Before It Happens to You: A Breakthrough Program for Reversing or Preventing Heart Disease

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Summary: Arguably a lifesaver -- but bound to be controversial
Review: After I read the book in January, I was fuming mad! My doctor told me for years to get more exercise, lose weight, eat better and watch my cholesterol--but he didn't do anything about it because I was "borderline". After my heart attack, she THEN put me on medications for my blood pressure and cholesterol and told me it was "secondary" prevention. Yeah, lock the barn AFTER the horse runs out. I read the book and immediately figured out what I was going to give my brothers and sister for Easter-- something I wish could've shown me the way to to tell my doc to use everything at her disposal to PREVENT a heart attack. And if they say it is too much medicine BEFORE anything happens--I'm sorry, I'd rather cheat them out of the bypass surgery and angioplasty than have to live the rest of my life recovering from a heart attack.

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Summary: fast and easy
Review: After years of asking is my blood pressure and cholesterol okay, finally an answer and what to do about it. Like my doctor always said, we are in charge of our own health. Don't wait for the government to worry about YOU.

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Summary: Exceedingly useful as a basic primer for healthy living
Review: Before It Happens To You: A Breakthrough Program For Reversing Or Preventing Heart Disease by Jonathan Sackner Bernstein (Director of Clinical Re-search and Director of the Heart Failure Prevention Program at North Shore University Hospital in New York) is a straightforward guide to working with one's doctor and making healthier lifestyle changes for one's personal needs in order to keep one's heart healthier and less susceptible to problems such as heart attack or stroke. A no-nonsense account which is especially appropriate for non-specialist general readers of all background and occupations, Before It Happens To You is exceedingly useful as a basic primer for healthy living and highly recommended for community library Health & Medicine reference collections.

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Summary: Before It Happens to You: A Breakthrough Program for Reversi
Review: Bernstein (director, clinical research and the Heart Failure Prevention Program, Northshore Hosp., Long Island, NY) provides a realistic take on treating early heart disease by lowering high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Given that heart disease is America's top killer and that most people will not change the lifestyle risks that could help prevent cardiovascular events, his prescription-that most adults over 40 "will be able to achieve optimal [cardiovascular] health by using a customized mix ofaspirin, statins, beta-blockers and/or ACE inhibitors"-makes sense. Under his plan, a few simple blood tests can help doctors determine which combination of medications works best for individual patients. Well written and well organized, Bernstein's book offers clear explanations of scientific research that will help public library patrons understand heart disease, diagnostic tests, and test results. Those looking for a book that emphasizes diet therapy for cardiovascular health should read John P. Cooke's The Cardiovascular Cure

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Summary: Buy this book to save a life
Review: Few books can change lives like this one will. Even fewer books can save a life. Give this as a gift to anyone who is ignoring the fact that his or her blood pressure or weight is a little high or that they have high cholesterol. This book explains it all in simple non-medical terms. The advice--if you can't successfully exercise and diet (and many of us can't), take the drugs, but don't ignore the numbers--is something to live by. One sour note--drugs can't do it all and shouldn't be expected to--there should be a more thorough explanation of how diet and exercise help or replace the need for drugs. I also wonder if the author has a large financial stock holding in drug companies.

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Summary: Very Informative, Usable Immediately
Review: I found this book very easy and informative reading. For those of us just starting out in the "healthy heart" investigation, it seems to be a clearly written how-to manual of an "immediately usable" alternative. I personally cannot find the time to exercise as necessary to maintain a really healthy system, and along with at least a good diet this seems like a safe program with pretty immediate benefits. The challenge will come in presenting this to my doctor, but Dr. Sackner Bernstein has anticipated this with a great section on how to discuss it with your physician and how to be firm in the face of some expected skepticism. He has either provided proven data in the book that I can show my doctor, and/or has given some sources that I plan to use to make my case. I'm looking forward to getting these test done and seeing the benefits from the program. I've already recommended the book/program to some friends and they seem to feel the same as I do.

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Summary: My doctor says, "Don't be fooled by this book's promises."
Review: This book makes it all seem so simple. Take a handful of prescription pills everyday and continue living your fast food life full of stress and everything will be okay. I took this book to my doctor and he scolded me about being taken in by something like this.

I wish what Dr. Bernstein says was true, that I could take a few pills and not have to worry, but my doctor (who I trust for years and years) told me that this was the worst kind of thing to believe - I have to get back on my excercise program, eat right and take care of myself.

He said it was sad because so many people would probably follow this advice becasue they were lazy and hoping for an easy cure and that they would pay the price (in their health and wallet) in the long run.

He told me to read "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery" and not to get hooked on DANGEROUS DRUGS WITH NASTY SIDE EFFECTS.

So my opinion is to skip this book and take care of yourself and don't try to find the easy way out because there really isn't one.

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Summary: Buy this book to save a life
Review: This is a clearly written, thought-provoking book that makes a compelling case for the proactive use of drug therapy to ward off heart disease. Bernstein's suggestions are practical and easy to follow, right down to advice as to how to discuss these ideas with a family doctor. A must-read for everyone who isn't content with the current state of reactive, status-quo health care as managed by insurance companies!

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Summary: Proactive health care
Review: This is a clearly written, thought-provoking book that makes a compelling case for the proactive use of drug therapy to ward off heart disease. Bernstein's suggestions are practical and easy to follow, right down to advice as to how to discuss these ideas with a family doctor. A must-read for everyone who isn't content with the current state of reactive, status-quo health care as managed by insurance companies!

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Summary: Before it Happens To You
Review: This must be the year for FEAR MONGERS! Dr Snacker-Bernstein is no better than George Bush. He is obviously a front man for a pharmaceutical marketing ploy to scare everyone into taking 4 drugs every day and ignoring basic health. This book is the worst thing I have ever read and I think that the AMA should toss him out of the profession.

This excuse for a doctor drives fear into reader's hearts - telling everyone (whether they are at risk of heart disease or not)to keep eating Big Macs and that taking drugs every day will save them. They can sit like couch potatoes ignoring their diet, excercise and common sense while popping drugs with untold side effects that fill the coffers of big pharma and leave average people scared and worse off than if they had never read the book.

A friend of mine who was taking statins suffered irreversible nervous system damage that nearly paralyzed him from the waste down!!! The good doctor says this is an acceptable risk!!??

The worst part is that he comes off as if he cares about us and is trying to help us. I think Dr. Bernstein should be investigated - I'm sure he's getting a fat kickback and laughing his way to the bank.

Shame on a medical professional to write such a book and on the pahrmaceutical companies who made $10 Billion on Lipitor last year and put him up to this.