Beat Your Risk Factors: Woman's GT Reducing Her Risk for Cancer Heart Disease Stroke Diabetes Osteoporos [Paperback]

Charlotte Libov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

This first-of-its-kind book puts today's medical discoveries into perspective and arms women with the information they need to safeguard their health.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

We are bombarded by health scares and conflicting advice. How do we know what to believe? And more important, how do we know what to do to reduce our likelihood of contracting a major disease? Award-winning medical writer Charlotte Libov has a terrific concept here--a book telling us what we can do to prevent 10 major women's diseases: breast, cervical, colon, lung, ovarian, and skin cancer; diabetes; heart disease; osteoporosis; and stroke. You'll learn how to analyze your family medical history and your personal risk factors and which personal lifestyle habits you can change to lower your risk of cancer.

It would be nice if medical advice were always as simple as "quit smoking!" But unfortunately, in some areas, the water is murky. Does a low-fat diet prevent cancer? Will hormone replacement therapy decrease or increase your risk of disease? Libov tackles the tough, controversial questions by explaining the research and contradictory theories simply and clearly. What did the studies find, and what's your best bet for applying this information? She doesn't overwhelm you with more than you ever wanted to know or drown you in scientific terms--she just gives you enough to help you make a decision. This book is clear and practical, with specific advice you can put into action immediately. Anecdotes and a friendly style help make the information easy to swallow. --Joan Price

From Kirkus Reviews

A must for women who are frightened, confused, or overwhelmed by the myriad health advisories coming at them daily: invaluable instruction on assessing risk and creating a personal plan for action. Rather than being simply overwhelmed, or terrified into immobility by morbidity/mortality statistics for the general population, counsels medical writer Libov, readers should instead determine their personal risk factors: first by creating a family medical tree (what health problems keep appearing?); and second by assessing one's own lifestyle risk factors (she provides all the tools here). Information is not enough, she rightly points out: ``you need to know how this information applies to you.'' So Libov advises what preventive measures and what screening/medical procedures will provide the most protection against common cancers (breast, cervical, colon, lung, ovarian, and skin), diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and stroke. Libov selected these diseases with a purpose: ``They are disorders you can do something about. These diseases can be prevented, or, by being diagnosed earlier, can be better managed or even cured.'' For each, she makes use of the best information currently available and gives appropriate cautions as to when traditional medical advice seems to have put women in danger (dismissing the vague symptoms of ovarian cancer, for example.) Determine personal risk, do everything possible to reduce it, and try not to worry about things that can't be changedthis is a gold mine of eminently reasonable, knowledgeable advice. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 1 edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452278325
• ISBN-13: 978-0452278325
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,413,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars loved the charts..., July 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beat Your Risk Factors: Woman's GT Reducing Her Risk for Cancer Heart Disease Stroke Diabetes Osteoporos (Paperback)

The book's charts are fantastic! They give all the info women need to determine risk catagories and are the best part of the book. In very small print it says Rita Watson MPH designed them.