I bought this book to help reduce my recently diagnosed high cholesterol problem. I'm an RN and found this book very inspiring and informative. I highly recommend it and am using most of his suggestions. The best book I have found on the subject & I have lowered my LDL and raised my HDL. Now I am trying his weight loss ideas that cover one chapter and suggest restricting carbs. I started that today. This book is worth the money and the author also writes a newsletter that you can subscribe to.

Amazing results and pretty easy! Believe me, you can lower that colesterol and still eat well! Following a few suggestions in this book--I wasn't even that strict---oat bran, niacin, more vegatables, avoiding transfats ect, my total colesterol dropped 116 points in SIX WEEKS! My "bad" colesterol went from 177 to 80. The book is easy to read and you will learn tons about how your body works.

This book is an excellent read with practical, easy to follow diet changes. My cholesterol went from 257 to 187 in 3 months time. In addition to reading this book, I used recipes from the American Heart Assoc. cookbook, excersized almost every day, and read the "Cholesterol Down" book. This book has helped me understand how to change my life for the better, giving me the information to understand why I needed various diet adjustments.
In particular, I really enjoy the muffin recipes in the back of the book. And typically eat 2-3/day! Benecol also now makes a chewy caramel that I used to help get my intake of plant stanols/sterols as per the recommendations.

I got my total cholesterol down from 275 to 191, Triglycerides down from 221 to 96. LDL down from, 182 to 118 and HDL up from 49 to 54.
This was accomplished in 10 weeks by rigidly sticking to the zero saturated fat recommendation and half heartedly trying the Niacin regimen.
I cut out cheese, milk, whole eggs, etc. and substituted with olive and canola oils.
I have since ramped up the niacin regimen to the complete doses recommended by the book and will see if I can improve on these already impressive numbers.
Try it, it works.

Since the author has actually used the program for many years on himself, he really knows what he is talking about. The program makes you feel that maybe we can really beat this coronary heart disease. He gives some very good advise about what to eat and what supliments to take. Just be sure you don't try the niacin without your doctors following. It does work, but some people (like me) cannot take it without it causing problems with the liver. Very worthwhile book.

Bob Kowalski is my hero.

I skimmed through a copy of this book and then purchased a copy for myself. It is very readable, yet covers an immense amount of detail.

I made the decision to follow this program out of desperation.

My doctor practices medicene, and medicene says old guys like me with bad lipid data should be taking Statins drugs. Another lipid exam was conducted at the end of six weeks.

Total Cholesterol had dropped from dropped dramatically, weight had come down 6 pounds, and no problem with kidney enzymes was indicated.

Bob provides specific information, specific sources, phone numbers and a sizeable index of web sites.

It is a fun book to give to friends that are experiencing the frustration

of life with high cholesterol.

Bob Kowalski is my hero.
I skimmed through a copy of this book and then purchased a copy for myself. It is very readable, yet covers an immense amount of detail.
I made the decision to follow this program out of desperation.
My doctor practices medicene, and medicene says old guys like me with bad lipid data should be taking Statins drugs. Another lipid exam was conducted at the end of six weeks.
Total Cholesterol had dropped from dropped dramatically, weight had come down 6 pounds, and no problem with kidney enzymes was indicated.
Bob provides specific information, specific sources, phone numbers and a sizeable index of web sites.
It is a fun book to give to friends that are experiencing the frustration
of life with high cholesterol.

Bob Kowalski is my hero.
I skimmed through a copy of this book and then purchased a copy for myself. It is very readable, yet covers an immense amount of detail.
I made the decision to follow this program out of desperation.
My doctor practices medicene, and medicene says old guys like me with bad lipid data should be taking Statins drugs. Another lipid exam was conducted at the end of six weeks.
Total Cholesterol had dropped from dropped dramatically, weight had come down 6 pounds, and no problem with kidney enzymes was indicated.
Bob provides specific information, specific sources, phone numbers and a sizeable index of web sites.
It is a fun book to give to friends that are experiencing the frustration
of life with high cholesterol.

After reading this book, I have come to a simple conclusion: You can't beat the effectiveness of statin drugs.

The author basically instructs the reader to eat right, exercise and take high doses of Vitamins E, C, and a few other vitamins along with Omega-3 oils, and strict doses of Niacin. Now that's all well and good, but if I were to follow the authors advice on dosage of the aforementioned vitamins and oils, then it would end up costing me significantly more, way more than my $10/month co-pay for Zocor. Plus, like I mentioned, there's no amount of vitamins that can beat a statin drug's effectiveness at lowering cholesterol.

