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

Stacie Deyglio, ND

Dare to Live: A Naturopathic Doctor’s Complete Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease

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

Title: Dare to Live: A Naturopathic Doctor’s Complete Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease

Author: Stephen Parcell, ND

Publisher: iUniverse

Available from: http://naturemedco.posterous.com/

Pages: 231

Style: Softcover

Copyright: 2011

MSRP: $19.95

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