Category: health-letter

I’m taking Vytorin. After the news about a negative study a couple of months ago, I am wondering if it’s safe.

As death rates from heart disease and other conditions decline, more men are living long enough to lose bone mass, making osteoporosis more of a male problem than it had been considered in the past.

Our feet are marvels of anatomical engineering, but they can also cause problems. Common sense when choosing footwear can ease the pain and pressure on feet.

Ovarian cancer is highly treatable if diagnosed early enough, but it is often difficult to detect. Women who experience unusual abdominal pain, bloating, or digestive problems over a period of two or three weeks should see a doctor.

A comparison of studies found that drinking cocoa lowered blood pressure approximately as much as blood pressure medication did, while drinking tea did not produce any change.

We hear a lot about colon cancer, and sometimes about stomach cancer, but hardly ever anything about cancer of the small intestine. Why? Is it rare?

At 86, I’m still competitively racing frostbite dinghies. I’ve noticed that my heartbeat becomes irregular during the races and for hours afterward. It feels like a weak beat after every two normal heartbeats. Is this a normal exercise reaction?

The H1N1 flu outbreak is linked to earlier versions of the virus. So far the 2009 pandemic has not been as severe as some health officials expected, but it is still a good idea to take basic precautions.

Many medications have anticholinergic side effects, meaning they block the action of a key nervous system chemical. If a person takes a number of these medications for a period of time, the effects can build up and cause problems with thinking and memory.

Eating fish has clear health benefits, but not all kinds of fish are healthy. Broiled or baked fish is better than breaded, fried fish. And fish is not a healthy choice for everyone. Pregnant women and some heart patients should watch their fish intake.