So while the book has some useful advice, keep in mind there is no "cure" and you really won't see significant lowering of LDL or total cholesterol levels using this book. Talk to your doctor about a statin drug.

I got this book last year. It is simple and easy to read. I ordered the supplements immediately. In 3 months I had lowered my cholesterol 28 points so the Dr. did not make me try a prescription. Even with a foot injury and not exercising, the eating habits and taking the phytosterols this year, my cholesterol was down even more. I highly recommend it!

I went to my doctor in November 2005 and had my Cholesterol checked. It was a disaster.

Here were the results:
Total Cholesterol: 291
Triglycerides: 279
HDL Cholesterol 42
VLDL Cholesterol 56
LDL Cholesterol 193

My M.D. suggested I read "The new 8 week Cholesterol Cure" and follow Mr. Kowalski's advice and check back in 4 months, which I did.
I just got my new results back and am ecstatic.

Here are the results:
Total Cholesterol: 174
Triglycerides: 79
HDL Cholesterol 60
VLDL Cholesterol 16
LDL Cholesterol 98

I also read about a dozen other books on the topic but none compare to this book of practical advice.
I can't say enough about this program. It has changed my life.

This wonderful doctor is definetly on to something. My husband whose family has a history of heart disease has lowered his cholesterol from 243 to 173 in 8 weeks. this book is loaded with important information so you can begin your lifestyle change without perhaps having to depend on prescription drugs.

This wonderful doctor is definetly on to something. My husband whose family has a history of heart disease has lowered his cholesterol from 243 to 173 in 8 weeks. this book is loaded with important information so you can begin your lifestyle change without perhaps having to depend on prescription drugs.

Others have reviewed the book. Here are actual numbers.
7-16-04
Cholesterol: 253H
Triglycerides: 144
HDL: 56
LDL: 168H
I went straight to web and to the book store and did research. Two weeks later I began the recommendations in The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure. TWO weeks later, 8-17-04
Cholesterol: 152
Triglercides: 57
HDL: 58
LDL: 83
My most recent test, with considerable stress in my life which I am trying to do something about as well as attend to some dietary slip-ups, came in as high cholesterol. But take a look:
Cholesterol: 213H
Triglyderides: 83
HDL: 98H
LDL: 98
Obviously, I need to clean up my act but two things: first, if you take even 20 points of my very high HDL, my total Cholesterol drops below 200; and secondly, we are talking less than $25 a month. No prescriptions, no meds, no drug company fiascos. The Niacin recommended in the book and sold locally at Walgreens is $10.99 a bottle (100 tablets). I've not heard of others who have had as fast results as I had but, to address the criticism of the low cal/low carb diet, to jump start one's health is exactly the goal here. After a year, I did do another liver panel--no problem for me but is something some people will have to take into consideration. The flush?...you'll only forget the aspirin once. I don't know if this is the answer for everyone, probably not. But it does work, is inexpensive, and it puts ME back in the place of personal responsibility with a clear, easy, and affordable way of keeping track of just how I'm doing with an inexpensive blood test. I've given a copy to my internist and keep a copy on hand to give to anyone interested in making the effort. What surprises me is how little the docs know about Niacin, and how rarely this program is mentioned in the magazine articles. At a time of escalating drug prices and shortage of health care, it simply makes sense to utilize an effective and inexpensive treatment for the "epidemic" of high cholesterol while encouraging changes in life style and dietary habits.

My first reaction to the book was that the author was too wordy and a shareholder of Endurance Products (the on-line purveyor of the supplements he recommends in his book, who, by the way, are indeed the most reasonably priced source I've found for the products recommended by the author).

Having read ALL the other popular books on this subject, I learned that the basic difference between this book and the 2nd best book on the subject (the Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Cholesterol by Freeman and Junge) are that Kowalski promotes niacin and phytosterols whereas Freeman and Junge prefer the use of prescription drugs.

I made several of the dietery changes (in both books), added 750 mg of niacin to my daily routine, and popped a phytosterol tablet before indulging in a meal sure to contain cholesterol. The result was that I dropped my total cholesteral from 265 to 206, raised my HDL from 45 to 56, and lowered my triglicerides from 185 to 135 IN ONE MONTH! To boot, I lost 10 pounds so far while on the program. I am also enjoying Kowalski's recommended nightly quota of two glasses of red wine - cheers to raising my HDL!

