Before It Happens To You A Breakthrough Program For Reversing Or Preventing Heart Disease

by Sackner Bernstein, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9780738209180
• ISBN10: 073820918X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-01-08
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books

Summary

You hear about it all too often: an otherwise completely healthy person struck down by heart attack in the prime of life. The result of hidden heart disease--the first symptoms of which are slightly high cholesterol or blood pressure-this is the kind of tragedy that sends us running to the doctor for a physical. But today's medical guidelines don't indicate treatment for most; based on the cost-effectiveness of treatment for society, lifesaving medications are withheld for high-risk patients. It doesn't have to be this way.Under the Don't Die Young! plan, concerned readers are screened for heart disease with a few doctor-ordered blood tests and, depending on the findings, treated with up to four medications: an aspirin, an ACE-inhibitor, a statin, and a beta-blocker. The scientific evidence for this strategy is overwhelming: The medications work, they stave off heart disease, and bring heart health back. Their use cuts an individual's risk of heart attack in half-even without starting an exercise program, or cutting back on saturated fats.Explaining the science as well as how to talk to doctors about their necessary involvement, Don't Die Young! will help more people identify and treat their heart problems. Providing both a pound of prevention and treatment advice for those who already know they have heart disease, it will save lives.

Author Biography

Jonathan Sackner Bernstein, M.D., is the Director of Clinical Research and Director of the Heart Failure Prevention Program at Northshore Hospital (Long Island, New York).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
How to Use This Book	p. xi
Introduction: The Lifestyle Myth	p. xii
Simple, Safe and Scientific: The Breakthrough Program
You're Probably Going to Die from Heart Disease	p. 3
The Workings of the Cardiovascular System	p. 13
Feel Better and Live Longer: My Program and How It Works	p. 27
The Tools of the Program: Aspirin, Statins, Beta-Blockers and ACE Inhibitors	p. 36
How to Work with Your Doctor
Talking with Your Doctor	p. 69
Your Tests and Your Results	p. 79
Your Personalized Plan
If You Have High Blood Pressure	p. 93
If You Have High Cholesterol	p. 107
If You Already Have Heart Disease	p. 121
If You Have Diabetes	p. 130
If You Are Overweight (Even 10 Pounds)	p. 145
If You Smoke	p. 157
If You Have HIV	p. 168
Men: You Are At Risk	p. 178
Women Are At Risk, Too	p. 187
Commonsense Lifestyle Strategies
Reducing Stress	p. 201
Adding Exercise	p. 207
The Heart-Healthy Eating Plan	p. 213
Conclusion: Don't Worry about the Costs, Just Keep Your Family Alive	p. 218
Warning Signs of Heart Trouble	p. 223
Interpreting Test Results	p. 228
Insurance Issues	p. 231
Prescription Medicines for Heart Disease	p. 234
Bibliography	p. 237
About the Author	p. 251
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