Book Review: State of the Heart: Exploring the History, Science, and Future of Cardiac Disease by Haider Warraich

Posted on October 31, 2019 at 11:54 am by Gene Ambaum

State of the Heart: Exploring the History, Science, and Future of Cardiac Disease by Haider Warraich. St. Martin’s Press, 2019. 9781250169709. 337pp with an index.

Cardiologist Warraich writes about the history of heart disease in an incredibly compelling way, weaving personal experiences with tales of the history of the science. This includes many stories of poor research, ineffective treatments, and sketches of cardiology’s most famous and infamous personalities.

My favorite parts in the book were about the importance of double blind studies, and how we as people are all apt to believe anecdotes without really looking into the details. He’s convinced me to look past the news stories I hear about medical treatments and to start looking for cold hard facts and citations. (I’m going to be even more of a a pain in the ass to my doctor from now on, basically. I’ll blame Dr. Warraich.)

Overall the book gives a great sense of how far the treatment of heart disease has come, with a nod to many of its problems and a dash of hope for the future. Dr. Warraich does this all without BS or trying to sell anything. I took comfort in his honesty even though many of his stories about patients end with their deaths.

(Is it a coincidence this is my Halloween book review? No. Now you know what terrifies me.)