Resources on Heart Disease
- The Basics of Heart Disease
- Guides to Online Information
- Learning Tools and Anatomy
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Food and Nutrition
- Exercise and Fitness
- Smoking Cessation
- Online Video Library
- CDs and Guided Imagery for Heart Health
- Newsletters
- Information for Women
- Information for Older Adults
- Information for Children/Teens
- Learn More about Integrative Approaches
The Basics of Heart Disease
American Heart Association
Up to date information on all aspects of heart disease
Consumer Reports Medical Guide
An unbiased look at treatments, news and safety alerts, drug reviews and more on different cardiovascular conditions
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Information on heart disease-related medical devices, medications and diagnostic tests regulated by the FDA
Heart Health Videos
Ask Noah: New York Online Access to Health
Online videos on preventing and treating heart disease and living a heart healthy lifestyle.
Mayo Clinic
Their "Heart Disease Center," is a guide to understanding, preventing, treating and coping with heart disease.
Guides to Online Information
Medline Plus
National Library of Medicine/ National Institutes of Health
Major government healthcare directory. Links to information on many aspects of heart disease including overviews, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, rehabilitation, multimedia tutorials, clinical research trials, and more.
NOAH (New York Online Access to Health)
Links to reliable health information on heart disease risk factors, warning signs, procedures, diagnostic tests, and an online video library. In English and Spanish.
Learning Tools and Anatomy
American Heart Association Heart Profilers
Offers a free, personalized decision-support tool to better understand conventional treatment options for heart disease, the research that supports those treatments, and questions to ask your doctor.
Hope Heart Institute
Helpful information-compiled by people who have experienced heart surgery- on what to expect, ask and do when undergoing heart surgery.
Anatomical slides of the Cardiovascular System
University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Actual anatomical slides of the heart and circulatory system.
Animated Surgeries: The Interactive Body
Broward Health
High-quality animations on medical procedures used to diagnose and treat various health conditions. Can be used with or without audio. Takes a long time to load but is worth the wait.
The Heart Information Center
Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
Illustrations of the heart and cardiovascular system. Also available in Spanish.
Emotional Well-Being
American Heart Association Online Forums
Online discussion forums on a variety of topics for people with heart disease, stroke survivors, and caregivers.
Cleveland Clinic Heart Forum
A moderated forum with questions answered by doctors at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Also offers The Heart Support Forum, an unmoderated forum for patient-to-patient support.
Mended Hearts
Affiliated with the American Heart Association, Mended Hearts supports patients with heart disease, their families and caregivers through volunteer visiting programs, support group meetings and educational forums in 460 hospitals and rehabilitation clinics nationwide.
Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHD)
Support and community section for people with congenital heart disease
Heart Support of America
Nonprofit organization providing direct financial assistance to people with heart disease who lack the resources for the treatment and care they need.
"Depression and Heart Disease." National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health. 2002. (article)
The Emotional Wellness Way to Cardiac Health: How Letting Go of Depression, Anxiety and Anger Can Heal Your Heart
Arthur Nezu, PhD, Christine Nezu, PhD and Diwakar Jain, MD
New Harbinger Publications, 2005
Describes the effect of emotions on heart health and offers an emotional regulation program to help change longstanding emotional patterns.
Heartmates: A Guide for the Spouse and Family of the Heart Patient
Rachel Freed
Fairview Press, 2002
Discusses the ongoing emotional, psychological, spiritual and social issues of living with heart disease.
The Heart Speaks: A Cardiologist Reveals the Secret Language of Healing
Mimi Guarneri, MD
Touchstone, 2006
Describes how the mind affects the body. Dr. Guarneri provides a holistic approach to cardiac care.
Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy
Dean Ornish, MD
HarperCollins, 1999
Explores the relationship between love, personal intimacy, social connection and health.
Mind Your Heart: A Mind/Body Approach to Stress Management, Exercise and Nutrition for Heart Health
Aggie Casey, RN and Herbert Benson, MD
Free Press, 2004
A balanced approach to heart health combining lifestyle changes and cutting edge medical procedures.
"'Stress' and Coronary Heart Disease: Psychosocial Risk Factors." Medical Journal of Australia. (article)
The Art of Effortless Living
Ingrid Bacci
Perigee, 2002
A practical and powerful guide to achieving more by doing less. This book shows you how to dissolve conscious and unconscious stress through simple techniques that replace effort with ease.
Food and Nutrition
Delicious Decisions
The American Heart Association's online guide to nutrition and heart health. Includes over 200 recipes with a Recipe Quick Find feature, tips for food shopping and cooking, guidelines for eating out and snacking, and information on managing your weight and staying physically active.
Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease
Dean Ornish, MD
Ivy Books, 1995
Based on Dr. Ornish's extensive research showing that lifestyle programs can reverse coronary artery blockage.
