Heart Disease: Everything You Need to Know (Your Personal Health Series) »

Robert Myers, MD, is the Director of the Schulich Heart Centre, the cardiovascular program at Sunnybrook and Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario.

A practical, up-to-date health guide to heart disease for patients and their families that includes its biology and physiology, explains the medical concepts and jargon, and is written by an experienced doctor.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Robert L. Menuet II, M.D.(Ochsner Clinic Foundation)
Description:This book, written by a board certified cardiologist, is a practical guide for patients and families affected by heart disease or facing risk factors contributing to its progression. The book is comprehensive yet concise in its description and explanation of this complex disease process. From the author's use of simple but accurate terminology, the reader is able to explore concepts from normal physiology to risk factors and evolution of heart disease. The book also covers the latest in medical treatment, risk factor identification, and drug therapy with the helpful addition of tables, illustrations, indexes, and glossaries.
Purpose:The author's intent is to bring to light the often unrecognized epidemic of the number one cause of death of American adults today that by its very nature will touch everyone's lives directly or indirectly. The author takes a very unambiguous approach in order to demystify and also dispel common misconceptions of heart disease.
Audience:Through use of nonmedical jargon, he imparts a sound fund of knowledge to help steer patients and families to healthier lives. The book is a wonderful resource and sorely needed in such a rapidly evolving area of medicine.
Features:The book is surprisingly comprehensive with thorough discussions of coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and management, newly discovered risk factors such as Lp(a), CRP, and coronary calcium scores. Many cutting-edge diagnostic tests such as cardiac MRI and CT angiography are explained, and their roles in heart disease evaluation are discussed. The book also examines invasive treatment modalities from evolving technologies in angioplasty, including drug eluting stents, to bypass and other surgical options.
Assessment:Finally, an inexpensive intelligently written resource that tackles this confusing topic is available to patients and their families. This nicely edited book is written in a fluid and seamless style, affording an effortless readability. This would be a superb resource for patients and families to help them confidently understand heart disease and play an active role in their own healthcare, becoming their own best doctors.

Introduction

1. The Normal Heart
2. Risk Factors for Heart Disease
3. Cardiac Testing
4. Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Attacks
5. Angioplasty and Bypass Surgery
6. Arrhythmias
7. Congestive Heart Failure
8. Valve Disease and Valve Surgery
9. Rehabilitation, Diet, Sex
10. Medications
11. Complementary Cardiac Medicine

A Final Word

Table of Drug Names

Glossary

Further Reading

Index