“Patients were able to get significantly better control of their blood pressure when home monitoring was supplemented with Internet-based education and advice from a pharmacist...”

These results were reported in the June 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association for a study funded by a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and by the Electronic Communications and Blood Pressure Monitoring study.

According to the authors, "Our study findings support previous research that demonstrates encouraging patients to participate more actively in their own care, combined with care management, including assisted patient review of paper medical records, leads to improved health outcomes."

To read the entire article, go to www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Hypertension/.

“In 2007, 56 percent of American adults — more than 122 million people — sought information [on the Internet] about a personal health concern, up from 38 percent in 2001…”

Education is the strongest factor in determining whether people seek out health information online. 72% of people with a graduate education use this approach compared with 42% of those without a high school diploma. To a lesser degree women are more likely than men to use the web and whites and African Americans are more likely than Hispanics.

To read the entire article, go to www.hschange.com/CONTENT/1006/.

“Doctors get a crash course in healthful cooking.”

Chefs at the Culinary Institute of America along with Harvard University's medical school are training doctors to cook in more healthful ways. Physicians participating in the conference in St. Helena, California indicated a desire to focus on diet, lifestyle and disease prevention because their patients are interested in this guidance.

One doctor learning to cook salmon burgers, low in fat and high in nutrients, said, "In my practice, we have an epidemic of women who are sedentary and overweight and they're always asking for help to get back on track."

To read the entire article, go to www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89883788.