When Dr. Carl Gilbert couldn't find the information he wanted on the Internet, he decided to launch a Web site on his own.

        The site, (www.allaboutblackhealth.com), is up and running. It's geared toward providing general health information as well as information about health topics of particular concern to African-Americans, such as diabetes and hypertension.

        There's plenty of health and medical information on the Web, the Cincinnati surgeon says, but few sites are geared toward minorities' health concerns.

        “I've been surfing on the Internet a lot, and sometimes I would need information about minority health. I would try to find information, and I realized there were not too many sites for minorities on health. That's how I came up with the idea to put a site out, to kind of help with information,” he says.

        His first priority in setting up the Web site was to look at discrepancies in health care between whites and minorities. “If you look at statistics, statistics speak for themselves,” he says, pointing out that minorities suffer higher rates of death and disability from both chronic and acute diseases and injuries.

        Lifestyle issues, such as diet and exercise, are also important, Dr. Gilbert says, and patients and providers have to look for ways to address health issues from a lifestyle perspective.

        More and more information is available about the high prevalence of some diseases, such as diabetes, among minorities, but patients may not have access to that information, he says. “A lot of people may not know that obesity plays an important role in what we call acquired diabetes, diabetes Type 2.”

        He says he hopes his Web site will help provide that information. The site includes health news, lifestyle issues, women's health topics, general health information and links to related Web sites.

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