Syndrome X: The Silent Killer: The New Heart Disease Risk (Paperback)

by Gerald Reaven (Author), Terry Kirsten Strom (Author), Barry Fox (Author) "BOB'S LIFE BEGAN TO unravel one night after he and his wife, Eleanor, finished a healthy, home-cooked dinner consisting of fresh sea bass, spinach salad,..." (more)
Key Phrases: safflower margarine, safflower mayo, exaggerated postprandial lipemia, Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories, Saturated Mono, American Heart Association (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Is Your So-Called Good Diet Slowly Killing You?

If you have Syndrome X -- and 60 to 75 million Americans do -- the widely recommended low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet may be the surest route to a heart attack. Now, Gerald Reaven, M.D., the pioneering Stanford University doctor who discovered Syndrome X, explains why:

• Even if your total cholesterol level is perfect, it may not shield you from a heart attack.
  
• Carbohydrates can be just as harmful as red meat or butter.
  
• A diet high in "good" fats (as much as 40 percent of calories) is actually better for you.
  
• The Zone diet, the Atkins diet, and the American Heart Association diet can each be dangerous under certain conditions.
  
• The failure of insulin, the body's "sugar cop," to process blood sugar is the key to Syndrome X.
  
• The Syndrome X diet and exercise program will keep you healthy and protect your heart even if you do not suffer from insulin resistance.
  

Tested in carefully controlled research settings and in practice, the Syndrome X program is safe, effective, and easy to follow.

About the Author
Gerald Reaven, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, discovered Syndrome X. A world-renowned endocrinologist, he has received a wide array of scientific awards and has served as director of the division of endocrinology and metabolism, among other posts, at Stanford's School of Medicine. He lives in Stanford, California.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (August 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684868636
• ISBN-13: 978-0684868639
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #512,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read 5 books on Syndrome X, February 1, 2002

By	"dsample7" (Lombard, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

and this was by far the most informative and didnt deliver any mis-information. The other 4 books often refer back to Dr. Reaven a lot, and with some interpretation variations. Its wasnt quite as easy reading as some of the other books, but it was the most correct and informative, after all Dr. Reaven as it turns out was a founding father of Syndrome X. It made me think twice before dieting especially since the Syndrome X diet is so different than others such as Zone and Atkins etc., that typically make Syndrome X much worse. With estimates as high as 1/3 of the country having this Syndrome X to one degree or another it is just about an epidemic so this book will only be even more useful in the future. So if you have CHD at an early age, high cholesterol that just wont come down, sky high triglycerides, and the start of early type 2 diabetes, then this might provide a lot of answers.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Info, December 21, 2001

By	Henry Tassotti (Kenosha, Wi USA) - See all my reviews

The bad points about this book: It didn't tell one if
coffee was to be avoided, nor did it discuss sodium in the
diet or water. It was also very technical reading and a little "dry"
On the other hand, I learned a lot about insulin and the
heart. Dr. Reaven has wonderful qualifications to be writing
on this subject. There is a diet section which will be very
helpful. It's not a terribly long book, so a lot can be
learned in a short time. His diet recommendations are well

tested and effective. He also does not pull any punches
and makes it clear that your MUST lose weight and exercise
regularly if you are to be heart-healthy. I kind of liked that.
For added incentive he well describes what a heart attack
feels like and the type of permanent damage it does.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible for Insulin Damage, August 29, 2003

By A Customer

This is a great book that will remain the "Classic" long after all others on this subject have faded. It's written by the physician who found Syndrome X and gives straight-up information on the subject of how uncontrolled insulin and glucose levels damage our health. Although there is a wealth of information on the internet, much of it is inaccurate or partially inaccurate, and that's the case with Syndrome X. All the other Syndrome X books that have been written were knock-offs published after this one by authors who knew far less about the subject. What you get in this book is 100% quality information and solutions that you can trust. However, it's not necessarily written for the customer who wants only touch-feely anecdotes; it tells us the real scoop. Reading the medical journals of new research emerging confirms everything in this book, and shows that high insulin levels can cause other horrible diseases besides Syndrome X, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, such as all these new ones that have been added to the list: colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, sleep breathing disorder, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, impaired cognitive (brain)function, polycystic ovary syndrome, and a couple of others disorders. This book is the best of the bunch.