The woman's heart: an owner's guide

Introduction : The "broken heart" syndrome

The female heart

Diseases of the heart

Phases of a woman's life : what are the heart risks?

Are you a woman at risk for heart disease?

How do you know if you have a heart problem?

The heart of the matter on hormone therapy and oral contraception

Medications to treat heart disease

Herbal and natural supplements : how effective and safe are they?

Stress, depression, and anger : is your heart at emotional risk?

Cardiac testing

Procedures and surgery : why women do more poorly than men

Genetics and the female heart : what you should know about your genetic legacy

Living with heart disease

Nine more things you need to know

Prospects for the future

Appendix: Increase your strength and stay healthy

Glossary

Introduction : The "broken heart" syndrome --

ch. 1. The female heart --

1. Normal structure and function --

2. Anatomy and physiology of a woman - how the female heart differs --

3. Changes associated with pregnancy --

ch. 2. Diseases of the heart --

1. Vessels - coronary artery disease --

2. Valves - mitral valve disease (including mitral valve prolapse), aortic valve disease --

3. Rhythm - irregular heart rhythms frequently seen in women --

4. Muscle - causes for heart muscle failure --

ch. 3. Phases of a woman's life : what are the heart risks? --

1. Younger than forty-five : the "Honeymoon" period - 2. Ages forty-five to sixty-five : the beginning of change and menopause --

3. Older than sixty-five : aging and the female heart --

ch.4. Are you woman at risk for heart disease? --

1. Does age impact your risk? --

2. Do race and ethnicity impact your risk? --

3. How does family history affect your risk? --

4. The danger of diabetes in women --

5. Tobacco can make a woman's life go up in smoke --

6. Hypertension : the silent killer of women --

7. Are women treated appropriately for high cholesterol? --

8. Obesity : the growing risk factor for women of all ages --

9. Is your diet a heart health hazard? --

ch. 5. How do you know if you have a heart problem? --

1. Are a woman's symptoms different from a man's? --

2. Know the symptoms --

3. What are the risk factors for women? --

4. Take action against heart disease --

5. Cardiac rehabilitation --

ch. 6. The heart of the matter on hormone therapy and oral contraception --

1. Hormone therapy --

2. Oral contraception --

ch. 7. Medications to treat heart disease --

1. Beta blockers --

2. Diuretics --

3. ACE inhibitors --

4. Antiotensin II receptor blockers --

5. Calcium channel blockers --

6. Statins --

7. Fibrates --

8. Other lipid-altering medications --

9. Aspirin --

10. Other blood thinning medications --

ch. 8. Herbal and natural supplements : how effective and safe are they? --

1. Overview --

2. Black cohosh --

3. Coenzyme Q10 (COQ10) --

4. Ephedrine and ephedra (Ma huang) --

5. Fish oil --

6. Flaxseed --

7. Garlic --

8. Ginkgo biloba --

9. Plant stanols and sterols --

10. Red yeast rice --

10. Soy protein --

12. St. John's wort --

ch. 9. Stress, depression, and anger : is your heart at emotional risk? --

1. The effects of stress on a woman's heart and health --

2. Depression - often overlooked but a serious risk to women --

3. Methods and treatments to handle stress --

ch. 10. Cardiac testing --

1. What is the best test for women and why? --

2. Electrophysiologic testing --

3. Stress testing --

4. Angiography --

ch. 11. Procedures and surgery : why women do more poorly than men --

1. Angioplasty --

2. Coronary artery bypass surgery --

3. Valve surgery --

4. Pacemakers and defibrillators --

5. Heart transplantation --

6. The artificial heart --

ch. 12. Genetics and the female heart : what you should know about your genetic legacy --

1. Case vignette : three generations of aortic dissection --

2. Case vignette : another family with aortic disection --

3. The importance of heredity --

ch. 13. Living with heart disease --

1. Knowing your options --

2. Accepting the diagnosis --

3. Support from family members --

4. Lifestyle modifications --

ch. 15. Nine more things you need to know --

1. How are women protected from arteriosclerosis until menopause? --

2. How about the "pill"? Is it really as bad as they say? --

3. I heard on TV that my migraines might be caused by a hole in my heart. How can this be? --

4. Does a woman need any special wound care after open heart surgery? --

5. I don't want the incision down the middle of my chest. What alternatives do I have? --

6. What are the dangers of pregnancy on the heart? --

7. What is peri-partum cardiomyopathy? --

8. What is peri-partum aortic dissection? --

9. How does heart disease affect sexuality in woman? --

ch. 15. Prospects for the future --

Appendix : Increase your strength and stay healthy --

Glossary