Harvard Health Content API

Men’s higher risk of heart disease begins while they are still boys, a study finds. The study kept track of 507 children from ages 11 to 19. At the beginning, boys and girls had similar levels of blood pressure, blood fats and overall body fat. But by the end of their teens boys had higher blood pressure. They also had higher triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol — two types of blood fats. All of these trends increase the risk of heart disease in adulthood. The changes occurred even though boys lost and girls gained body fat as a percentage of weight. HealthDay News wrote about the study April 21. It appeared in the journal Circulation.

Most U.S. doctors don’t use e-mail with their patients, the Associated Press (AP) reported April 23. The AP cited recent studies that show fewer than one-third of doctors e-mail patients, but when they do it can save time. Patients who used e-mail were less likely to phone or visit. Doctors also responded faster to e-mails than to phone calls. But doctors are concerned that e-mail may increase their work without payment, AP reported. They also worry about privacy and getting e-mails about problems that are urgent. Experts told AP that training can help expand e-mail use between patients and doctors.