Reviewed on 22nd Dec 2024

Prevention Is Better Than Cure - Easy Read

The book is clear, concise, and lays out a plan to be proactive in preventing a heart attack. It was quite easy to follow and understand. This comprehensive book will not only serve as a wake-up call for many but also save lives. I now have an interest in a CCTI where I didn't before.

The book explains the functions of the heart and how plaque is formed in the arteries and then how to detect and treat it. His primary focus, of course, is on prevention of heart disease and how you can accomplish that.

I feel much more comfortable talking to my doctor about this subject. I am much more prepared to hold an honest and informative discussion.

I also think that he didn't write to his potential reader base. Americans will not comprehend most of the notations for the lipid panel values. Might have noted American notations as well. He lost me there throughout.

Disclaimer: I was offered this book in exchange for my honest opinion of it.

Reviewed on 22nd Dec 2024

Calcium scores and what to do with a high value

[I am not medical doctor. I have no medical training. However, I have 7 cardiac stents so my interest in Coronary Heart Disease is not purely academic.]

Once upon a time there was homocysteine, a sulfur-based amino acid. According to WebMD, "You get it mostly from eating meat. High levels of it are linked to early development of heart disease." The question, then, was to determine whether homosysteine was a like a car's accelerator or its speedometer, that is, was lowering homocysteine like taking one's foot of the brake, or was it like trying to stop a car by grabbing onto the speedometer? Again, from WebMD, "Research has shown, however, that getting your homocysteine levels down with vitamins doesn’t reduce your chance of having heart disease." Oh, well,...

Then, there was C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. It was thought to be a mediator of Coronary Heart Disease and the next big thing in assessing cardiac risk. And then...nothing. It felt like CRP went from being assessed on almost everyone thought to be at risk to almost no one. Maybe it's because so many things other than heart disease can lead to high levels.

Now, we have calcium score. The higher the calcium score, the greater the risk of a serious coronary event. But what is one to make of a high calcium score? I know someone with a score of 300 who was told not to do any exercise until he was given a stress test, which he passed. (And, yes, there are may tales of those who have suffered serious events after having passed a recent stress test.) Is a calcium score a real advance or is it merely the latest in a string of false leads?

The calcium score itself is not controversial. The question is what to do with it other than a stress test or a statin if the score is high. And might it turn out to be another homosysteine or CRP?

The value of Dr, Bishop's book is its suggestion of a next step after a high calcium score--a scan with contrast to determine the location of the deposits are that are behind the high score. He provides evidence to support his recommendation. I found it compelling enough to start a conversation with my cardiologist if I had a high score, myself. (This is not an option for anyone with stents because the stents would interfere with the scans.)

Those concerned with their risk of having a coronary event, perhaps due to family history, should read this book to prepare for an intelligent conversation with their own cardiologists.

Other comments:

Others have commented on the book's use of mmol/l instead of the mg/dl used in the US. It can be confusing. However,

(Bishop) mmol/l *38.7 = mg/dl (US)

Ratios are unaffected by the choice of units.

Try to avoid the audio version alone. I like audio books, but the information and message do not lend themselves well to an audiobook.

[Disclaimer: I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. Review copies of books are permitted by Amazon. I have no problem with my review. However, I've spent too much time agonizing over how many stars to award.

5 stars: I have seen first person someone with a high calcium score who was not offered the followup suggested by Dr. Bishop. The book is well worth the price if it prevents or postpones a serious coronary event, especially if it's yours. The information is presented in a way that anyone reading the book could have an intelligent conversation with his/her cardiologist about calcium scores and what should be done with them.

4 stars: A bit pricey, although much less expensive than having an MI. The choice of mm/l with no instructions for conversion to mg/dl was a huge distraction. A fear that I might be influenced to go higher (5 instead of 4) for having received a free copy. Note: fear of unconscious bias applies to the number of stars, not to the review itself.

When I started writing this disclaimer, I knew I'd award 4 stars because "If you have to think about it..." However, after reading what I've written about my quandry...]

Reviewed on 22nd Dec 2024

This Book Could Save Your Life!

Coronary heart disease, the number one killer in America and a serious human health risk in other countries, is greatly affected by unwise and unconsciously dangerous lifestyle choices. Additionally, there may be hidden associations leading to cardiovascular disease. These hidden associations can be revealed by using imagining technology in a preventive way to reduce your risk for having a cardiac event.

Dr. Warrick Bishop, a cardiologist, specializes in looking inside the working heart using non-invasive imaging technology. Dr. Bishop wants you to know how to live the healthiest lifestyle that can reduce or greatly eliminate cardiovascular disease factors.

He also wants you to know that though there might be a family history of heart disease, that does not mean that you are a high risk for having a heart attack. It takes doing detective work to find out what’s really going on inside you to determine the state of your cardiovascular system.

His book focuses on primary preventative cardiology. He is sincerely interested in sharing information about how you can prevent yourself from developing factors that lead up to a primary cardiac event. Prevent factors that cause heart disease and you live a longer, happier, more productive life!

Dr. Bishop’s research suggests that some people in the same family can stop worrying about their cardiovascular disease risk factors. Guessing (and wrongly assuming) that because your family’s history of heart disease means you definitely will get it, too, may be a completely inaccurate assumption. If this worry keeps you awake at night, asking your cardiologist to read Dr. Bishop’s book might help you sleep better at night!

Your fears can be reduced (or perhaps confirmed and preventively dealt with prior to an event occurring) by using non-invasive imaging technology. Preventively using imaging technology can reveal what’s happening in your heart right now, before you might have a heart attack.

The information revealed by using imagining technology before an event occurs allows a cardiovascular management strategy based exactly on what’s revealed from a scan rather than on guesses. By seeing what’s really going on in your heart via images, you can eliminate the unnecessary need for some medications or perhaps do what’s necessary to prevent a heart attack.

Dr. Bishop’s way of working with patient’s is different than the way a lot of cardiologists practice their art and talent. His preventative focus using imaging technology BEFORE symptoms appear can actually help extend and improve your life now!

I found this book to be very interesting. Filled with pictures, scientific references, case studies and more, you can easily understand why he takes the approach he does to practicing cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Bishop doesn’t seem to be the type of cardiologist who is interested in being considered an expert just because he’s a doctor. He backs up his findings by sharing what he’s learned. And, he also seems to walk his talk. That’s pretty cool!

He truly takes an individual approach with his patients rather than a “population-at-large, statistically-speaking” approach in medicine. I applaud him for the way he has shared the results of his findings. He seems to truly be interested in helping educate you, the patient, so you can make an informed decision about your cardiovascular health management choices. He suggests things you can do now to improve your cardiovascular health management strategy plan for a happier and healthier future.

Even if you are currently cardiovascularly asymptomatic, toxic accumulations in your body’s inner systems could already internally be building up. Preventative medicine, which includes doing physical body detective work, lifestyle choices, imagining technology and medications (as applicable) can reverse, effectively manage or perhaps prevent you from creating your own heart disease. If you are an advocate of wanting to possibly prevent or avoid creating a disease-creating internal environment, this book just might save your life! I would recommend this book to anyone concerned about their cardiovascular health and is open to taking a natural and reasonable approach to managing their health.

Reviewed on 22nd Dec 2024

Boy, did you bite off more than you can chew!

It is a really remarkable achievement to prevent a heart attack long before you even get the symptoms of the heart attack. In this book we have indicators that you can use to do just that! It is a very difficult thing to not have any pain or problem of which you know, but that you may have a problem a few years down the road. This book begins to explain how you may do just that. It is a primer but the explanations are concise and with a bit of humor as well. Get the book...it will give you some things to think about.