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The real medicineSource: Newsweek (adapted)Oct 17th 2005 Peo 230

The real medicineSource: Newsweek (adapted)Oct 17th 2005   

        People who survive a heart attack often describe it as a

wake-up call. But for a 61-year old executive I met recently, it was

more than that. This man was in the midst of a divorce when he was

stricken last spring, and he had fallen out of touch with friends and

family members. The executive's doctor, unaware of the strife in his

life, counseled him to change his diet, start exercising and quit

smoking. He also prescribed drugs to lower cholesterol and blood

pressure. It was sound advice, but in combing the medical literature,

the patient discovered that he needed to do more. Studies suggested that

his risk of dying within six months would be four times greater if he

remained depressed and lonely. So he joined a support group and

reordered his priorities, placing relationships at the top of the list

instead of the bottom. His health has improved steadily since then, and

so has his outlook on life. In fact he now describes his heart attack as

the best thing that ever happened to him. "Yes, my arteries are more

open," he says. "But even more important, I'm more open."The advice given by the doctor is defined as sound. In other words, it

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