Your Heart Health e-News

Please click here if the e-mail below is not displayed correctly.
To ensure that you always receive our newsletter, please add the e-mail address "HealthNews@HealthBanks.com" to your address book.
July 02, 2010

In This Issue
Antibiotic May Up Risk of Dangerous Potassium Levels in Seniors
Testosterone Gel Could Raise Heart Risks in Frail, Older Men
Fetal Genes May Be Linked to Certain Heart Disease in Adults
Latest Study on Diabetes Drug Avandia Finds No Heart Risks
Gender-Specific Formula for Women's Peak Heart Rate 'More Accurate'
Statins May Not Be as Helpful for Those Without Heart Disease
Statins May Lower Rates of Prostate Cancer Recurrence
Diabetes Drug Avandia Ups Heart Risk, Reviews Conclude
Today's Feature

Welcome to Dr. Caren and Dr. Urman's Heart Health e-Newsletter. 

This complimentary educational service for our patients and their families is published monthly. Please click above to enter our website and learn more about our practice.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or wish to make an appointment.  

The column on the right has heart-related stories from the last several weeks which we feel are most important and most likely to be of interest to our patients. Addtional general information and recent news about our office can also be found to the right. The latest news items about heart health are found below.

Health News

Antibiotic May Up Risk of Dangerous Potassium Levels in Seniors

TMP-SMX combo is used to treat urinary tract infections, researchers say

THURSDAY, July 1 A new study warns that seniors who take a common antibiotic combination for urinary tract infections are at increased risk of developing potentially life-threatening high potassium levels.

Researchers examined the medical records of 300,000 older adu... Read the full article

Testosterone Gel Could Raise Heart Risks in Frail, Older Men

But study was small and effect may not be similar in men generally, experts say

WEDNESDAY, June 30 Older men in poor health who use testosterone gel to boost their mobility may raise their odds of high blood pressure or heart attack, new research suggests.

The problems observed were concerning enough to cause the researchers to put an early stop... Read the full article

Fetal Genes May Be Linked to Certain Heart Disease in Adults

Enzyme could play key role in onset of dangerous heart enlargement, study shows

WEDNESDAY, June 30 Research on both mice and frozen human heart tissue has turned up evidence that a key enzyme involved in fetal heart development may also help trigger the onset of a serious heart disease in adulthood.

The disease -- called cardiac hypertrophy -- ... Read the full article

Latest Study on Diabetes Drug Avandia Finds No Heart Risks

Report in direct contrast to other new research that found the opposite

TUESDAY, June 29 In direct contrast to research reported on Monday, a new study concludes there is no increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death by taking the diabetes drug Avandia.

This latest finding even suggests that rosiglitazone... Read the full article

Gender-Specific Formula for Women's Peak Heart Rate 'More Accurate'

New model better predicts risk of heart-related death, researchers say

MONDAY, June 28 A new gender-specific formula for a woman's peak heart rate better predicts the risk of heart-related death, a new study finds.

A simple formula -- 220 minus age -- has long been used to calculate peak heart rates for women and men during exercise. Bu... Read the full article

Statins May Not Be as Helpful for Those Without Heart Disease

There's little evidence that they actually prevent the condition, researchers say

MONDAY, June 28 Despite being used widely to lower cholesterol levels, statins don't appear to reduce the chances of death in people at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, British scientists have found.

Statins are used widely to treat and prevent cardiovascu... Read the full article

Statins May Lower Rates of Prostate Cancer Recurrence

But connection needs to be confirmed by future study, researcher says

MONDAY, June 28 A new study suggests that men who take the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are a third less likely to suffer from recurrences of prostate cancer.

But don't demand that your doctor prescribe a statin -- drugs such as Crestor, Lipitor and Z... Read the full article

Diabetes Drug Avandia Ups Heart Risk, Reviews Conclude

Two studies published in advance of FDA hearing on drug's fate

MONDAY, June 28 According to data pooled from several large clinical trials, the diabetes drug Avandia does raise the odds of having a heart attack, bolstering the argument that the drug's risks might outweigh its benefits in people with type 2 dia... Read the full article

Featured:
Common Pain Relievers Raise Heart Risk for Healthy Folks
  Safety of drugs like Advil and Aleve differ, study finds
LA Times Quotes Dr. Urman on Unhealthy Sweets
  Switching to sugar-free versions of foods does little to remedy generally poor dietary choices. Artificial sweeteners may also fool the body, into craving more calories than it otherwise would.
Health Tip: Reduce Dietary Sugar
  Here are some suggestions
Our Office
  Learn more about our office
Patient Information
  Learn about Office Hours, Appointments, Preparing for Your First Visit and More...
Meet Dr. Urman
  Learn more about the founder and editor of our patient newsletter
Meet Dr. Caren
  Get to know Dr. Caren.
Conditions Treated
  See the most common cardiac conditions that our doctors diagnose, evaluate and treat.
Office News
  Recent news about our doctors and office.
Insurance and Billing
  Please click here to see frequently asked questions (FAQs). Learn why we believe our policies allow us to maintain our high level of personalized patient care.
Mediterranean Diet Linked to Better Cardiac Function
  More evidence that a diet with low content of saturated fats and high intake of fish, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and cereals is linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
'Good' HDL Cholesterol Now Tied to Lower Cancer Risk
  But finding is an association and doesn't prove cause-and-effect, researchers say
Higher Testosterone Tied to Heart Trouble in Older Men
  Using testosterone supplements for various medical problems which are not life-threatening might increase risk of cardiovascular disease
Calcium, Vitamin D Supplements OK for Arteries
  No evidence of raised stroke or heart risks in those taking moderate doses, researchers say
More Evidence That B Vitamins Alone Won't Counter Heart Risks
  Heart attacks, strokes not reduced in those taking B12 and folic acid supplements, study finds
Gaining Weight Later in Life Ups Diabetes Risk
  Increased waist circumference also increases type 2 chances, study finds
Hormone Raises Desire for Fattening Foods
  Study found ghrelin made people crave high-calorie food more
Newsletter Archive
  In case you have missed our previous newsletters
The news stories provided in this e-newsletter are a service of the nationally syndicated HealthDay news and information company. Stories refer to national trends and breaking health news, and are not necessarily indicative of or always supported by the physicians in our practice. This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please see our full Terms of Use for more information.

Manage Your Newsletter
If you don't want to receive this newsletter anymore, please let us know.
© 2010 HealthBanks, Inc. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
HEALTHBANKS, INC. 25 Burlington Mall Road Burlington, MA 01803