The Heart Speaks by Mimi Guarneri MD, covers the same information as Arthur Agatston’s The South Beach Heart Program and reinforces the same conclusions, but Mimi Guarneri is a gifted storyteller as well as a physician. She illustrates all her main points with real life stories about her patients, told so skilfully that even though we only meet them for a few pages, we care about them and the outcome of their treatment. Agatston opened my eyes to the realities of heart disease and Mimi Guarneri brought it home to me in a way that went beyond the statistics.

Both books explain that contrary to what most of us think, heart disease is becoming an equal opportunities killer. More women are dying after a heart attack than men. In fact, Guarneri says, half a million women die of heart disease in the US each year (compared to 43,000 deaths from breast cancer). But because we still believe heart attacks mainly happen to men, and that includes over 80% of doctors in one survey, it can be harder for women to get treatment. Mimi Guarneri says, “Many physicians order fewer tests for women and prescribe fewer preventative measures.”

One reason why heart disease goes undetected in women for a lot longer is because women’s symptoms don’t always follow the same pattern as men’s. In one study they found that the top 5 symptoms for women were unusual tiredness, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, indigestion and anxiety.

If I was ever sick I’d want to be treated by a doctor like Mimi Guarneri. She encourages her patients to tell their story and discovers how understanding feelings of loneliness, anger and grief can be part of the cure for heart disease. Prescribing a dog for one patient was one of her more unusual treatments. She says, “Every disease has a narrative behind it, often a surprising one; the challenge is to find a way for the patient to reveal it – not only to the physician, but sometimes to himself.”

Reading ‘The Heart Speaks’ is an enjoyable way to learn about the heart and at times it was so gripping I couldn’t put it down. The message is clear – heart disease is currently the number 1 killer, but it is preventable if we know what to do and take action soon enough.

Catherine

The Heart Speaks by Mimi Guarneri MD

The South Beach Heart Program by Arthur Agatstons