Many organisations have their own independent website. On this page we point to a selection that offer reliable information about general cardiac health. (There is a separate page for sites that focus on particular cardiac conditions and patient groups).
The British Heart Foundation (BHF)
Patient information (and charity money-raising) for cardiac research.
Easy-to-use site, with a range of printed booklets about different heart conditions and other helpful information e.g. health and diet.
European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
A hub with links to a variety of specialist cardiac groups.
ESC is a not-for-profit international federation of professionals working in all areas of cardiology. It is organised into speciality communities for the different areas of cardiology. The web link above takes you to their home page. Scroll down to see links to all the speciality websites of the affiliated organisations. Click anything that interests you, but be aware that some resources are intended for doctors and nurses.
Heart Matters
Free BHF service helping people to maintain a healthy heart.
Offers lots of expert advice and support on healthy food and lifestyle. You don’t need to be a member, but if you have an email address you can join (free of charge) to receive a free magazine and/or newsletters by email.
Heart UK (The Cholesterol Charity)
Healthy living.
Practical suggestions for controlling cholesterol levels, choosing healthy diets, exploring different cuisines, recipes and lifestyle choices.
Learn CPR
Save a life! A 15-minute free online course in CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation).
Learn how to save a life and receive a CPR certificate. You just need a mobile phone or tablet and a cushion to practice on. People of all ages can perform CPR and the growing availability of defibrillators means that, more than ever, there is now a good chance of patients surviving.
You will learn how to identify cardiac arrest, make a good 999 call, perform CPR, use a defibrillator.
National Health Service (NHS)
Free comprehensive health information and advice funded by the UK government.
Information and advice about Heart conditions is found under H in the section ‘Health A-Z’.
Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS)
The web site of this British society for professional surgeons includes this area for patient support.
Contains information to help patients understand medical vocabulary. Also supports decision-making about options before, during and after surgery. Includes patient-friendly support videos from the Perioperative Care web site.
The Sussex Heart Charity
This Brighton-based charity is dedicated to improving the lives of people with heart conditions.
Booklets and information leaflets for patients can be found on this website. The charity is also involved in projects and face-to-face events giving direct support to cardiac patients. There’s currently a form at the bottom of the home page for any questions you have about local support, events etc.