How to Keep From Breaking Your Heart: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Cardiovascular Disease
Author: Barbara H Roberts
With an approach that is both compassionate and authoritative, Dr. Roberts provides the facts women need to make the best decisions about their cardiovascular health.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer: Sahil Bakshi, D.O. (Ochsner Clinic Foundation)
Description: Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death for both men and women in the United States. According to a recent statistic from the American Heart Association, 267,000 American women die of heart disease each year, far greater than from all the cancers combined! There is increasing evidence confirming gender-biased differences within the realm of heart disease. For example, the mortality of a woman following a myocardial infarction is three times that of a man, and women are also more susceptible to experiencing sudden cardiac death due to coronary artery disease (CAD) than men.
Purpose: This new book is intended to educate women (and men) about cardiovascular disease, which will ultimately kill more than 40 percent of all women. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive and practical review of heart disease and the way it affects women in particular.
Audience: Intended to appeal to women from all walks of life, the book is written in a casual, yet authoritative manner. This is apparent in the personal tone that the author uses right from the introduction, and continues even when she is explaining complex topics. Having practiced cardiology for than 25 years, Dr. Roberts often draws upon her own clinical experiences to help the reader associate with the subject matter. Throughout the book, each topic and its discussion are well supported by quoting the literature and the most recent research relevant to it.
Features: The book is organized into three main sections with the first emphasizing prevention. Starting with a brief review of anatomy and physiology of the heart, the book continues on to explain various risk factors and how the reader can modify them. Hormone replacement therapy, for example, is a relatively new and somewhat controversial issue in women's health today. The author does a great job explaining this subject in detail, referencing the data, and finally explaining the various options women have. Another section concentrates on the various treatment options available and explains these in a simple and concise fashion.
Assessment: There is overwhelming evidence that supports the concept that women face a disparity in the evaluation of CAD, even though CAD in women is the leading cause of death in the United States. Although physicians play an important role in changing this trend, educating the general public (especially women) about their disease processes, signs, and symptoms is critical. The book is well timed and, although targeted primarily towards women, is an excellent educational and insightful resource for both women and men.
Rating
3 Stars from Doody
Go to: The Secular Revolution or Pottsville Firefighting Pennsylvania
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness
Author: Dean Edell
America is in a chronic state of confusion and anxiety about matters of health. Each day, we are bombarded with news of medical breakthroughs, wonder drugs, and hidden dangers. Now author and radio host Dr. Dean Edell clears things up with this at-home medical resource that squarely confronts more than five hundred common health concerns, including:
- The skinny on fat, carbs, Atkins, and Xenical
- Sex, with a look at Viagra, orgasms, chlamydia, and HPV
- "Alternative medicine" and the myths of herbs, essential oils, and supplements
- Women's issues, from fertility to breast-feeding to fibroids
- Botox, breast implants, and the business of beauty
- Infectious diseases, from the common cold to the West Nile virus
- Cancer—breast, colon, prostate—and advances in early screening and treatment
- Addictions, including coffee, booze, grass, Vicodin, and Paxil
Containing quizzes, symptom checklists, web links, and recommended reading lists, this invaluable guide will help you take charge of your own health, save time and money, and alleviate anxiety over health issues today.
