New Book, Heart Smarter For Women, Guides Patients To Better Health, Longer Lives

A woman’s body can tell her a significant story about her heart health – if she pays attention to the clues and the cues.

In an effort to help women detect those clues before it is too late, Dr. Jennifer H. Mieres and Dr. Stacey E. Rosen provide detailed and compassionate guidance in their recently published book Heart Smarter for Women: Six Weeks to a Healthier Heart (www.heartsmarterbook.com.)

“Heart disease warning signs can be subtle,” Dr. Mieres and Dr. Rosen write. “Women often ignore what they think are minor aches and pains, but you need to know that if something doesn’t feel quite right, it probably isn’t.”

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., but many women don’t realize that and so aren’t always attuned to the risks. In Heart Smarter for Women, the authors bring their many years of experience to the forefront to achieve their goal of helping women become better informed and better advocates for their own health. Dr. Mieres is a cardiology professor and Dr. Rosen is a practicing cardiologist. In their 332-page book they explain heart disease and heart attack symptoms, and they offer their readers a six-step regimen to help them develop a healthier heart in six weeks.

“It is important that your health is always your top priority,” they write, “so we have designed a program that is easy to follow and easy to live with to help you accomplish that goal. Each week you’ll have the opportunity to begin to practice new ways of thinking, and experiment with different choices, in a specific area of your life.”

Just one example: In week one, the doctors suggest cleaning out your refrigerator, ridding yourself of items that are high in fat, sugar and/or sodium, such as whole milk, butter, margarine, creamy salad dressings, sodas, processed cheese slices, hot dogs, bacon, jellies and jams.

Dr. Mieres and Dr. Rosen let it be known that they are ready to cheer their readers on, but they also realize that the journey to better health can sometimes feel overwhelming.

“You can do this,” they write. “Start with one step, then another. Small steps that will make a big difference. Small steps that will make you smarter about your heart and your health.”

Dr. Jennifer Mieres, co-author of Heart Smarter for Women: Six Weeks to a Healthier Heart (www.heartsmarterbook.com), is a professor of cardiology and associate dean of faculty affairs at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She also is a senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer at Northwell Health. Mieres is a leading advocate for patient-centered healthcare and medical education reform, and has authored or coauthored over 65 scientific publications.

Dr. Stacey Rosen, co-author of Heart Smarter for Women: Six Weeks to a Healthier Heart (www.heartsmarterbook.com), is a practicing cardiologist and senior vice president for Northwell Health’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health, which focuses on the elimination of healthcare disparities through comprehensive clinical programs, gender-based research, community partnerships, and education. Rosen also is a professor of cardiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, and is a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.