A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease

The daily challenges of living--and coping--with a chronic and progressive invisible illness.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women worldwide. Yet most people are still unaware that heart disease is not just a man's problem. Carolyn Thomas, a heart attack survivor herself, is on a mission to educate women about their heart health. Based on her popular Heart Sisters blog, which has attracted more than 10 million views from readers in 190 countries, A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease combines personal experience and medical knowledge to help women learn how to understand and manage a catastrophic diagnosis.

In A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease, Thomas explains

- how to recognize the early signs of a heart attack
- why women often delay seeking treatment--and how to overcome that impulse
- the link between pregnancy complications and future heart disease
- why so many women with heart disease are misdiagnosed--and how to help yourself get an accurate diagnosis
- the importance of cardiac rehabilitation in lowering mortality risk
- what to expect during your recovery from a heart attack
- how the surreal process of coping with heart disease may affect your daily life
- methods for treating heart disease-related depression without drugs

Equal parts memoir about a misdiagnosed heart attack, guide to the predictable stages of heart disease--from grief to resilience--and patient-friendly translation of important science-based findings on women's unique heart issues, this book is an essential read. Whether you're a freshly diagnosed patient, a woman who's been living with heart disease for years, or a practitioner who cares about women's health, A Woman's Guide to Living with Heart Disease will help you feel less alone and advocate for better health care.

Carolyn Thomas, a journalist and public relations specialist, is a graduate of Mayo Clinic's WomenHeart Science and Leadership Symposium for Women with Heart Disease. She is the creator of the blog Heart Sisters.