Review: Useful and rather complete information about Heart Disease: Prevention, Treatment, Living with it
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2014
Julie Carpenter has produced yet another very informative and comprehensible book about health and the care of the human body. This book is focused on the heart. This is a patient oriented book, a book for the lay public, but it is so well presented that it could comfortably be used as a text book for Junior College classes on health maintenance.In her first chapter - Understanding heart disease - she discusses terms we all should understand: angina pectoris, arrhythmia, congenital heat disease, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral valve regurgitation and pulmonary stenosis. She lists the cause of heart disease as genetic, structural defects, diet, life style and risk factors, symptoms (a particularly well defined discussion), warning signs, and when to seek medical attention. In chapter two - Prevention - she discusses lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, diet again, exercise, the negative effects of smoking, of stress, of alcohol, the positive effect of antioxidants and Vitamin E, and the debate about hormone replacement therapy. In chapter three - Diagnosis - she outlines the tests and diagnostic tools used to determine heart disease and its risk factors including checking heart rate, auscultation, BP checks, EKG, ECG, regular physical exams, blood tests, a variation of CT scan for the heart, pericardiocentesis, electrophysiology test, even myocardial biopsy!Chapter four - Treatment - angioplasty, cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass, and heart transplantation are presented before the medication of anticoagulants, angiotensin inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators, diuretics, statins - all explained in a manner everyone can understand. The remainder of the book is care and guidance oriented, whether that care is for you or for loved ones. This is a very fine, concise overview of heart disease and Julie Carpenter makes a fine instructor! Grady Harp, March 14