Heart 411: The Only Guide to Heart Health You'll Ever Need

by Marc Gillinov M.D., Steven Nissen M.D.

Overview

The definitive guide to heart health from two of America's most respected doctors at Cleveland Clinic, the #1 hospital for heart health in America.

Are you one of the eighty-two million Americans currently diagnosed with cardiovascular disease—or one of the millions more who think they are healthy but are at risk? Whether your goal is to get the best treatment or stay out of the cardiologist’s office, your heart's health depends upon accurate information and correct answers to key questions.

In Heart 411, two renowned experts, heart surgeon Marc Gillinov and cardiologist Steven Nissen, tackle the questions their patients have raised over their decades of practice: Can the stress of my job really lead to a heart attack? How does exercise help my heart, and what is the right amount and type of exercise? What are the most important tests for my heart, and when do I need them? How do symptoms and treatments differ among men, women, and children?

Backed by decades of clinical experience and up-to-the-minute research, yet written in the accessible, down-to-earth tone of your trusted family doctor, Heart 411 cuts through the confusion to give you the knowledge and tools you need to live a long and heart-healthy life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307719928
Publisher:	Harmony/Rodale
Publication date:	01/31/2012
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	560
Sales rank:	485,166
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

MARC GILLINOV, M.D., is Chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

STEVEN NISSEN, M.D., is the chairman of the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

Table of Contents

Section 1 Heart Health and Disease: The Basics That You Must Know

1 Saving your life 3

2 Coronary heart disease: The risk factors you know and those you don't 12

3 Cholesterol: Friend and foe 42

4 Your weight and your heart: How extra pounds create excess risk 66

Section II A Plan for Prevention

5 Food for the heart 91

6 Red wine and your heart: A drink a day may keep the cardiologist away 123

7 Exercise and your heart: Which type and how much? 138

8 Emotion and your heart: You can be scared to death 166

9 How to tell fact from fiction: Sorting through the medical evidence 193

10 Which heart tests do you need? 217

Section III Fixing the Broken Heart

11 Medicines for the heart: The big six 253

12 Stents versus surgery for coronary heart disease: To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail 283

13 A chance to cut is a chance to cure: What you need to know before heart surgery 307

14 You've got the beat: Keeping your heart in rhythm 337

15 Living with heart failure 369

16 Vitamins and supplements: Trick or treatment? 396

Section IV Personal Plans

17 The mysteries of Venus: Understanding the hearts of women 421

18 Heart disease in men: It is all partly about sex 448

19 Heart disease in kids: Prevention starts now! 471

Section V Looking Forward

20 Heart health (and repair) in the future: Star Trek, here we come! 499

21 Epilogue: Putting heart doctors out of business 529

Acknowledgments 533

Index 537

Editorial Reviews

Cardiac surgeon Gillinov and cardiologist Nissen, both of Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, efficiently render an overwhelming array of symptoms, tests, diagnoses, treatment options, diet, and exercise recommendations, drugs and supplements, and prognoses associated with the nation’s top cause of death into an easy-to-use guide to preventing heart disease. The key to prevention, they state, is recognizing and reducing risk factors, many of which (e.g., migraines, gum disease, stress, negative emotions, and sleep apnea) are hidden. They consider the impact of excess weight, high cholesterol, and blood pressure, suggesting lifestyle and pharmaceutical interventions to bring ranges back to normal, and address particular concerns and links with heart disease for women (pregnancy, menopause, and HRT), men (erectile dysfunction; prostate cancer), and children (obesity). Much of their advice downplays the efficacy of media-touted “superfoods” like blueberries and miracle supplements like B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and coQ10. They caution readers to take their time and do their research before committing to care that may be limited because of where they live or their physician’s knowledge. Gillinov and Nissen criticize physicians for suggesting stents to open blockages far more than necessary. This superior effort ends with an encouraging look at technological advances on the horizon, which may eliminate the need for invasive surgeries and drugs with dangerous side effects. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Empowering [and] lifesaving…an understandable and definitive guide by two heart docs.”
–Booklist


“Preventative care for your cardiac plumbing, and steps to rectify what has gone amiss…With an affable thoroughness, the authors inform readers about the world of coronary heart disease….The text is designed so readers can either drop in on a specific topic or extend their understanding by reading the entire chapter to gain the broad, contextual picture. This book is like the doctor of old—white coat, black bag, stethoscope—ready to counsel from broad experience. So listen and act.”
–Kirkus
 
