NIH MedlinePlus Magazine from the National Institutes of Health will be distributed to thousands of doctor’s offices and clinics to provide unbiased information about prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research of common diseases to a wide audience.

The first edition features tips on easing arthritis, understanding the flu, and details Mary Tyler Moore's battle with diabetes. Dr. Donald Lindberg, director of the National Library of Medicine, said patients want more information about their health concerns and often obtain it from the Internet, and it’s important information be accurate and authoritative. Much of that is available on a popular NIH Web site, but not in a print format.

Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the National Institutes of Health, said the NIH produces research of great usefulness but "it doesn’t do much good if patients and doctors don’t know about it." The magazine, created from a recent bill authorizing funds for the institutes, is ideal because it can be picked up and read in doctors' offices. Officials said 40,000 to 50,000 copies initially will be printed at a cost to the non-profit of about $60,000.

For those interested in obtaining copies of the magazine, please follow this URL for a printable request form as well as a link to download a full-text copy:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine.html