Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Center Resource Center

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) About this site: You'll find this site does a good job of making technical information accessible without drowning you in medical jargon. Also, this advocacy group's educational efforts include brief summaries and contact details about current investigational therapies for both primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension. (http:/www.rarediseases.org)   Pluses: There are links to support groups and other sources of help.   Minuses: You have to pay a small fee to access full-text reports online.   Best feature: You can search the Rare Disease Database for information on more than 1,100 rare diseases.

National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute About this site: Looking for a quick overview on pulmonary hypertension? This government-sponsored site is a good place to start. It offers a simple description of the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease, as well as tips on living with the chronic condition. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/lung/other/gp/pph.txt)   Pluses: It provides an interesting historical overview of the condition.   Minuses: There are few illustrations.   Best feature: The section on PH includes a handy glossary of complex medical terms.

Pulmonary Hypertension Association About this site: Whether you want to connect with other people who have pulmonary hypertension, learn more about the condition, or find a doctor or medical center with experience treating it, this site helps you do all that and more. The non-profit's site also includes an extensive patient resource list, information on political advocacy, and recommended readings from journal articles. (http://www.phassociation.org)   Pluses: Extensive support services, including message boards for parents of children with pulmonary hypertension as well as adult patients, friends, caregivers, and family dealing with the disease.   Minuses: It can be difficult to access information on the site with certain web browsers.   Best feature: The site offers a free bi-monthly electronic newsletter, PHA News, which includes the latest advances in research, treatment, and political action.