| The Health Issue |
The Expert |
The Expert's Pick |
| General Health |
Mehmet Oz, MD, host of the Dr. Oz Show and coauthor of the best-selling You: The Owner's Manual series |
For one-stop women's health advice, I recommend HealthyWomen.org . Experts are available to answer questions, and you can read about women with similar concerns. It's a great place to start researching health issues; they offer a bunch of useful fact sheets on topics like diabetes and aging that you can download." |
| Prescription meds and supplements |
Kristen Binaso, a pharmacist and spokesperson for the American Pharmacists Association |
The most reliable information on prescription drugs is at the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus site [ nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus ]. You'll find drug interactions, the latest black box warnings about serious adverse effects, and extensive information on supplements, including efficacy." |
| Heart health |
Lynne Shuster, MD, founding director of the Women's Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic |
" WomenHeart.org is the website of the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, founded by three women who had heart attacks in their 40s. The site provides a wide range of information that is unique to women with heart conditions, and it's carefully reviewed by a committed team of heart disease experts." |
| Mental health |
Robert Klitzman, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the author of When Doctors Become Patients |
"A lot of mental health sites focus solely on depression, but WebMD.com gives good background on everything from stress management to ADHD. The site, however, could do a slightly better job of making it clear that in many instances the best treatment for mental health disorders may be talk therapy, by itself or combined with medication." |
| Infertility |
Alice Domar, PhD, founder of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health and author of Conquering Infertility |
"For unbiased, comprehensive, and up-to-date information on infertility, the best site is Resolve.org . It combines medical information, tips, and strategies for coping with the emotional impact of infertility, plus information on all family-building options. It has links to local resources and state-by-state insurance coverage." |
| Disease risk |
Tara Parker-Pope, author of the New York Times "Well" blog |
" http://www.YourDiseaseRisk.com is a guide for assessing your chances of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and stroke. You answer questions and it gives you an indication of where you fall on the spectrum. It was created by a Harvard doctor, and it's based on all the scientific evidence out there." |
| Cancer/td>
| Paula A. Johnson, MD, chief of the division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital |
"I really like WomensHealth.gov , a website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It's broad, with a lot of factual information, but it also has a lot of vetted links. Unlike many other sites, it will steer you to trustworthy places. Think of it as a gateway to the best cancer resources on the Web." |
| Menopause |
Paula A. Johnson, MD, chief of the division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital |
"For support and community, I have always liked Power-Surge.com . The message boards tend to be good, and the site does a better job of describing women's experiences than anything else out there. I caution people, though, that the site uncritically recommends bioidentical hormones even though the safety data doesn't exist yet." |
| Pediatric health |
Harvey Karp, MD, author of The Happiest Toddler on the Block and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine |
" HealthyChildren.org was just launched by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is a well-developed health-oriented site that's there to give you advice on raising your child and also to calm your mind about medical concerns. It talks directly to parents, not below them or over their heads." |
| ACEFitness.org |
Bob Greene, exercise physiologist, trainer to Oprah, and founder of TheBestLife.com |
"The American Council on Exercise has added an extensive library of exercises to their site, ACEFitness.org . Click on the Get Fit tab and you'll find many moves for every muscle group. The instructions are easy to follow and the information is free." |
