Heart disease

Summary: Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and in the West. Because of the scope of the problem, and the tremendous costs associated with diagnosis and treatment, issues related to heart disease consume the largest share of the nation's health care budget. The least expensive and most logical way to prevent heart disease is to spread knowledge about it. Written by a past president of the American Heart Association in Boston, Heart Disease is a comprehensive account of the history, present, and future of the leading cause of death in the West. Chapters describe the history of our knowledge of the heart, its anatomical structure and function, various disease states, and the treatments for each major disease. Dr. DeSilva, who teaches at Harvard Medical School, covers historical aspects of heart disease, discoveries about the structure and function of the heart, and the evolution of how the disease is diagnosed and treated. In addition, the book examines the vast array of diagnostic tests and the most advanced treatments available, from basic drugs for prevention such as aspirin to transplants and artificial hearts. - Back cover.

Record details

ISBN: 0313376077 (ebook)
ISBN: 9780313376078 (ebook)
ISBN: 0313376069 (hardback)
ISBN: 9780313376061 (hardback)
Physical Description: xx, 276 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
print
Publisher: Santa Barbara, Calif. : Greenwood, 2013.

Content descriptions

General Note:

Includes index.

Formatted Contents Note:

External and implantable cardiac devices : General considerations ; Pacemakers and what they do ; External temporary pacing of the heart ; Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators ; Artificial hearts and ventricular assist devices ; Other mechanical devices ; Complications ; Ethical and legal issues -- Surgical treatment for heart disease : The operating room ; Preparation for surgery ; The operative procedure ; Cardiac surgery for selected conditions: Coronary bypass surgery, Valve surgery, Congenital heart defects, Heart transplants, Pericardial disease ; Postoperative recovery period ; Complications of cardiac surgery: Non-life-threatening complications, Major and life-threatening complications -- Cardiac arrest and resuscitation : Early history of resuscitation ; Evolution of defibrillation in the 20th century ; Electrophysiology of cardiac arrest ; Causes of sudden cardiac death: Coronary artery disease, Cardiomyopathy, Genetic electrical abnormalities, Idiopathic causes, Drugs and chemicals, Dietary causes, Hypothermia, Trauma to the chest, Electrocution, Asystole ; Defibrillator devices: External defibrillators, Automated external defibrillator, Implantable defibrillators, Wearable external defibrillators ; Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): What is CPR?, How is CPR done?, CPR in the community, Indications for CPR, Neurological damage from cardiac arrest, Contraindications to CPR -- Risk factors for coronary heart disease and preventive strategies : Concept of risk factors for coronary heart disease: The Framingham study ; Major risk factors for coronary heart disease: Age, sex, and heredity, Cholesterol profile, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Smoking, High blood pressure, Inactivity and obesity, Diabetes, Contributory risk factors for coronary heart disease ; Prevention of CVD: Primary prevention of heart disease, Secondary prevention of heart disease, Cardiovascular disease in women -- Future trends in heart disease : Genomics and genetics ; Stem cells and heart repair ; Surgical treatments ; Prediction of myocardial infarction ; Sudden cardiac death ; Drug development ; Longevity research.