Heart Attack!: Advice for Patients by Patients [Paperback]

Kathleen Berra (Author), Gerald W. Friedland M.D. (Author), Christopher Gardner (Author), Francis H. Koch (Author), Donna Louie (Author), Nancy Houston Miller (Author), Robin Wedell (Author), Barton Thurber (Author), Gerald W. Friedland (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300091907 | ISBN-13: 978-0300091908 | Publication Date: January 15, 2002 | Edition: 1

Millions of people---many of them younger than we care to believe---are no living in the aftermath of a heart attack, and it is vital for them to learn how to reduce the risk factors for subsequent heart problems. This unique and important book offers advice to survivors of a heart attack and also to those trying to prevent the onset of a heart attack. Contributors include not only distinguished medical professionals but also eleven individuals who either participated in a cardiac rehabilitation program or designed a program of their own. The patients---men and women of varied ages and ethnic backgrounds---relate their own histories, providing insight into the many faces of heart disease and inspiration and hope for other heart attack survivors.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

What distinguishes this title from other guides on preventing and treating heart disease is its down-to-earth sharing of individual stories. Besides a chapter on diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation written by Berra (clinical trial director, Stanford Ctr. for Research in Disease Prevention), Gerald W. Friedland (emeritus, radiology, Stanford Univ. Sch. of Medicine), and Francis H. Koch (consulting cardiologist, Cardiac Therapy Fdn. of the Midpeninsula), the book features 11 other chapters authored by heart attack survivors. These men and women from across the country, of all ages and ethnicities, end their narratives with a bulleted list of what they have learned from their experiences. The section on diet and nutrition by Christopher Gardner (director, nutrition studies, Stanford Ctr. for Research in Disease Prevention) looks at the most recent research and compares the most popular and well-known diets. Berra also contributes a chapter that stresses the benefit of cardiac rehabilitation programs for patients with or at risk for heart disease; in fact, this work was initiated by four participants in the same program, the Cardiac Therapy Foundation of the Midpeninsula, Palo Alto, CA. So many of us tend to believe erroneously that heart attacks won't affect us, but these stories prove otherwise and bring the issue home in a way that a more detached style of writing can't achieve. Every public library and consumer health collection should purchase a copy. Eris Weaver, Redwood Health Lib., Petaluma, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This informative book on the current state of the diagnosis and treatment of heart attacks includes 11 personal accounts by patients and 5 chapters by health professionals. The first chapter is an overview of the present understanding of what a heart attack is, of which risks for heart attack can be identified before an attack, and of what patients can expect after an attack. The succeeding 11 chapters are the patient-contributors' stories, varied by the great diversity of backgrounds, heart attacks, and good and bad features of treatment they report. The four remaining chapters deal with the complexities of healthy nutrition, with testing and treatment, and with cardiac rehabilitation programs. The two on cardiac rehabilitation, written by pioneers and activists in these programs, are among the most valuable pages in the book. Throughout, the text features stories of careless and incorrect diagnosis, good and bad physician-patient relations, and the puncturing of popular myths. Succinct yet detailed, this collection should prove valuable to both health professionals and the general public. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1 edition (January 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300091907
• ISBN-13: 978-0300091908
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,185,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why I choose this book, November 29, 2009

By 

marcus1 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart Attack!: Advice for Patients by Patients (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book because of the personal experience aspect that was taken from a patient's point of view. The book is written by various patients who have all experience some sort of heart complication and compiled a wide array of personal experiences. Sometimes when doctors write about their account or perspective on a heart attack you can loose sight of the multiple factors that may be incorporated into the near death experience. I liked how the book started off with doctors presenting the heart attack basics giving information to help the general audience understand the characteristics and causes. I also enjoyed the transition into the multiple heart attack experiences ranging from 1965 to 2000; showing the progression of techniques and medication. The authors also did a good job presenting various aspects of people's stories ranging from a younger patient's experience, to the importance of nutrition in heart perservance. Each chapter is filled with a section on what the patient learning outcomes were after they reflect on their experience. I think this was important for people to understand when doctors have to make split-second decisions that are not always the easiest to understand at the time. I think once the patient has time to better understand the various complications that can go wrong in the heart, they can have a better appreciation for the doctors decisions. This book also did a very good job incorporating the healing processes and all the family and friend involvement that can be expected. If someone knows someone that has had a heart attack or has had a heart attack themselves, then I think this book can be used as a guide to help understand both the physiological process and the various psychological journeys. Furthermore, if you are going into cardiac rehab as a major, this will help further your knowledge of the growing technologies and procedures that continue to change people's lives.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, January 5, 2002

By 

Rebecca Keogh (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart Attack!: Advice for Patients by Patients (Hardcover)

Wonderful job Kathleen! Great information for potential patients.