Here I’ve collected the resources and articles I’ve found helpful as I learn about heart disease. This is not a substitute for medical care or advice in any way. Please use your own judgment when evaluating the information presented by these sites, articles, and videos.
Sites I Heart
The Heart Truth is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s women’s awareness campaign, and the original Red Dress campaign. Check it out for videos, prevention tips, warning signs, and information about how you can participate in and promote national Wear Red Day in February.
Check out Go Red for Women, a program of the American Heart Association, for its great nutritional center, free risk assessment tool, and a social tool “Tell 5 to Save Lives.” Go Red for Women also produced the Elizabeth Banks short video “Just a Little Heart Attack.”
The Yale Heart Study is seeking survivors to take a survey about why people delay seeking treatment. They also have a great social media presence that provides useful information and raises awareness.
The American Heart Association and my regional chapter, American Heart Association – Minnesota.
Heart Sisters is a fantastic blog by a heart disease survivor, full of well-researched articles and information, as well as support. It was one of the first sites I found after my heart attack.
myHeartHealth is a portal created by Sister to Sister: The Women’s Heart Health Foundation. It includes wellness tools, personal stories (my blog posts may appear here), recipes, exercise tips, and other information.
WomenHeart is the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. They sponsor an annual symposium and leadership training for women with heart disease at the Mayo Clinic every year. I plan to apply to attend the 2013 event (the 2012 dates are the same as the Twin Cities Marathon!).
Heart-Healthy Eating
“Four Foods That Lower Your Cholesterol” an article in Time Magazine.
(Brace yourselves, Diet Coke lovers) “Daily Diet Soda Linked to Higher Risk of Stroke and Heart Attack” on MSNBC and other sources.
“From Omnivore to Vegan: The Dietary Education of Bill Clinton” on CNN.
“Time to Revive Home Ec” from the New York Times.
The American Heart Association Nutrition Center
“25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods” – featuring lots of my favorites and some I’ve never had before, like guava.
“Superfoods Everyone Needs” – from another favorite site, WebMD. (WebMD has also helped me when I freak out about drug interactions and the dozen pills I take a day.)
Allrecipes.com – this is not a diet/health focused site, but it is my go-to site when I have an ingredient I know I should use, like kale, tofu, or salmon, and I’m looking for inspiration. Read the reviews for modification suggestions and then use the recipe as a guide. I’ve found many favorites, new and old, here.
“The World’s Healthiest Foods” – a website with exhaustive information about the nutritional benefits of foods, down to the most obscure micronutrient you’ve never heard of. Just search “Nutritional benefits of . . . ”
Exercise and Prevention
“Back up system reduces heart disease deaths” from the University College London.
“Natural bypasses can save lives” from the American Heart Association.
“Do-it-yourself cardiac bypass surgery: All you need is walking shoes” from the Harvard Health Letter.
“30 Minutes a Day” – a video by Dr. Mike Evans that makes it perfectly clear why we need exercise to be healthy.
“The Guide to Beating a Heart Attack” in the Wall Street Journal, April 16, 2012.
Heart Disease and Depression
“Depression and heart disease: Learn about depression after heart attack” in the Harvard Heart Letter.
“The Heart Attack-Depression Link” on Everyday Health.
Raising Awareness
“Just a Little Heart Attack” by Elizabeth Banks for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.
“Know Your Numbers” by the Mayo Clinic. A funny spoof on the Jenny song featuring staff and doctors of the world-renowned hospital.
“Don’t Make Excuses, Make the Call” by WomensHealth.gov, a video that urges women not to discount their symptoms and to get help.
“National Wear Red Day 2012” flash mob video by the National Heart, Lung , and Blood Institute.
“Hands-only CPR” by the American Heart Association. A funny PSA video featuring Ken Jeong.
“Hands-only CPR” by the American Heart Association. Another fun PSA featuring Jennifer Coolidge.
Family History & Children
“What is Familial Hypercholesterolemia?” from the National Human Genome Research Institute.
“High Cholesterol in Children” by WebMD.
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