regular table salt with a substitute containing potassium?
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Ask the doctor: Should I worry about health effects from BPA?
Is the chemical BPA just another health scare, or is it really something we should be worried about?
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Editor’s note
The editor in chief of the Harvard Health Letter introduces a second 2011 edition of a special issue comprised entirely of “Ask the doctor” letters from readers.
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Ask the doctor: For macular degeneration, which is better, Avastin or Lucentis?
I have wet macular degeneration. I am trying to decide between Avastin and Lucentis. Which drug is better?
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