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This page is an introduction to online health-related resources from the
US government and is comprised of the following major sections:
Leading Causes of Death in America
The leading causes of death in America are Heart
Disease, Cancer, Accidents,
and Infectious Diseases
Heart Disease
- The American Heart Association
provides an online version of their
1995 Heart
and Stroke Guide. They also provide an extensive list of definitions and
facts related to heart disease and strokes ranging from a description of
American
Heart Month and the relation between
aspirin and heart attacks to
the definition of
ventricular
fibrillation and a copy of the desirable weight table. You
can test your knowledge about heart disease and related information with the
Heart
Quiz
The InterAmerican
Heart Foundation is dedicated to promoting the creation of heart
foundations in America, improving public knowledge about heart disease, and
preventing heart disease and stroke.
Cancer
- Services of National Cancer Institute's
International Cancer Information
Center include: the Cancer Information Service,
accessible from anywhere in the United States and Puerto Rico by dialing
1-800-4-CANCER; news about
Breast
Cancer and the BRCA1 gene, reported to be linked to an increased risk of
breast cancer; and
the Kid's Home at the National Cancer Institute which is designed
especially for children suffering from cancer, HIV, and other illnesses.
Highlights from the Kid's Home include:
pictures drawn by
young patients at the National Cancer Institute, a story about
Phil the Pill, a
boy who hated taking his medicine, as well as an information guide for parents,
suggesting ways to
talk to
your children about cancer.
- The American Cancer Society
publishes an introductory online pamphlet entitled
Basic
facts about Cancer, which contains information and answers to common
questions. Basic information about selected cancers including
lung
cancer,
breast
cancer,
leukemia,
and
skin
cancer is also available. The
Breast
Cancer Network contains
information about the
causes,
means of
detection,
and
treatments
of breast cancer. There is also a section devoted to information about
tobacco use and cancer
Accidents
- The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, a program agency of of the Department of Labor, is
dedicated to setting and enforcing workplace safety standards. Their online
service includes information on
filing a complaint
with OSHA, free
consultation services, and the
Asbestos Advisor
- The CDC's National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was created to research and
make recommendations for preventing work-related injuries. Their online service
includes a
fact
sheet about the usefulness of back belts, information on the
Health
Hazard Evaluation Program, and a
Guide
to Chemical Hazards
Infectious Disease
- The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention are dedicated to the promotion of a healthier quality of life
through prevention and controlling of disease, injury, and disability.
The National Center for
Infectious Diseases is an agency of the CDC committed to the control of
existing and emerging infectious diseases. A list of
new, reemerging, and drug
resistant infections and an online version of the
Journal of Emerging
Infectious Diseases are available. On the
CDC Hospital Infection
Control Page is published information about preventing the spread of
infectious diseases in hospitals, including
Aerosols and
HIV, Universal
precautions and protective barriers used in infection control.
The CDC prevention
guidelines database provides information about preventing diseases. These
guidelines can be viewed by topic or
viewed by title.
General immunization information is also
available.
- Information available online from the The World Health Organization includes
vaccination
requirements and health advice for international travel, recent
outbreaks of
infectious diseases, and
the World Health
Report which describes the status of world health and the activities of the
WHO. Also available are 50 facts of
health.
Health Care
- The Department of Health and Human
Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting
the health of all Americans. Current research and data
are provided to help increase understanding of health and social services.
The Administration on Aging and
the Aging Network were created to provide support and services to our nation's
older persons. AgeInfo is a service
designed to disseminate information provided by the National Aging Information
Center. The Health Care Financing
Administration administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs and provides
information on related topics. Information about
Medicare
about about Medicaid
are available online.
Health and Environment
- United States Food and Drug
Administration regulates consumer products to ensure the safety and health
of all Americans. Available online are safety requirements and product
information for cosmetics, and information
about human drug approval and new drug
applications. The Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition ensures food safety, promotes sound nutrition
and protects consumers against fraud. Their online service provides
consumer advice from the
CFSAN, information about many
food additives, pesticides
and chemical contaminants, and food labeling and nutrition
information.
The United States Department of
Agriculture oversees many programs aimed at improving the quality of life
for all Americans. The mission of the Food and Consumer Service is to ensure
access to nutritious, healthful diets for all Americans. Programs and resources
under the FCS include the FCS Food
Source Network - a public forum for FCS related discussions,
Food
Research and Evaluation Data,
Team Nutrition -
the school meals initiative for healthy children, and the
National School
Lunch Week Proclamation. The Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service ensures the health care of plants and
animals as well as improving agricultural competitiveness and productivity.
APHIS' Import-Export
Directory contains information on import and export regulations. Also
available online are traveler tips for bringing
materials into the U.S. and
biotechnology
information including a section about genetically altered foods.
The Environmental Protection Agency
is responsible for executing Federal environmental protection laws. The EPA
provides a list of
programs aimed at environmental protection. These include the
Acid Rain Program,
Energy Star Programs,
the Stratospheric Ozone
Protection Program, Wetlands
Protection. Consumer
information is also available from the EPA, including: the
UV Index document,
the Energy Star Computer Products
Listing, and the Radon
Publications.
The U.S. Geological Survey's
Environment Page
advocates that understanding the conditions and functions of environmental
systems and the factors that are changing them is an important function of the
USGS scientific mission. Highlights of the USGS online service include
The Global Change and Climate History
Program,
Environmental Affairs Program, and
Radon
Research.
The U.S. Department of Energy's
Biological and
Environmental Research supports biological and environmental research
projects, including The Human Genome
Project -aimed at characterizing the human genome,
The Global Change
Research Programs - aimed at measuring and predicting changes in the global
environment, and the
Protecting
Human Subjects Program.
Alcohol, Smoking, and Drug Information
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services dedicated in
part to promoting public and private prevention and treatment services so that
they are available and accessible. The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information, funded under the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, is the
world's largest resource for alcohol and drug information. NCADI's online
Services include PREVline, a forum for
exchanging information about substance abuse prevention; and the NCADI's
Prevention primer, a reference for prevention practitioners.
The National Institute
on Drug Abuse is an agency of the National Institutes of Health dedicated
to bringing science resources to the problem of drug abuse and addiction.
Accessible online from NIDA are
The NIDA Division of Basic
Research and
The
Neuroscience Consortium.
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