Much has been published on heart health, kidney health, and gut
health. But how many of us are aware of our blood health? Is your blood
as healthy as it should be? How would you even know? Blood Works is a
fascinating new blood owners' guide to help you care for the health of
your most precious fluid--your blood.
About 2 billion people globally are anemic, and almost as many suffer
from iron deficiency without anemia. Many don't even know they have it,
just feeling tired, lethargic, and "foggy-headed." Sound familiar? Over
600 million more suffer from acute or sometimes unrecognized chronic
blood loss from causes such as heavy menstrual bleeding, obstetric
hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, surgery, and trauma. Anemia, iron
deficiency, and bleeding are signs of "blood failure" and have major
negative health effects. Blood Works, with contributions from 48
leading international medical experts, is a must have book for all who
want to look after their blood health.
Your blood is the essential fluid that keeps you alive. Yet, while many
of us know our cholesterol level and blood pressure, few of us are aware
of our blood count. What we don't know can affect our everyday quality
of life and put us at risk if we have bleeding, an injury, or require
hospitalization.
Blood, and the vessels that contain it, make up the largest organ system
in the body. Its balance and health must be maintained. For many
decades, the treatment of first resort for anemia and blood loss has
been blood transfusion, which is essentially a "liquid organ" transplant
from another person. In heart failure or kidney failure, organ
transplantation is not first-line treatment. In blood failure, blood
"transplantation" should not be the first thing we reach for. Since the
1990s, scientific research has shown that the common use of blood
transfusion is not the most effective treatment in many medical
situations. It has been identified as one of the most overused
treatments in modern medicine, costing billions of dollars, while
causing changes in the recipient's immune system that may increase the
risk of complications and death. In October 2021, the World Health
Organization called for the urgent global implementation of Patient
Blood Management (PBM), stating "our own blood is still the best thing
to have in our veins."
Blood Works is one of the most exciting books on blood health you
will read. The book zooms in on why medical experts from around the
world now recognize the need for fundamental change in the way a
patient's blood is managed. Known as PBM, Patient Blood Management
places the person receiving treatment at the center of decisions
involving their lifeblood. Its aim is to improve general health and
treatment outcomes by managing and preserving a patient's own blood
while empowering them to share in making decisions.
Meticulously researched and referenced, masterfully illustrated, and
featuring personal stories from patients and their families, Blood
Works is a compelling read. It will have a profound impact on your
health and the health of your loved ones and is an invaluable resource
for health care professionals.
