This is an essential and readable book on an important predictor of future heart disease (calcium building up in the coronary arteries). It explains clearly why we need more information than your cholesterol and your lifestyle, and why some 'healthy' people have an early heart attack. A better title might be 'Have you planned how to prevent your heart attack' of course.
I am a U.K. based doctor, and know that an increasing number of units use cardiac CT as part of their work-up of patients who have already shown symptoms. The question is whether the test should be extended to those without symptoms and with lower levels of risk on our standard tests, both as reassurance and as an adjunct to efficient primary prevention.
This book makes the case perfectly.

If you have a heart, this book is for you. Although the content of the book might have a measurable impact on the medical and medical insurance industries, it has been written for the man and woman in the street. The book does not make use of scare tactics, but rather educates the reader in a logical and structured manner. The message is simple, there is CT scanning technology available today that can inform the patient whether he or she is at risk of having a heart attack in the next 5 to 10 years. This informs the patient of a possible incident before it happens. The CT scanning approach to heart care moves the patient (you and me) away from statistical analysis (high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, family history, etc.) to specific knowledge about the condition of the patient heart, Good news or not so good news, wouldn't you want to know? Read the book.

Don't leave it too long to read this book - or it might be too late!

It's too easy to make medical topics too hard but Warwick's great book doesn't do that. It takes the reader on a journey that helps the layman and professional alike put the whole coronary artery story into an understandable context. What results is empowering to the layman and a gentle encouragement to the profession to move on from traditional entrenched practice.

Why is it that the Profession seems so reluctant to shift to sensible selective screening for coronary artery disease? Why is there an insistence on waiting for symptoms to justify a coronary angiogram when an earlier CT calcium score or CT angiogram could elucidate the risks?

Warwick's book uses evidence and anecdotes from his years of experience to shine a light on this area of huge medical interest. Warwick recognises that population-wide statistics have revealed the importance of broad factors across the population. But they don't go far enough to evaluate an individual's risk of a cardiac event. For instance low cholesterol, good diet and regular exercise might mean an individual is at less risk of coronary artery disease than others in the population, but the individual wants more than that. As an individual I want to know the risk that I will have a cardiac event.

Here is a knowledgeable, candid, unbiased plea that advocates an evidence-based progression for investigations. Here is a proactive pathway to follow BEFORE you have a heart attack. Worth a read. Hopefully it will contribute to a change in practice amongst cardiologists. Or do we need to change the incentive scheme first?

Great to see evidence based approach to managing cardiac health as opposed to the more typical one size fit all “have some statins”

Anyone interested in longevity and that's all of us, you need to read this book. No matter if your fit and healthy or obese, heart health does not discriminate. Do you think you are infallible ? Well think again. If you follow Dr. Warrick Bishop recommendations you will thank him from the bottom of your heart. If you selected your own parents prior to inception and have no genetic heart disease in your family well then congratulations. For the rest of us, that's everyone, you should read this book as a priority especially if you are approaching 40 years of age and have the genes. It is never too late for all of us, genetics or not, to have it done at least once in your life. It might save your life.

“HAVE YOU PLANNED YOUR HEART ATTACK?” by Dr. Warrick Bishop

Planning Your Heart Attack? An intriguing title! While sitting in Warrick’s waiting room for my husband’s cardiac appointment, I spotted the book. A few minutes spent leafing through it convinced me to purchase a copy on the spot!
​This book is a fascinating, well presented, thoroughly researched treatise in lay terminology, of the preventability of coronary heart disease, utilising proven, painless, affordable testing…a proactive solution to today’s escalating rate of cardiac pathology, particularly in the ‘young and fit’.
​Warrick, a highly qualified, much published author, employs humour and colourful graphics to illustrate the effectiveness of his theory in a most engaging way. Considering our severely overloaded health system, large scale implementation of his philosophy might not only benefit those at risk, but could mitigate problems such as ambulance ramping, lack of beds and overworked staff.
​This book should be in every general practitioner’s personal library…and waiting room!
Penny Morton

Having a back ground in health care I found this book to be informative and interesting.
Maintaining the health of people and the provision of health care in order to best achieve this goal is a complex and fascinating subject, one that requires insight, understanding, examination and reflection. In his book Dr Bishop examines his sphere of expertise and poses the question are we doing the best we can to keep people as healthy as we can? Along the way he challenges the status quo and proposes that conversations must be had in order to make sure we are making health care the best it can be. By having common sense discussions and making best health outcomes the a number one priority, Dr Bishop proposes that perhaps we can do better, a message in my books that is always worth consideration. Well done.

I am a fit 80 year old male. I run every second day, and when I suffered atrial flutter of the heart, I was pretty shocked. I had little understanding of heart issues. I found the book an easy read, and it has given me a useful understanding of how the heart behaves, and most importantly, the risk factors that I had pretty much taken for granted. Thoroughly recommended.