My doctor wanted me on Lipitor but agreed to let me try to control my cholesterol on my own for three months. He was surprised, to say the least, when he saw the dramaticly improved numbers in my last blood test. I can't wait to see the numbers at the three month mark.

I do not agree with Kawalski's recommendation to attain your target weight via starvation diet (my term for his 800 calorie a day regimine - not his) then adding calories until you stabilize your weight. I don't think one in a hundred will be successful on such a severe program. Elsewhere in the book, he advocates moderation in the diet however, so read the relavant chapters more than once to get the big picture.

Little changes made a big difference in my case and this book can show you how to make those changes for yourself.

On June 01 2005 my direct LDL was 175. It should be <100 dl/l, something like that. This means that I had a non-fasting blood test done. Then, on Sept 6th, I had a LDL retest. It was 97. My doctor jump 2 feet off the floor! I never in my life ever got a doctor so excited. Thanks to this book, I'm on my way to a healthier heart. I'm 49 and my father died of a heart attack at age 42. The secret is in the cheap over-the-counter slow release niacin and other advice in the book. Cut out all trans fats and your results will be similar.

If your LDL's are high, try this for 3 months (I gave it one extra month to work). Cut out the trans fats in your diet and eat home cooked meals with 3 oat bran muffins a day and you will write a review after mine confirming once again that the drug companies are douping America with expensive and exotic drugs for profit.
[...]

When my doctor first told me I needed to lower my cholesterol(260), or go on medication,I bought some books to educate me about cholesterol. I seemed to favor this book because it was an easy and comfortable book to read and follow. I followed the books instructions (except for the niacin,which I take now but at low doses) and after seven weeks I lowered my Cholesterol to 206, and not only that I lowered my triglyceride levels from 159 to 125. My doctor told me I do not have to go on medication and to just continue to do what I'm doing. I follow an easy diet, my blood circulation has greatly improved,(my vericose veins are disappearing),I feel better and healthier and am happier thanks to this book. I can't wait for my next years physical to see what my new cholesterol levels will be!

This is a great book for those who want all the details on how to proect your heart, against cholesterol and other heart disease risk factors. The author is trained in both journalism and science, and after suffering one heart attack and thinking about leaving his kids fatherless, he "got religion." He now reads all the medical research on heart health, distilling it down and explaining it to the lay reader. He has the right attitude, only trusting studies that have good methodology and have been replicated.

He considers diet, including fruits and vegetables, fats, meats, soluble fiber and alcohol. He goes over the research on antioxidents and other supplements, including the vitamin that works better than prescription drugs: niacin. He also covers stress and exercise.

Heart disease is completely preventable. If you have high cholesterol or other risk factors, this book will set you straight on what works and what doesn't. My doctor agrees with the parts he's read, and the information here is in agreement with other sources like the American Heart Association website and webmd.com.

If what you want is an owners manual for your heart, a book length treatment that mentions all the important studies and their results, then this book is for you. For me and my nurse mother-in-law, this is the bible on heart health.

My family has a history of early heart problems and high cholesterol, and I always felt I was doomed to die young or face surgeries, medications, and endless complications. Fortunately I may have discovered this book in time to avoid the problems that my mother, uncle, grandfather, and who knows how many prior generations faced.

Two months ago I had my cholesterol checked and the total cholesterol was 214, HDL 30, LDL 156, and Triglycerides 142. The doctors wanted to put me on medication that could have side effects or cause liver damage, etc. I wanted to find a natural alternative, since I could well be taking it for 40+ years. I read Kowalski's book, took HALF the niacin dosage he recommended, and made slight modifications to my already low-fat/cholesterol diet by incorporating some of the foods found in SuperFoods Rx by Steven Pratt (spinach, soy, blueberries, whole grains, salmon). When I received the latest blood test results today, my levels had fallen to a total cholesterol level of 185, HDL 33, LDL 132, and Triglycerides 102. This book will certainly put you on the right path if you're researching ways to get cholesterol under control.

The newest version of Bob Kowalski's book is very different from the original 1987 edition. The new version opens, for instance, with a chapter called "Way beyond cholesterol", in which Kowalski acknowledges the fact that much of heart disease is caused by factors other than cholesterol (despite the book's title). Mr. Kowalski recounts his personal journey through the maze of heart disease beginning with his first bypass operation at age 35.

