Dr. Raab presents a "unified field theory" of the interaction of heredity, hypertension, diet, life style, and nicotine, as these pertain to the genesis of the various manifestations of coronary heart disease, or as he suggest it be called, "cardiac hypoxic dysionism." He has gathered isolated clinical and experimental observations—many of which were presented in detail in his earlier publication, Prevention of Ischemic Heart Disease, Charles C Thomas, 1966—into a highly readable compendium.
In regard to the etiology and pathogenesis of this type of heart disease, Dr. Raab finds recurring evidence of the disadvantageous effect of "adrenergic discharge," in that