Healing Foods Pyramid
University of Michigan Integrative Medicine
A guideline to optimizing your health through your food choices. The pyramid emphasizes choosing healthy, plant-based foods, creating a diet with variety and balance, and eating mindfully.
How to Read a Food Label
National Women's Health Information Center
Explains the different sections of the nutrition fact panel on food labels
My Pyramid Tracker
The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion/USDA
A free, online program to track your diet and physical activity for up to a year. Provides information on your diet quality and physical activity status.
Portion Distortion Interactive Quiz
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Learn how food portion sizes have increased over the past 20 years and how much physical activity you need to burn off the extra calories contained in today's portions.
What is Cholesterol and What are the Types?
Online videos on various aspects of heart disease.
Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Guideline to the "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" eating plan, including sample menus and recipes.
The Beginner's Guide to Healthy Eating
Andrew Weil, MD
Dr. Weil, a leader in integrative medicine, provides practical information on eating for optimal health and pleasure.
The Natural Gourmet
Annemarie Colbin, C.H.E.S.
Ballantine Books, 1989
A classic collection of recipes for healthy, balanced eating. Includes information on balancing meals according to the ancient Chinese Theory of the Five Phases, used to promote energy and health.
What to Eat
Marion Nestle
North Point Press, 2007
An eye opening look by a top nutritionist-consumer advocate on just what we are buying in the supermarket and how the food industry shapes and influences our food choices.
Nutrition Action Healthletter
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Reliable information on nutrition and health in an easy-to-read format.
Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter
Concise, up-to-date and reliable health and nutrition advice.
The Nutrition Source: Knowledge for Healthy Eating
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
Online articles on the latest science on healthy eating. Provides clear advice on what to eat, what not to eat, and why.
"Questions and Answers: The NIH Trial of EDTA Chelation Therapy for Coronary Artery Disease." National Institutes of Health. 2002.
"Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Cardiovascular Disease." American Heart Association Scientific Statement. Circulation. 2002;106:2747.
"Garlic: Effects on Cardiovascular Risks and Disease, Protective Effects Against Cancer, and Clinical Adverse Effects." Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
"Summary of Evidence: Routine Vitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease." Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
"The Latest on Trans Fats: HSPH Researchers Make Case for Removing Trans Fats from Industrial Food Supply." Harvard School of Public Health. April 19, 2006.
Heart Healthy Cooking for All Seasons
Marvin Moser, MD and Larry Forgione, Jimmy Schmidt, Alice Waters
Atria, 1997
Features gourmet recipes from three of Americas' top chefs and a realistic approach to healthy eating by a Yale cardiologist. Combines health and enjoyment.
Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Recipes of your favorite foods made with hearth healthy ingredients.
Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Traditional African American and Latino recipes prepared in a heart-healthy way.
Delicious Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes/ Platillos Latinos Sabrosos y Saludables
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Bilingual cookbook with 23 tasty Latino dishes prepared with reduced fat and sodium.
Cooking and Recipes
Andrew Weil, MD
Tips for healthy cooking and healthy recipes. Sort through recipes by meal category or by food item.
Delicious Decisions Online Cookbook
American Heart Association
A helpful Recipe Quick Find feature lets you locate recipes by meal, main ingredient, ethnic cuisines, 'low salt,' or 'quick and easy.'
Cookbooks
American Heart Association
A collection of cookbooks with sample online recipes for people with heart disease. Available for order on the site.
EXERCISE AND FITNESS
"Cardiac Rehabilitation: Building a Better Life after Heart Disease." Mayo Clinic (article)
Exercising for a Healthy Heart
National Library of Medicine (Online Tutorial)
Covers resistance training, aerobics, benefits and risks of exercising and more
Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Provides coaching tips and specific exercises organized by fitness level
The Healthy Heart Walking CD: Walking Workouts for a Lifetime of Fitness
American Heart Association
Two complete walking workouts to improve heart health, control weight, manage stress, and increase well-being.
Learning New Moves
Women's Heart Foundation
Guideline for regular physical activity for women including a chart of calories burned per hour with different exercises and a sample 12-week walking program.
SMOKING CESSATION
Lung USA
American Lung Association
Offers a free online smoking cessation program, information on nicotine replacement products, and an action plan to quit smoking
Journey to a Smoke-Free Life: A Workbook to Help You Succeed
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health System
A very useful PDF workbook to help you successfully quit smoking
Smoking: The Facts (online tutorial)
Covers the effects of smoking on different parts of the body.
ONLINE VIDEO LIBRARY
The National Library of Medicine web site offers an online video library of conditions, procedures and treatments. Below is a list of videos related to heart disease. Click here for the full list of tutorials.
