Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women [Paperback]

Nieca Goldberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2003

One out of every two women will die of heart disease. It is the single greatest health risk for women today—more than stroke and all cancers combined. In the course of her work as founder and chief of the Women’s Heart Program at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. Goldberg has come to a startling realization: Women experience heart disease in a fundamentally different way than men do. The physiology of a woman’s heart attack is not the same as a man’s, the symptoms of heart disease and signs of impending heart attack differ for women, and once heart disease has been recognized, women often do not get the treatment and medications they require. Now here are detailed, age-specific programs that give women the facts and the guidance they need to recognize, treat, and prevent heart disease, including

• How you can rate your risk of heart disease
• The effects of menopause on your heart
• Risk factors you can change—starting today
• A heart healthy exercise plan that works for you
• A complete guide to heart healthy supplements
• The truth about hormone replacement therapy and the heart
• Recovering from a heart attack or surgery

Authoritative, caring, and up-to-the-minute, this is destined to become the women’s health book of the new millennium.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Heart disease is a woman's greatest health threat," writes cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, M.D. Until recently, heart research was done on men, and women were considered "small men." But women are quite different from men in physiology and patterns, and require a targeted approach. Goldberg's mission is to help women prevent or manage heart disease by understanding their unique symptoms, risk factors, prevention options, medical treatments, lifestyle choices, hormones, supplements, and recovery methods.

Women Are Not Small Men is organized clearly. Each risk factor is organized by "the facts" and "your next step." A chapter on symptoms and diagnosis includes action plans and questions your doctor will ask you. Goldberg discusses the latest research on hormone replacement therapy, so you can make your own decision in partnership with your physician.

She recommends exercise, dietary modification, smoking cessation, and stress reduction, showing you how to take easy steps that will result in big changes. Questionnaires, tips, and anecdotes personalize the material. Goldberg is chief of cardiac rehabilitation and chief of the Women's Heart Program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and she offers in this book a wealth of information that will empower women to understand heart disease. --Joan Price --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Goldberg, chief of cardiac rehabilitation at the Women's Heart Program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, believes that misinformation about heart health is keeping women from getting appropriate cardiac care. Women, on their own or because doctors belittle their symptoms, often ignore the warning signs of heart disease, imagining that that they're too young or simply the wrong gender to be having a heart attack. In this comprehensive guide to cardiac health, Goldberg uses numerous case studies to show how women think they're suffering from fatigue or stress or are simply overweight when in fact they're showing signs of cardiac obstruction. Goldberg encourages women of all ages to be proactive in managing heart disease with simple strategies including stress reduction, physical activity, healthier eating and quitting smoking. Included is a simple quiz to determine readers' risk level for heart problems. All relevant related conditions, including diabetes and menopause, are discussed so that readers can assess their options regarding medication and lifestyle changes. Women of all backgrounds will find the material things helpful to read both before and after visiting their own physician, and Goldberg's realistic approach will also appeal to readers. Though she urges women to recognize the potential for serious heart problems, Goldberg knows that few people will transform their behavior instantly. This is an excellent addition to the women's health shelf.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345440994
• ISBN-13: 978-0345440990
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,272,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What I Wish I Had Known, March 6, 2003

By 

Reyna M. Dodds (Carmel, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women (Hardcover)

Our daughter Jenny died suddenly at the age of 21. She has been under the care of a cardiologist for high blood pressure. Jenny developed symptons of heart disease that went unrecognized.
Her visit to the Emergency Room where she presented with palpitations, nausea, bilateral arm pain and jaw pain were dismissed as symptons of anxiety. She was released without further testing. She died at home the next morning. Further studies revealed that two of her major arteries were completely ocluded.
I have read this book and purchased addtional copies for families and friends.
I truly believe if I had known what I know now about heart disease in women, perhaps Jenny could have been saved.
I urge you to read and share this book with those you love.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of useable information., October 8, 2002

By 

NoName "engrx2" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women (Hardcover)

Many medical books written by doctors are hard to read, dry, boring, technical. Reading this book is like talking to a friend who is not only very knowledgeable but also very concerned. There is good medical information, and practical information on how to set up a personal plan for preventing heart disease and talking to your doctor. Best of all it is written by a woman for women.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensible heart information for women, April 22, 2002

By 

Ladybird "ladybird" (Bellport, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women (Hardcover)

I have bought 3 copies of this book for family members and am ordering another one. It is the clearest, best information about women's heart problems and what to do about them that I have ever come across and because I have a heart problem I have read most of the non-technical literature available. Dr. Goldberg writes specifically about women's heart problems which, until now, have been minimized or disregarded. She makes great sense.