Mr. Kowalski writes with honesty, clarity, and without hidden agendas (like pushing cholesterol medication). You can follow his advice like that from a caring mentor.

The chapter on niacin is particularly good reading. "This deceptively simple miracle of nature has done more than anything else to save my life." Kowalski describes the ups and downs of this fascinating yet powerful vitamin and how it can be used to correct many of the neglected causes of heart attack like low HDL, high triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a). (Niacin is a crucial ingredient in my program for coronary plaque regresssion, or reversal.)

If you're interested in a readable, credible overview of heart disease and cholesterol (and beyond), Mr. Kowalski's New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure will serve you well.

My dad had a triple-heart bypass at age 44. He bought the original "8 Week Cholesterol Cure" back in the 80s and has been surprisingly healthy ever since. This year (2004) I was diagnosed with hyper-cholesterolemia. However, my cardiologist has said my arteries are clear of any plaque or deposits. Why? Because I read Dad's book about 15 years back and followed a lot of Robert Kowalski's advice regarding diet, excercise, supplements and medical testing. I'll probably never have a bypass or heart attack thanks to this book.

I bought the "New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" and it's even better. All the latest research is right there, in an easily readable form. Kowalski has a good sense of humor, which is essential when you're talking about such a grim subject. His advice is clear and quite easy to follow. He even tells you what doesn't work, which surprised me. (For example, there's really no good evidence that garlic does much for cholesterol or heart health.)

I also bought 4 other books on heart health and cholesterol, but this is by far the best. I've marked up pages, bought copies for relatives and signed up for Kowalski's newsletter. This is heart health advice you and your family can live with for a looong time. (Thanks Dad!)

-Yours, The Niacin Queen

My dad had a triple-heart bypass at age 44. He bought the original "8 Week Cholesterol Cure" back in the early 80s and has been surprisingly healthy ever since. This year (2004) I was diagnosed with hyper-cholesterolemia. However, my cardiologist has said my arteries are clear of any plaque or deposits. Why? Because I read Dad's book about 20 years back and followed a lot of Robert Kowalski's advice regarding diet, excercise, supplements and medical testing. I'll probably never have a bypass or heart attack thanks to this book.

I bought the "New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" and it's even better. All the latest research is right there, in an easily readable form. Kowalski has a good sense of humor, which is essential when you're talking about such a grim subject. His advice is clear and quite easy to follow. He even tells you what doesn't work, which surprised me. (For example, there's really no good evidence that garlic does much for cholesterol or heart health.)

I also bought 4 other books on heart health and cholesterol, but this is by far the best. I've marked up pages, bought copies for relatives and signed up for Kowalski's newsletter. This is heart health advice you and your family can live with for a looong time. (Thanks Dad!)

-Yours, The Niacin Queen

After a family member received a bad diagnosis from his doctor we were in the uneviable position of getting his blood pressure and cholesterol down....and fast. We sifted through dozens of books at the library and found this one. It clearly and concisely explains what has to be done (and not done) to reduce cholesterol and get a healthly heart. And it works.

Been telling everyone about the book.
Lots of information and easy to understand.
Never thought a cholesterol book would be
an enjoyable read. He even makes you want to
get healthy despite the sacrifices.

I've been reading a lot lately about heart disease, and "The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" gives a complete run down of how to care for your heart (against cholesterol) and tells you why you're doing it. It also tells you what not to do, either because it's bad for you or because some other advice you may have received is a wive's tale.

In plain, friendly language, Kowalski tells us what causes problems with the heart and how to find out if you're in trouble by asking for certain tests. He explains what these tests mean and what is considered normal/risky/dangerous.

And, of course, he tells us what to do. There is much more to it than eating low fat, Kowalski explains. He tells you what fats you should be eating and what fats not to. He gives other very specific recommendations on what to eat, supplements, and exercise. All of these recommendations are backed up with medical research studies or explanations of why it works. Kowalski gives encouraging statistics and benchmarks on how much people in the past have improved by following certain recommendations.

In my recent flurry of reading up on heart disease, much of what Kowalski has to say is in line with the latest research. There are even a few tips that I hadn't read about before, like a cholesterol-blocking plant sterol and, for those who want beef, special breeds of cattle that produce very low fat beef that is still tender.

