Caring for the Heart

This groundbreaking book weaves together three important themes. It describes major developments in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in the twentieth century, explains how the Mayo Clinic evolved from a family practice in Minnesota into one of the world's leading medical centers, and reveals how the invention of new technologies and procedures promoted specialization among physicians and surgeons. Caring for the Heart is written for general readers as well as health care professionals, historians, and policy analysts. Unlike traditional institutional or disease-focused histories, this book places individuals and events in national and international contexts that emphasize the interplay of medical, scientific, technological, social, political, and economic forces that have resulted in contemporary heart care. Patient stories and media perspectives are included throughout to helpgeneral readers understand the medical and technological developments that are described. The book is a synthetic study, but it is written so that readers may pick and choose the chapters of most interest to them. Another feature of the book is that readers may follow the stories without looking at the notes. Those who are interested in delving deeper into the main topics will find a wealth of carefully chosen references that offer greater detail and additional perspectives. The descriptions and interpretations that fill the book benefit from the fact that the author has been apracticing cardiologist and medical historian for almost four decades. This is mainly a twentieth-century story, but it begins earlier—before physicians who were identified as cardiologists, a time when medical specialization was just emerging in America. The final chapter, which addresses present-day concerns about health care costs, counterbalances earlier ones that might be read as celebrations of new technologies.

This is now the definitive history of the Mayo Clinic, and a valuable resource for a wide range of historians., This is one of the most interesting medical books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. . . well written, engrossing and littered with thought-provoking quotes . . . I would heartily recommend this book., Patient stories, included throughout the text, offer a unique perspective and human element from individuals diagnosed with various types of heart disease. For the general reader, the book contains brief and understandable explanations of key medical concepts, terminology, and complex scientific developments. For individuals seeking additional information on a specific subject, a wealth of carefully chosen endnotes are provided as a guide., This book describes the intersection of two of the greatest success stories in twentieth century medicine: the evolution of the subspecialty of cardiology, responsible for the greatest prolongation of life in industrialized nations, and the development and growth of the Mayo Clinic, the largest and arguably the finest high quality health care system in the United States. Fye is a highly respected consultant cardiologist at Mayo and an equally distinguished medical historian who has risen to the top of both of these fields. He has produced a lively, insightful book that should be of interest to health care professionals, cardiac patients, their families and all who are interested in the evolution of medical care in the United States., In his latest book Bruce Fye tells the story of how the Mayo Clinic has, through the years, been a valuable contributor in the fight against heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association is devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and allies like the Mayo Clinic are essential to achieving this mission.

Emeritus Professor of Medicine and History of MedicineMayo Clinic College of MedicineRochester, MN