According to a survey by Hitwise, which monitors Internet use, 27 percent of Internet users clicked onto a health-related site in May, compared to 19 percent a year ago. The survey found that WebMd.com is the most popular site. Other sites worth checking, according to a recent article inThe Wall Street Journal, are:

  • www.Medlineplus.gov — sponsored by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, and the National Library of Medicine; the world’s largest medical library.

  • www.YourDiseaseRisk.Harvard.edu. — addresses cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. The site provides a risk assessment based on answers to survey questions and provides information about how simple lifestyle changes can lower health risk.

  • www.drgreene.com — includes chat opportunities with Dr. Greene, a pediatrician in San Mateo, Calif., along with a daily practical advice column.