Nathan Carpenter Co-Authors Article on How Heart Attack Symptoms are Discussed on Social Media

Nathan Carpenter, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Atlas Lab director, is the co-author of “Describing Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptom Information on Social Media Platforms” published in Heart & Lung, Volume 70, March-April 2025.

Carpenter, Mennonite College of Nursing Associate Professor John Blakeman and Assistant Professor Susana Calderon examined how heart attack symptoms were discussed on major social media platforms.

Their findings show that social media posts featured chest pain as the most common acute coronary syndrome (ACS), women’s acute coronary syndrome symptoms were a major component and nearly one in five posts contained symptom information that was potentially misleading.

According to the authors, “While social media plays a vital role in distributing health information, health professionals must remain vigilant and recognize that this information may not always be accurate. Misconceptions and misinformation in these posts may need to be corrected through individual patient teaching and further public service announcements or education.”

Category: College News
Tagged: Atlas Lab Nathan Carpenter Social Media
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