health-letter
Expectations for vitamin E’s ability to protect the body against illness and disease have not been met, but certain types of vitamin E may have more effective antioxidant properties than others.
A pedometer is an inexpensive tool that can be an effective motivator to encourage walking more.
The pain of sciatica can be relieved through surgery, but evidence suggests that over time, conservative treatment (NSAIDs, physical therapy, perhaps a steroid injection) provides equivalent relief.
Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D., editor in chief of the Harvard Health Letter, introduces a special issue focused on exercise.
Bell’s palsy is the paralysis of one side of the face caused by inflammation of the facial nerve. Treatment with a steroidal anti-inflammatory medication usually eliminates the condition.
Executive function is the part of our thinking that organizes, plans, decides, and inhibits inappropriate impulses. Healthy lifestyle habits such as exercising, controlling blood pressure, and getting enough sleep also work to preserve executive function.
While pneumonia is still a serious illness, flu shots and the pneumococcal vaccine may help protect against it, particularly for older people or those at high risk of infection.
Results of the JUPITER trial showed that people with low LDL cholesterol but with a high C-reactive protein level who took the statin rosuvastatin had a dramatic decrease in risk of serious cardiovascular events.
The risks and benefits of hormone use in postmenopausal women vary depending on when a woman starts taking the drugs. The risk of heart disease seems to be lower in women who begin taking hormones close to the onset of menopause.
Guest editor Dr. James Ioli evaluates the effectiveness of some of the foot care products available in drugstores.