A pioneering cardiologist and the author of the international bestseller The South Beach Diet presents the truth about cardiac care in this country and offers his proven program for preventing heart attacks and strokes. This year alone more than 1 million men and women in this country will suffer a heart attack or stroke. The shocking fact is that the majority of heart attacks and strokes can be prevented with the medical knowledge we already possess. Yet this isn't happening. Why? Because doctors and hospitals are paid more to treat disease with invasive techniques like angioplasty and bypass surgery than to prevent it. In his most personal and passionate work yet, Dr. Arthur Agatston champions a revolution in heart disease prevention that will enable people to stay out of the hospital and off the operating table. In Part 1 of this compelling book, he tells you why seemingly healthy people can suddenly have a heart attack and why people with great cholesterol numbers can be walking time bombs. He explains why belly fat can be an early warning sign of future heart disease and why a noninvasive heart scan can help predict your risk of heart attack. In Part 2, he presents the South Beach Heart Program, his 4-step plan for detecting, preventing, and even reversing heart disease: The 4 steps include: Heart-healthy eating, regular aerobic and core-strengthening exercise, state-of-the art diagnostic testing, and the latest heart-protective medications, as necessary. Thanks to his aggressive prevention approach, Dr. Agatston rarely sees a heart attack or stroke in his practice. Now you can benefit from the prevention strategy he uses to help his patients every day.