What to Do When You Have Heart Disease is an easy to read guide for anyone who has been diagnosed with heart disease. All the essentials are included, from recovery to learning how to stay out of the hospital and maintain a healthy heart. From the moment a patient leaves the hospital after a heart attack or a heart procedure, questions and concerns arise. What to Do When You Have Heart Disease addresses after-care situations and gives simple instructions for handling some of the most common problems. It is designed to help people become better advocates for their own heart health and to work with their doctor for optimal care. A few critical topics are: Have you had heart disease for a while and want to avoid another trip to the hospital? - Do you need to learn more about the medicines you are taking? Popular sections include helpful tips for getting cheaper medicines and simple suggestions for dealing with insurance companies. A list of common heart medicines with their generic equivalents--a vital tool for any patient--is listed in the back of the book. Everything is outlined to help make life a little less stressful! Sharon Masinelli, MCMS, PA-C is a Physician Assistant with a Masters in Medical Science. She has specialized in cardiology since graduation in 2003 and has authored two cardiology articles in medical journals. Her own family history of heart disease resulted in a special passion to educate others on living a heart-healthy life. What to Do When You Have Heart Disease A Handy Guide for Living Well with Heart Disease By Sharon Masinelli iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2009 Sharon Masinelli, MCMS, PA-C All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4401-8473-4 Contents Introduction: Finding the Information You Need...........................................xiChapter 1 Seventy Million Americans......................................................1Chapter 2 What Is Heart Disease?.........................................................4Chapter 3 How Is Heart Disease Diagnosed?................................................10Chapter 4 Standard of Care...............................................................18Chapter 5 Discovering You Have Heart Disease.............................................21Chapter 6 Dealing with the Discovery: Stents, Bypass, or Medication?.....................23Chapter 7 What to Do after You Leave the Hospital........................................33Chapter 8 Common Concerns during Recovery................................................37Chapter 9 Staying Out of the Hospital....................................................47Chapter 10 Types of Medicine.............................................................50Chapter 11 Vitamin Supplements Your Doctor May Like......................................61Chapter 12 Cholesterol Basics............................................................64Chapter 13 Blood Pressure Control in Heart Disease.......................................67Chapter 14 Cardiac Rehab.................................................................69Chapter 15 Watching Out for the Signs of Heart Disease...................................71Chapter 16 Dealing with Heart Failure....................................................73Chapter 17 Atrial Fibrillation...........................................................80Chapter 18 Cardiac Diet..................................................................82Chapter 19 Quit Smoking..................................................................86Chapter 20 Diabetes......................................................................88Chapter 21 Frequently Asked Questions....................................................90Chapter 22 Keep It Cheap.................................................................95Chapter 23 Dealing with Insurance Companies..............................................99Chapter 24 Finding the Right Cardiologist for You........................................102Chapter 25 Prognosis: "Doc, am I going to live?".........................................106What to Do When You Have Chest Pain......................................................110Basic Recommendations for Everyone with Heart Disease....................................111Five Important Things to Know about Your Heart...........................................113Interpreting Your Cardiac Catheterization Report.........................................118Helpful Tips for Follow-up Office Visits.................................................119What to Do if You Feel Lightheaded.......................................................121Items to Bring with You Wherever You Go..................................................122Weight Chart for Monitoring Heart Failure................................................123Examples of Foods with High Salt Content.................................................124Table of Vitamins and Supplements*.......................................................125Not