Kowalski even makes short recommendations on mental factors that can be heart harmful.

The one pitfall in this book (and the reason why I didn't give it five stars) is the diet recommendations for weight loss. In a rare departure from the rest of the book, I don't think Kowalski supports this chapter is very well by citing medical research or scientific fact. Kowalski recommends a low-carb diet (40 grams or less) and very low calories (850). Forty grams of carbs is about 1-1/2 pieces of bread, and most nutritionists say that eating under 1,200 calories a day puts your body in starvation mode, in which your body slows down metabolism because it thinks you got stranded in the middle of the desert. Carbs are necessary to give energy to your brain. Putting your body in starvation mode means that the body will try and get energy from your muscles, meaning that if you gain weight later you'll have a larger proportion of fat to muscle. While I don't think all low-carb diets are dangerous (carbs, in my opinion, do need to be judiciously controlled), 40 grams a day and 850 calories is a bit extreme. I wouldn't follow the recommendations in this chapter.

However, I wouldn't let this prevent you from buying the book. The rest of "The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure" is full of wonderful advice to keep the cholesterol monster away.

This book deserves many more than five stars! Millions of people will lead longer, healthier, and more productive lives from following the advice here.

In the last 15 years, knowledge about how to reduce heart disease has made major strides. This book is the best source I have seen about what has been learned, and how to apply it to help yourself and those you love. You will probably find it helpful to bring your copy along to see your physician because many primary care physicians will not be up-to-date with the latest findings in some areas, such as the use of supplements.

If you liked Mr. Kowalski's first program for controlling cholesterol, originally published in 1987, you will adore this book. When asking himself what had changed he noted, "Why, practically everything is new!" Mr. Kowalski reviews in detail the strengths and weaknesses of that program, describes the research that has been conducted on cardiovascular health since then, and shows you other risks in addition to cholesterol that must be addressed. He also debunks pseudo-science about cholesterol control.

What impressed me the most is that Mr. Kowalski's old and new programs have worked perfectly for him. Here is a man who had his first heart attack at age 35 and double bypass. He had a second heart attack at 41, followed by a quadruple bypass. In the foreword, cardiac surgeon Dr. Jack Sternlieb describes how the most rigorous tests of Mr. Kowalski's heart and arteries show that it has no blockages as of 1999. Without this program, Mr. Kowalski would probably have needed another bypass operation several years ago. His family record of heart disease is not a good one, and he probably has a genetic tendency to problems in this area. Mr. Kowalski is very physically active now, and has no limitations on his life style due to his cardiac history.

The new program has familiar elements in it, but is considerably less restrictive than the old one. You can eat a lot more foods, and a lot more fat (as long as it is the right kind of fat). The dietary guidelines are quite similar to the new ones brought out by the American Heart Association in 2000.

For most people, the diet features avoiding saturated fat and trans fatty acids, limiting overall fat to hold weight at a healthy level for your height, eating fish at least twice a week (especially fatty fish), lots of fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals, consuming soluble fiber, lots of fluids, limiting sugars and empty carbohydrates, and eating slowly. Exercise is 15 miles of walking a week. A variety of supplements are encouraged (especially antioxidents, B vitamins, minerals, polysterols, and pantathine). Don't smoke. Limit alcohol consumption to moderate daily levels, but do not imbibe solely for the cardiovascular benefit. Take one aspirin a day if your stomach can handle it.

I liked the candor in the book quite a lot. For example, "I'm a little embarrassed when I look at the subtitle of the original book, which promises `no deprivation.'"

In addition to the overall recommendations, each element is described in detail including the scientific studies that support why it works, who should not follow the recommendation, how to work with your doctor for the best results, side effects that can occur, and how these recommendations compare with the various prescription medications now available for lowering cholesterol. He also describes how these recommendations affect other factors for cardiovascular risk such as the amount of low-density lipoprotein (a negative component of overall cholesterol), high-density lipoprotein (a positive component of overall cholesterol), triglycerides, homocysteine, and C-reactive proteins. The section on niacin (B-3) was particularly interesting since it involves changing liver functions, and you are encouraged to work with your doctor in this area. I was not familiar with the "niacin flush" but was glad to learn that the newer versions usually avoid that problem. I especially found the discussions of the special issues that women, young people, and seniors have to be helpful.

Get this book today . . . follow its advice . . . and keep it with you!