Obstetric Medicine > Volume 1, Number 2 > Pp. 102

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Book review

Women's Vascular Health

Ian Greer, Jeffrey Ginsberg and Charles Forbes
ISBN: 978-0-34080-997-6
London: Hodder Arnold
£99

Cardiovascular disease, long felt to be a male-dominant affliction, is the leading cause of mortality in women of all ages in the UK.¹ Many women, however, continue to site breast cancer as a major cause of death while the burden of cardiovascular disease rumbles on with seemingly little public awareness.² Furthermore, the outcome of cardiovascular disease in women is worse compared with men.³ The reasons for these observations are unclear; however, later age of onset, the presence of other co-morbidities and the role of oestrogen, to list but a few, are possible factors. Increasingly, it is recognized that new research, resources and development are required in women's cardiovascular health in order to readdress the gender gap that currently exists.

Women's Vascular Health is a timely addition to the literature. It is broadly divided into three parts: Part 1 deals with the epidemiology and pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in women; Part 2 looks at the effects of pregnancy on cardiovascular health; and Part 3 identifies and discusses the controversy surrounding therapy such as hormone-replacement therapy and contraception. Each chapter is written by leading experts, providing a clear summary of the current understanding, evidence and literature within their field. The book is aimed at post-graduate level and because of the breadth of information covered, it appeals to a wide readership. Obstetricians with an interest in maternal medicine, gynaecologists involved with hormone replacement and obstetric physicians, particularly in the fields of cardiology, diabetology and haematology, will all find something to satisfy their interests. It is an invaluable resource for preparing lectures or talks and would provide good background reading for those contemplating research.

To write a book that encompasses so many aspects of cardiovascular disease in women is a formidable achievement. It will, no doubt, need updating in the future as the chapters reflect what is presently ‘cutting edge’. It could perhaps be enhanced by some colour and photo illustrations. However, neither of these minor drawbacks should detract from the high-quality, well-written content of this book.

Kenneth Hodson MRCP   

Specialist Registrar General Medicine/Clinical Pharmacology, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

Email: kenhodson{at}yahoo.com

	REFERENCES

TOP REFERENCES

 

1. Office for National Statistics. Report: Death Registrations in England and Wales 2006, causes. Health Statistics Quarterly 2007;34:i–x
2. Mosca L, Jones WK, King KB, et al. Awareness, perception, and knowledge of heart disease risk and prevention among women in the United States. American Heart Association Women's Heart Disease and Stroke Campaign Task Force. Arch Fam Med 2000;9:506–15[Abstract/Free Full Text]
3. Shaw LJ, Bairey Merz CN, Pepine CJ, et al. Insights from the NHLBI-Sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) Study: Part I: gender differences in traditional and novel risk factors, symptom evaluation, and gender-optimized diagnostic strategies. J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;47:S4–20[Abstract/Free Full Text]

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This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hodson, K. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                      What's this?