Contact: Nicole Napoli, nnapoli@acc.org, 202-375-6523

WASHINGTON (March 1, 2013) — CardioSmart, the patient education and empowerment initiative of the American College of Cardiology, has unveiled a newly redesigned and enhanced website (www.CardioSmart.org) with thousands of pages created by members of the cardiac care team to meet the unique health needs of heart patients.

Through CardioSmart.org, individuals trying to manage their heart disease have access to a variety of tools to help in understanding their disease, complying with medication adherence, losing and maintaining weight, implementing a heart healthy diet and making other necessary lifestyle changes to improve and maintain heart health. Information and tips on preventing heart disease and caring for a heart disease patient are also available.

“Prevention is key in the fight against heart disease, and CardioSmart.org has a variety of resources for people who want to change their lifestyle habits now to avoid heart disease in the future,” said CardioSmart Chief Medical Expert JoAnne Foody, MD, FACC. “CardioSmart.org also has tools and resources for heart disease patients. The site has physician-created content to help patients manage their heart disease and establish heart healthy habits. We want every patient to succeed in battling this terrible disease.”

Some of the key features now available are:

• Patients and their caregivers will have access to over 30 heart condition centers, which provide information on each stage of heart disease, including details on the disease, questions for patients to ask their doctors,  patient responsibilities, where to find support and more.
• Registered users can create a personalized dashboard and select topic areas of interest, save pages of the site for easier access, set health goals (weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and activity) and track their progress.
• Users can participate in CardioSmart Challenges and earn points through activities such as exercise and weight loss. Points can be used toward items in the CardioSmart store.
• Patients can find a community-based peer to peer support program or connect virtually via online support groups.
• The medication manager allows users to enter in the name, dose and frequency of each of their medications to help patients comply with their doctor’s orders.
• Mi Corazon section offers CardioSmart content translated into Spanish, where available.

For more information on CardioSmart or to view any of the features listed above, visit www.CardioSmart.org.

The mission of the American College of Cardiology is to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health. The College is a 43,000-member medical society comprised of physicians, surgeons, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and practice managers. The College is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The ACC provides professional education, operates national registries to measure and improve quality of care, disseminates cardiovascular research, and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit cardiosource.org/ACC.

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