In 1978, at age 35, medical journalist Kowalski (The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure
) suffered a heart attack and later underwent two coronary bypass surgeries. Here, he relates how he lost weight, quit smoking, managed stress, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels and avoided medications and their side effects. Kowalski recommends ways to monitor blood pressure, combat the metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease and diabetes (abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin resistance, inflammation, etc.) and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. He provides basic diet and exercise guidelines, details the components of proper electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and describes potent natural remedies, including arginine, pycnogenol and grapeseed extract. There are sections on children's health and risks and a review of current prescription drugs for those who must take them. Kowalski's use of clichés and case studies bogs down the text somewhat. Still, readers facing poor prognoses will gain a hopeful perspective on the future from the author's experiences. (May)
