Book Review: Dare to Live: A Naturopathic Doctor’s Complete Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease
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Medical Resources for NDs
A Review of Current Publications for the Naturopathic Industry
Atherosclerosis is a progressive process that over time silently and slowly blocks the arteries, putting blood flow at risk. It is the leading cause of heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, which culminate together in what we know medically as cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death in America.
To date, no books address atherosclerosis from the naturopathic medical perspective, nor have any books on the subject been written by an ND. Most authors focus on a piece of the heart disease puzzle, such as the need for supplements, early detection, preventive care, or dietary changes. To my knowledge, no one author has put as much information about cardiovascular disease into a single book until Dr Stephen Parcell’s Dare to Live publication.
Dr Parcell focuses his content on divulging to the reader the full picture of cardiovascular disease. In great detail, he covers the biology of the disease, the rationale behind assessing risk factors, the purpose of various indicatory tests, and copious evidence-based medical recommendations. Topics include the role of blood viscosity in artery disease. Dr Parcell discusses what the function of lipoproteins is in the body and why treating just cholesterol is not adequate for preventing myocardial infarctions: “just because you have few risk factors does not mean you do not have heart disease. The only way to truly assess your risk is to qualify the amount of coronary plaque you have. This is the most powerful predictor of a future heart attack” (p xii).
By knowing how our bodies work and by making changes in how we live, atherosclerosis can be stopped and even reversed. Dare to Live includes ample information not only on how this deadly disease can be stopped or reversed but also on how patients acquire it and what can be done to prevent it: “Prevention is achieved by modifying the many factors that increase risk and promote atherosclerosis. It does take some work on the part of the patient, but everything worthwhile does” (p xii).
Table of Contents:
Preface
Chapter 1 What is Arterial Plaque, How Does It Form, and Why?
Chapter 2 Understanding Your Risk for Heart Attack (and the Concept of Risk Factors)
Chapter 3 Exercise and Why It’s Important
Chapter 4 Understanding Cholesterol, Lipoproteins, and the Role of Statins
Chapter 5 Hormones
Chapter 6 Endothelial Dysfunction: Where Cardiovascular Disease Starts
Chapter 7 High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) as a Risk Factor
Chapter 8 The Role of Air Pollution in Heart Disease
Chapter 9 Depression, Stress, and Anxiety
Chapter 10 Medical Conditions that Increase Cardiovascular Risk
Chapter 11 Dietary Prevention of Heart Attack and Stroke
Chapter 12 Heart Attack Prevention Diet
Chapter 13 Nutritional Supplements
Chapter 14 Alternative and/or Controversial Treatments for Atherosclerosis
Appendix 1 Lists of Tests
Appendix 2 Summary of Trials/Studies/Reviews Proving that Lowering LDL with Statins Prevents Cardiovascular Events or Reverses Plaque
Appendix 3 Summary of Supplements
Appendix 4 Risk Tables
Appendix 5 Resources for Readers
Index
Author: Stephen Parcell, ND
Publisher: iUniverse
Available from: http://naturemedco.posterous.com/
Pages: 231
Style: Softcover
Copyright: 2011
MSRP: $19.95