Coronary Angiogram and Angioplasty Online Tutorial
Open Heart Surgery: What to Expect?
back to topCDs AND GUIDED IMAGERY FOR HEART HEALTH
Cardiac ICU & Rehab
Belleruth Naparstek
Two-part guided imagery audio created with noted heart surgeon Mehmet Oz to accelerate healing, reduce pain and depression, and motivate exercise and healthy new habits. (88 min.) (cd, cassette, mp3)
Healthy Heart: Guided Imagery for Healthy Cholesterol, Open Arteries
Belleruth Naparstek
Focuses on opening the heart, reducing stress, and cultivating presence, resilience, peace and gratitude. (51 min.) (cd, cassette, mp3)
Heart Pack
Belleruth Naparstek
Four titles geared to help your heart: Healthy Heart imagery, Relieve Stress exercises, Imagery for Weight Loss, and General Wellness. (cd, cassette, mp3)
Relaxed and Awake During Medical Procedures
Belleruth Naparstek
Guided imagery to help people undergo uncomfortable medical procedures that require the patient to be awake. Promotes relaxation, calmness and a sense of control. (41 min.) (cd)
Successful Surgery
Belleruth Naparstek
Guided imagery to support the patient before, during and after surgery. Based on clinical trials that have shown that guided imagery can help to reduce bleeding, speed up healing and decrease pain and discomfort. (81 min.)
Down with High Blood Pressure
Emmett Miller MD
Four relaxation and imagery exercises to help you identify and manage your triggers for elevated blood pressure. (77 minutes) (CD, cassette)
NEWSLETTERS
Harvard Heart Letter
Covers the latest developments in treatments, procedures, medications, and prevention
Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth Newsletter
Practical tips on self-care and healthy living from Mayo Clinic behavior change experts. Links to in-depth information on health topics you read about in the newsletter.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter
Information on nutrition, fitness, self-care, preventive medicine, and emotional well-being. Reviews, evaluates and clarifies the latest research and translates it into practical advice for daily living.
INFORMATION FOR WOMEN
Heart Healthy Women
A collaboration of women's health organizations providing up-to-date information on heart disease in women.
Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Women Heart, National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Provides support, education and advocacy for women living with heart disease. Includes an online community bulletin board and information on accessing healthcare, fitness and wellness, mental health and more.
Women's Heart Foundation
Helpful information on heart disease and heart surgery, with a PDF health library in English, Spanish and French.
Community Heart Forum
Women Heart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Discussion forums, blogs, surveys, a personal profile area, and a personal message board. Invite family/friends to join the community and search members' profiles to make new friends.
Ask the Nurse
Women's Heart Foundation
A nurse consultant responds to your questions on heart health.
"Protecting Women's Hearts: An Interview with a Mayo Clinic Specialist." Mayo Clinic
"Heart Disease: Frequently Asked Questions." National Women's Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"Heart Healthy Eating." National Women's Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
back to topINFORMATION FOR OLDER ADULTS
NIH Senior Health
National Institutes of Health
Easy to see, understand and navigate. Offers open-captioned videos, special sections on Medicare prescription drug coverage and personal exercise stories of people ages 60 and up.
AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
Offers a physician referral service to locate providers who are sensitive to the healthcare needs of older adults, an online guide for family caregivers, and a section to read and share personal stories.
"Aging Heart and Arteries: A Scientific Quest."
National Institute on Aging.
This large PDF file (87 pages) may be better to view online than to print out.
INFORMATION FOR CHILDREN/TEENS
Congenital Heart Information Network
Provides information, resources and support services for adults and families of children with congenital heart defects. Contains extensive community and resource sections including a list of national and international support groups, online support, and book reviews.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Children's Cardiovascular Health
Current information for parents of children with arrhythmias, heart murmur or high blood pressure.
American Heart Association: Children's Health
Information on pediatric heart disease and useful tips for parents on ways to improve their children's health. A special section for kids provides worksheets, songs and games for children from pre-K through 8th grade.
Kid's Health
Nemours Foundation
General information on children's health in three separate sites:
Heart Center Encyclopedia
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Provides up-to-date information on diagnosing, treating and managing pediatric heart disease
Brave Kids
Features a healthcare resource directory with thousands of resources for children with chronic life-threatening illnesses or disabilities and message boards for kids and adults. Available in English and Spanish.
Our-Kids
Our-Kids Listserv website
The Our-Kids listserv provides a support and discussion forum for parents and caregivers of children with a wide range of physical and/or mental disabilities and delays.
C.H.I.N. Community Support
Congenital Heart Information Network
Online discussion groups, a "family room" to share experiences on specific topics, a portrait gallery of members, and a "memorial garden" honoring the memory of children who are no longer with us.
C.H.I.N. Support Groups
Congenital Heart Information Network
List of national and international congenital heart disease support groups affiliated with C.H.I.N.
