Protect your heart from your Heart Doctor ! : "Patients with chest pain are routinely not given the opportunity for informed consent. Dr. Wayne’s common sense discussions on heart tests and treatments go a long way to filling that gap.
" It would seem logical that prevention of ischemia would prevent this cascade of events from taking place. In fact, that is exactly what occurs. In patients on a full medical program designed to minimize or eliminate ischemia, particularly of the silent variety, there is a dramatic reduction in the complications of chronic ischemic heart disease. Heart failure rarely occurs, the incidence of recurrent heart attacks is very low (1-2% per year), and mortality rate is also extremely low (1-1.5% per year). Because the progression of the disease is extremely slow on such a program, more heroic treatments such as bypass surgery or angioplasty are needed only rarely. A good medical program will allow a patient to be symptom free and enjoy a normal life span. Whether this happens or not depends entirely on the ability of the cardiologist to identify patients with silent ischemia who stand to benefit the most from a medical program similar to the one described in this chapter. Patients who have symptoms will be treated, for they demand attention. It is those without symptoms who have the most to gain, and the most to lose if they are ignored. If you have coronary artery disease, your survival will largely depend upon whom you chose to treat you. So choose well!"
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