American Heart Association's Web site is new resource for heart patients
THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- People with heart disease can now get both preventive recommendations and advice on post-heart attack care from a newly created American Heart Association Web site.
The free site, which can be accessed through the AHA's home page at www.americanheart.org, contains guidelines for healthy living as well as a discussion group where heart patients and caregivers can talk about their experiences, share concerns and advice, and ask any questions they may have.
"This new heart attack site is one of the most comprehensive on the Web and represents true one-stop shopping," Dr. Clyde Yancy, professor of internal medicine/cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, said in a prepared statement. "It features many useful tools available to help both patients and caregivers. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of searching the Internet for information on diet, exercise, procedures and medications -- all things that must be considered to prevent and treat heart attacks," he added.
Visitors to the site can get information about two primary areas of concern -- the preventive ABCs of cardiac care, including Avoid Tobacco, Be More Active and Choose Good Nutrition; and Life After Heart Attack.
Other areas of the site offer detailed explanations of procedures, tests, medications and diagnoses common to cardiac patients, as well as a comprehensive guide to understanding risk factors for heart disease and heart attack.
"We're living in a time where more and more people are seeking out information and communicating with others via the Internet," Yancy said. "For many patients and their caregivers, talking with others who have had similar experiences is a great comfort and gives them a sense of community."
More information
The American Heart Association has more information on heart attack.
SOURCES: American Heart Association, news release, June 1, 2006
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