The Women's Heart Book: The Complete Guide to Keeping Your Heart Healthy (Revised and Updated) (Paperback)

by MD Fredric J. Pashkow (Author), Charlotte Libov (Author), MD Nanette K. Wenger (Foreword) "LOIS ZEALOUSLY ELIMINATES every gram of cholesterol from her husband Dan's favorite dishes, convinced him to give up smoking, and surprised him with membership in..." (more)
Key Phrases: women with mitral valve prolapse, submammary incision, cholesterol pattern, Lifesaving Tip, Mindsaving Tip, Cleveland Clinic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In his preface to The Women's Heart Book, Dr. Fredrick J. Pashkow describes a patient in the emergency room, a middle-aged woman who just suffered a major heart attack. He writes, "I noticed that she was lying stiffly with her fists clenched and her lips tightly pursed. I though at first it was the discomfort. Wrong! She was grievously irate!" The woman had done everything right: she watched her diet, she exercised. Her husband, on the other hand, was a paragon of bad habits. Why, then, was she the one who had had a heart attack?

The mission of The Women's Heart Book is to educate women about the very real risk of heart disease. Pashkow's coauthor, Charlotte Libov, is a writer who discovered at 40 that she needed open-heart surgery. The Heart Book combines Libov's lively investigative curiosity (not to mention her very personal stake in the subject) with Pashkow's exhaustive knowledge. The risks are laid out clearly: women over 65 are just as likely as their male counterparts to develop heart disease. Younger women are by no means off the hook, either. "An estimated 74,000 women under the age of 65 will suffer a heart attack this year." The book moves smoothly from risk to remedy. Pashkow and Libov give some basic heart anatomy information and focus on a combination of prevention and treatment, including a symptom guide to help women discern their need for a doctor; a précis on pregnancy and heart disease; a nutrition guide; and a manageable but thorough description of treatments. There's even an invaluable "Encyclopedia of Heart Problems." The result is a book essential for women who have already had heart problems that's equally recommended for those prudent souls interested in prevention. --Claire Dederer

From Publishers Weekly
Frederic J. Pashkow, M.D., and Charlotte Libov, New York Times contributor and open-heart surgery survivor, joined forces to write The Women's Heart Book: The Complete Guide to Keeping Your Heart Healthy. Debunking the notion that women are at low risk for heart disease, the authors appear to have left no stone unturned in their comprehensive research. They discuss, for instance, the interactions between hormone replacement therapies and the heart at great length, as well as preventative measures, treatments, the various kinds of heart problems and what constitutes risk. They give concrete advice about when to see a doctor; how to choose a primary care-giver, a surgeon and a hospital; and how to facilitate recuperation from surgery. Any middle-aged woman stands to benefit from this confidence-inspiring book. Illustrations.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (February 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786884282
• ISBN-13: 978-0786884285
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,018,037 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written with Heart, August 3, 2001

By	"carolynduff" (Fort Collins, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

I picked up The Women's Heart Book - and kept going right through to the glossery. The material is well organized and the information accessible and useful. Often I come away from a health related book feeling both guilty and worried. After reading The Women's Heart Book I am encouraged that I can make healthy lifestyle choices for myself and communicate intelligently with doctors if I or my sister has to confront a heart condition. The book addresses women in a personal yet professional manner - respectful of individual differences yet clear about how to apply conclusions from current research on women and heart-related diseases. I will keep this book on my reference shelf, and I thank the authors for giving me this excellent guide.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and Easy to Understand, March 17, 2002

By	"sally-e" (La Center, WA United States) - See all my reviews

I purchased the original version of this book in 1996 after being diagnosed with a heart defect. The book gave me the opportunity to truly understand what my problem was and gave me invaluable advice on what to expect before and after having open-heart surgery. The book is written with the reader in mind-- they do not assume you speak "medicalease."

One of the best parts of this book is that it discusses various types of heart issues, not just heart attacks. The area of heart attacks does get quite a bit of attention in the book, but the authors also cover birth defects and other heart related illnesses. I also found it very useful that they discuss heart concerns in various stages of a women's life, such as pregnancy and menopause.

In addition to explaining heart conditions in a clear and concise manner the book also gives you tips on how to deal with related issues such as doctors and insurance companies.

Since my surgery I have continued to use the book as a reference, and I have recommended it to many friends as well as my primary phsyican and cardiologist. I was delighted to see that the book had been updated and purchased the new version as soon as I saw it. I would recommend this book to any woman and to men that care about the women in their lives.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars can't thank her enough, July 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Woman's Heart Book: The Complete Guide to Keeping Your Heart Healthy and What to Do if Things G (Paperback)

This book was written by Doctor Pashkow and Charlotte Libov who is a journalist who underwent open heart surgery. I happened upon this book by accident while I was mentally preparing for open heart surgery myself. Ms. Libov provided some of the best advice I'd found. She explains in great depth many heart conditions and provides practical tips as well. This book greatly allayed my fears and answered a lot of questions. I read it from cover to cover twice and thanked my lucky stars that I'd found it. This is "must" reading for anyone facing this operation and his/her family.