The Cardiac Experience Journal
Children's Hospital Boston
An appealing and child-friendly collection of stories, pictures and personal experiences from and for children with pediatric heart disease and their families.
Integrative Approaches
American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA)
Consumer information, online newsletter, and an online physician membership directory
CAM Citation Index
Part of the Medline database covering articles on complementary, alternative and integrative medicine
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
One of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health. Select Health Information, Diseases and Conditions to get full reports and research on the integrative approaches to various health conditions.
Holistic Kids.org
The Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research
Provides information and resources for health care practitioners on the use of integrative approaches in children
CARE (Complementary and Alternative Research and Education Program)
Stollery Children's Hospital, University of Alberta
The Resource section provides parents with clinical summaries on the integrative approach to common pediatric complaints
AcuBriefs.com
English language research on acupuncture
Acupuncture.com
Provides a referral database by geographic area
Reiki
International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP)
General information on Reiki, a search service for locating Reiki practitioners and teachers, and a database of Reiki articles.
Therapeutic Touch
Nurse Healers Professional Associates International
Information on therapeutic touch, a geographic listing of teachers, and recommended resources.
MedlinePlus Herbs and Supplements
Herbal monographs prepared by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products
Evidence-based information with citations linked directly to Medline on herbs, botanicals, vitamins, supplements and more.
Natural Medicine
Covers health conditions, vitamins, diet, herbal remedies, homeopathic index, depletions and interactions.
The University of Maryland herbal database
Evidence-based information on a wide variety of herbs. Links to conditions they are used for, herbs with similar uses, drugs that interact, and herbs with similar warnings.
American Chiropractic Association
Information on chiropractic and a practitioner locator
American Massage Therapy Association
Information on massage therapy and a massage therapist locator by state
American Osteopathic Association
Information on osteopathic medicine and a selection of full text articles from their professional journal
Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals
Information on massage and bodywork and a practitioner finder by geographic location and type of massage practice
Upledger Institute
Articles, research citations, books on craniosacral therapy and a practitioner locator
Aromatherapy
AromaWeb
Articles on aromatherapy and information on 90 individual essential oils
Biofeedback
The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
An introduction to biofeedback, appropriate conditions for biofeedback treatment, and current research
Biofeedback Certification Institute of America
An educational organization providing training in general biofeedback and EEG biofeedback. The site has an international BCIA practitioner directory.
Hypnosis
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH)
The largest U.S. organization for health care practitioners using clinical hypnosis. Their web site provides practitioner referral by geographic area.
Imagery
Academy for Guided Imagery
Research findings, a practitioner locator, and information on their books and audiotapes
Health Journeys
A collection of high quality resources on wellness, diseases, and chronic illness, practice tips, research information on guided imagery, and a discussion forum
Meditation/Relaxation
Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society
Provides a list of research studies and guided meditation tapes by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, co-founder of the well-known Stress Reduction Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center
Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine
Based on Dr. Herbert Benson's work on the "relaxation response". Provides information on stress and a list of books, CD's, videotapes, and audiotapes on relaxation/meditation by the Institute staff
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Covers scientific research on TM, places to study, news articles and books, and a discussion of its uses to enhance function and treat a variety of conditions
American Society of the Alexander Technique
Provides a listing of certified teachers and information on related books and DVDs.
American Yoga Association
Information on yoga for various health conditions, the different types of yoga and yoga resources such as the Easy Does It Yoga video, for older people.
Feldenkrais® Guild of North America
Information on the theory and practice of the Feldenkrais Method, articles, a practitioner locator, book and DVD resources.
QiGong Institute
Includes podcasts on QiGong, scientific articles, a directory of teachers and therapists, suggested books and videotapes, and a database of research citations on Qigong
Tai Chi Network
An online community connecting Tai Chi teachers and studios with students seeking Tai Chi instructors
Trager® Institute
Information on the Trager Approach, online articles, and practitioner locators by geographic area
International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements Databases (IBIDS)
Covers the worldwide scientific literature on vitamins, minerals, herbal and botanical supplements from 1986 to the present. An easy to search database.
The Wellness Diet: Anti-Inflammatory Diet Basics and Diet Tips
Along with influencing inflammation this diet provides steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber
DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet)
National Institute of Health
A complete overview of the DASH diet, including meal plans and recipes
Mediterranean Diet
This heart healthy approach to eating has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of further heart disease in people who had already had a heart attack
Spirituality and Health
Articles on spiritual issues and practice, a database of over 15,000 reviews of current books, audiotapes, films and videotapes with online purchase available, a discussion forum and interactive self-tests on spirituality and health.
Shambhala
Information on Buddhist teachings and instruction on meditation and related issues via text, audio, video and MP3 downloads.