Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and in the West. Because of the scope of the problem, and the tremendous costs associated with diagnosis and treatment, issues related to heart disease consume the largest share of the nation's health care budget. The least expensive and most logical way to prevent heart disease is to spread knowledge about it. Written by a past president of the American Heart Association in Boston, Heart Disease is a comprehensive account of the history, present, and future of the leading cause of death in the West. Chapters describe the history of our knowledge of the heart, its anatomical structure and function, various disease states, and the treatments for each major disease. Dr. DeSilva, who teaches at Harvard Medical School, covers historical aspects of heart disease, discoveries about the structure and function of the heart, and the evolution of how the disease is diagnosed and treated. In addition, the book examines the vast array of diagnostic tests and the most advanced treatments available, from basic drugs for prevention such as aspirin to transplants and artificial hearts. - Back cover.