Informed People, Healthy Lives

Health Information from the NHLBI | Other Government Health Information Sites | Health and Disease Statistics

In order to reach the broadest possible audience, the NHLBI releases health information in a variety of formats such as fact sheets, pamphlets, online publications, interactive Web sites and the Healthbeat Radio Network. If you are looking for information about a particular disease or how to reduce your risk of getting a disease being investigated by the NHLBI, please visit both our online health information pages and the NHLBI online catalog. Many of the publications listed in the catalog can be downloaded or a single copy can be ordered free of charge.

It is sometimes difficult to know if a disease is covered by the NHLBI. The NIH Health Information Index is an alphabetical list of diseases and conditions being investigated by the NIH or by NIH-supported scientists. It will link you directly to the home page of the Institute responsible for the disease in which you are interested; you can then use their search tools or other navigational features to find the information you're looking for. The Index also provides phone numbers that you can call for additional information.

The NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, sponsored by the NIH Office of Rare Diseases and the National Human Genome Research Institute, offers free access to information specialists who can provide accurate, reliable information about genetic and rare diseases.

If you cannot find the health information that you are looking for, please contact the NHLBI's trained information specialists at NHLBIinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov. As a research institute, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute does not provide referrals to doctors nor counsel people on specific medical problems. Advice on treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician or other health professional who has examined the patient and is familiar with the patient's medical history.

The goal of the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINEplus is to provide accurate, current, medical information about specific diseases and conditions. It links to consumer health information from the NIH in English, Spanish, and other languages. Through the site, you also can view medical dictionaries and encyclopedias, lists of hospitals and physicians, and Web sites for other health organizations.

For consumer-oriented information regarding health promotion and disease prevention and treatment visit Healthfinder, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' health information site. Through Healthfinder, you can link to online publications, databases, Web sites, and support and self-help groups, as well as government agencies and other organizations serving the public interest.

Health Topics A to Z provides links to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pages for hundreds of disease and health topics, including most of those falling under the purview of the NHLBI. It is not a complete index of the CDC site, but provides consumer-friendly information on a variety of topics.

Through MedWatch, the U.S Food and Drug Administration's Medical Products Reporting and Safety Information Program, you can read about safety issues involving medical products such as prescription and over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements, and medical devices.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) FASTATS A to Z provides a general overview of the impact of a particular disease or condition on the United States. For more detailed analyses by age, sex, and race, visit the NCHS Data Warehouse. You also can find many of the statistics that relate to diseases and conditions of the heart, lungs, and blood in the NHLBI Morbidity and Mortality Chart Book.