Treating the Aching Heart: A Guide to Depression, Stress, and Heart Disease (Paperback)

by Lawson R. Wulsin MD (Author) "Paula Volk, sixty-two, spends most of her time in the front bedroom of her two-bedroom house near the flood plains of the Ohio River, watching..." (more)
Key Phrases: heart disease worse, developing coronary disease, vascular depression, United States, Clinical Tip, Paula Volk (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Wulsin, a professor of psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Cincinnati, offers a welcome addition to the literature on the mutual impact of body and mind in this look at how depression contributes to heart disease and vice versa. Written in an informal tone and balancing scientific data with patient checklists and case studies, this book is meant for patients and doctors alike. He tells, for instance, of Bea Hook, a middle-aged woman he was treating only for depression until he realized she had serious risk factors for heart disease that could be exacerbated by her depression. But the author cushions such information with helpful Clinical Tips for the average reader: for example, Learn how depression affects your risks for heart disease; Chart the course of your depression over your lifetime; Insist on comprehensive treatment of heart disease. Wulsin discusses possible single and combination treatments, which include medication, psychotherapy, light therapy and pets. Wulsin has effectively melded science with a popular approach to drive home the need for improved awareness and improved care for heart disease and depression and similarly connected diseases.
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Review
"'Treating the Aching Heart' should be read identifying ways to improve their quality of life while simultaneously reducing their risk for developing heart disease." -- Journal of the National Medical Association, March 2008

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Vanderbilt University Press; illustrated edition edition (July 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826515614
• ISBN-13: 978-0826515612
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #776,503 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Compassionate, May 31, 2008

By	T. Holt - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. Lawson Wulsin writes clearly and empathetically about the links between depression and heart disease. His appendices, footnotes, resources and references are added bonuses in the search for answers to depression and its links to heart disease. If one were to read chapters five and six alone, one would gain a physiological knowledge of depression: its biology and its relation to the functions of the brain and the heart. Dr. Wulsin has been careful to create charts and figures that are accessible. The book is readable, yet informative, and the movement from overviews to specifics is seamless.

Dr. Wulsin's recommendations for change include integrating mental health services into primary care practices, and establishing guidelines for screening for depression in patients at risk for coronary disease. Another of Dr. Wulsin's recommendations for change is the formation of campaigns to educate the public about heart disease and depression. His book is an excellent addition to such education.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reader-friendly medical breaththrough, October 3, 2007

By	J. F. DeBrosse "co-author "The Secret in ... (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. Wulsin's book is a long overdue look at the complex interactions between depression and heart disease, written in a compelling way that even the layman will appreciate. If you have a loved one who suffers from depression, or you yourself are coping with the disease, this book is essential to protecting their long-term health.Treating the Aching Heart: A Guide to Depression, Stress, and Heart Disease

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compassionate Medicine, July 13, 2007

By	Polly G. Cherner - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. Wulsin has written a compassionate book on the intimate connection between depression and heart disease. The warmth that comes through his stories delicately balances the weight of the scientific material. This unique blend of open heartedness and medical precision combine to make a compelling read. We should all be so lucky to be in the care of such an empathic physician.