“Two world experts in heart disease have crafted Heart 411 to serve as a blueprint to put themselves out of business by guiding us to optimize our heart health.  If you have a heart question, look no further.”
—Mehmet Oz, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair of Surgery, NYP/Columbia University
 
“As a heart disease survivor, I look for the best information I can find, and I’ve found it in Heart 411.  It is essential reading for patients like me, as well as those who want keep their heart healthy.  In a world filled with conflicting information, Drs. Gillinov and Nissen separate fact from fiction, providing patients and their families with easy to use tools to understand heart disease and find the best possible care.  It has become my go to book!”
—Larry King, CNN talk show host, founder of the Larry King Cardiac Foundation
 
“A useful and—dare I say—fun masterpiece.  Reading Heart 411 is like have having your own personal consultation with two of the most skilled and compassionate heart doctors on the planet.  Gillinov and Nissen provide a delightful blend of the latest research, moving experiences with patients at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, and warmth and humor to show each of us how to live a longer, healthier and happier life.”
—Robert Sutton, Stanford Professor and author of New York Times bestsellers Good Boss, Bad Boss and The No Asshole Rule
 
“From the warning signs of an impending heart attack to the cardiac effects of red wine, this book has it all. Gillinov and Nissen engage you with their friendly tone and their patients' stories and give you the critical information you need to ensure your heart health. Heart 411 is a must read.”
—Toby Cosgrove, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President, Cleveland Clinic
 
“It’s rare a book so vital to health is also such an engaging and entertaining read. Heart 411 is an invaluable resource, and one that I would recommend everyone add to their reading list.”
—Mary Joe Fernandez, 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist and ESPN & CBS Commentator
 
“Read Heart 411 and you may never have to call 911.”
—Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Emmy- and Grammy-winning performers

“Cardiac surgeon Gillinov and cardiologist Nissen, both of Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, efficiently render an overwhelming array of symptoms, tests, diagnoses, treatment options, diet, and exercise recommendations, drugs and supplements, and prognoses associated with the nation’s top cause of death into an easy-to-use guide to preventing heard disease.”
–Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

According to the Center for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. In this informative manual for heart health, cardiac surgeon Gillinov and cardiologist Nissen (both, Cleveland Clinic) emphasize prevention and answer questions regarding smoking, drinking red wine, diet, exercise, fads, and medication. The extremely useful section "How To Tell Fact from Fiction" explains the difference between various types of studies and which ones should be taken seriously. For those who have suffered or are suffering from heart disease, Gillinov and Nissen explain the most common tests and procedures and advise on whether they are helpful or unnecessary, depending on the patient's condition. This combination of case studies, historic information on treatments, and explanations of subjects including stress, diet pills, and drugs is a surprisingly engaging read. VERDICT This book is a good choice for anyone with a heart; essential for those with heart conditions.—Susanne Caro, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

Library Journal

Preventative care for your cardiac plumbing, and steps to rectify what has gone amiss, from heart surgeon Gillinov and cardiologist Nissen. With an affable thoroughness, the authors inform readers about the world of coronary heart disease. Their desire is to communicate effectively, and they convey a come-check-this-out enthusiasm that will pique readers' curiosity. They start by pointing a finger at the standard causes of problems: toxic diets, lack of exercise, dangerous prescription combinations, emotional stress, high blood pressure, smoking, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a family history of such disease. They authors leisurely investigate all manner of heart issues: The judge the quality of late-breaking medical advice coming through the media; provide a deep profile of cholesterol; chart the factor of obesity in coronary heart disease; and highlight unfamiliar risk factors like rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease ("people who rarely or never brushed their teeth faced a 70 percent increase in their risk of suffering a heart attack or other serious cardiac event over an eight-year period. We suspect they also had really bad breath"). The authors examine diet and exercise; anger, anxiety and the physiology of stress; the extended family of heart-rhythm problems; the known benefits in the turbid world of vitamins and supplements; and the notion that a "healthy sex life correlates with a healthy heart." They also discuss basic heart tests, advanced surgery and warning signs, and suggest how to choose a doctor or a hospital. The text is designed so readers can either drop in on a specific topic or extend their understanding by reading the entire chapter to gain the broad, contextual picture. This book is like the doctor of old--white coat, black bag, stethoscope--ready to counsel from broad experience. So listen and act.

Kirkus Reviews