Coming 9/21/2021
A Strong & Steady Pulse
Stories from a Cardiologist
Preorders taken on the
University of Alabama Press Website
By Gregory D. Chapman, MD
A seasoned cardiologist shares his experiences, opinions, and recommendations about heart disease and other cardiac problems
A Strong & Steady Pulse: Stories from a Cardiologist provides an insider’s perspective on the field of cardiovascular medicine told through vignettes and insights drawn from Gregory D. Chapman’s three decades as a cardiologist and professor of medicine. In twenty-six bite-sized chapters based on real life patients and experiences, Chapman provides an overview of contemporary cardiovascular diseases and treatments, illuminating the art and science of medical practice for lay audiences and professionals alike.
Chapman’s inspiration for this memoir was a wish to provide general readers with a better understanding of cardiac disease and its contributing factors in modern life and to provide insights on the diagnostic process, medical decision making, and patient care. Each chapter presents a patient and their initial appearance, described in clear detail as Chapman gently walks us through his evaluation and the steps taken to determine the underlying problem. Chapman’s stories are about real people dealing with life and death situations—including the physicians, nurses, medical students, and other team members who try to save lives in emergent, confusing conditions.
The sometimes hard-won solutions are informed by Chapman’s past experiences as an intern and resident in Manhattan during the AIDS epidemic, as a postdoctoral fellow at Duke University in the 1990s, and in practice in Nashville and Birmingham, as well as new technology and cutting-edge research. Topics addressed include the recognition and management of heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, cardiac transplantation, broken heart syndrome, hypertension, and the depression some people experience after a heart attack, as well as who benefits most from statin drugs, the Apple Watch ECG feature, and oral anticoagulants. Finally, the emergence of the Covid-19 virus and its disruption of normal hospital routines is addressed in an epilogue.
Gregory D. Chapman, MD, FACC, is in his third decade of practicing medicine and cardiology. A professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he has published research papers in Circulation, Circulation Research, and the American Journal of Cardiology. His commentary and letters have appeared in the American Journal of Medicine, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the New York Times. He is a recipient of the Patient Experience Excellence Award at UAB and has received an Outstanding Teaching Award from the UAB Department of Medicine. He is listed in Best Doctors in America. A native of Hokes Bluff, Alabama, he lives in Birmingham.
Some advance praise for A Strong & Steady Pulse:
A Strong and Steady Pulse presents a collection of true-to-life anecdotes that will delight the health professional, medical aficionado, or anyone who loves a good story. Dr. Chapman manages to inform the fascinating clinical and scientific experiences of a life dedicated to cardiology with a compelling thread of humanity and good humor that renders this book at once instructional and universal. Both entertaining and enlightening, reading this book will make you smarter and more human---a welcome, feel good read with substance!”
Educating, entertaining, and surprising. You will never look at your heart the same again.”
Dr. Chapman, through his patients’ histories, shares his experiences and insights across three decades of caring for patients with cardiovascular disease. I highly recommend his well-written, easy-to-read narrative not only to health care providers and their students, but also to patients. All will benefit from a better understanding of their care.”
In A Strong and Steady Pulse, Greg Chapman balances medical information with good storytelling. There is a chapter on COVID-19 and its impact on cardiac patients. There are also deeply touching narratives about a mother who has just delivered her first child and finds herself experiencing heart palpitations, fearing she will not live to see her son into adulthood, and about a son who is outraged over the thought of his mother being prescribed a statin. Simply put, the book is real life. It offers a bird’s-eye view of cardiology practice and a diverse community of patients who are battling heart disease and other ailments. The author’s balance between medicine and humanity is impeccable; readers will find this one compelling.”
Dr. Chapman uses patient stories as a powerful teaching tool for cardiology concepts. More importantly, his stories remind us of the privilege and responsibility of caring for patients. It is a must read for all who care for patients, especially in the field of general medicine and cardiology.”
Medicine is both an art and a science. These two realms merge regularly in our conversations and interactions with patients and their families, often times when we least expect it. In this wonderful book of medical vignettes, Dr, Chapman, an interventional cardiologist, recounts poignant stories about his patients and his life that link the art and science of medicine, and in the end, generate wisdom that will be appreciated by patients and physicians alike.”
Dr. Chapman provides readers with an inside view of medical practice in a way that shares the “science of medicine” while personalizing the stories of the people living through serious medical conditions. Every scenario has an interesting twist with a medical response that is specific to the patient or is compared with others who have had similar experiences. These stories epitomize the art and science of medicine and why we respect individuals, like Dr. Chapman, who truly care about their patients. I recommend this book for aspiring health professionals as well as those who need to reach back to rediscover why they chose to serve in the health care field.”
A Strong and Steady Pulse is as instructive as it is fun to read. It wonderfully reflects Dr. Chapman’s wit and charm.”
Copyright © 2020 Dr. Gregory Chapman