Know Your Resources: Heart Health

Posted by Sarah Levin-Lederer on February 17th, 2019 Posted in: Blog, NLM Resources, Public Health
Tags: Health Literacy, MedlinePlus, Public Health

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February is American Heart Month, and you might have seen heart health information from all kinds of sources on social media.  But once Heart Month has passed, where do you turn if you need to find information about keeping your heart healthy?  Or learn what it means if your doctor orders an EKG? Or learn the signs and symptoms of a heart attack?

It’s important to find trusted resources that you can refer to or share with your friends, family and community. Below are great places to start when looking for heart health information:

• The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Heart Health and Aging page has resources and information to help you keep your heart healthy as you age. Check out Go4Life for ways to incorporate physical activity and nutrition throughout your life.

 

• Did you know that MedlinePlus has information on medical tests, what they measure and why a doctor might order them? Learn about why a doctor might order an electrocardiogram (EKG) or a stress test and what they can tell us about how the heart is doing.

 

• What’s the difference between a heart attack and heart failure? MedlinePlus’s medical encyclopedia can help explain complex health topics in everyday language.

 

• The CDC can help you learn about how common (the prevalence) heart disease is in the US, your state or even in your community. The CDC also has educational materials for patients and health professionals.

 

• Learn the signs and symptoms of heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest from the American Heart Association.

And remember when you’re looking for health information online, start with trusted sources and continue to develop your critical thinking skills with the MedlinePlus Evaluating Health Information Online Tutorial.