Written by Larry Sobal, CEO, Appleton Cardiology Associates

By now, the media is full of those annual "resolution" articles extolling the virtues of eating healthier and exercising more.

Let's talk about a resolution that even the most "wellness-challenged" among you has a chance of succeeding at. I'm referring to strengthening your health knowledge. So, while your neighbor works on strengthening their biceps (at least until they get bored with that new machine), you can strengthen your brain (and probably outlive them to boot).

For 2008, I encourage you to become smarter in four areas: metrics, benefits, Web sites and candidates.

Know your health metrics. Regarding metrics, since I suspect that baby boomers dominate the readership of this part of The Post-Crescent you are of an age that should be intimately familiar with your personal health metrics. The critical metrics are blood glucose level, blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index.

Fully understand your benefits. Whether you are covered under an employer's plan or Medicare, the reality is that most individuals don't take the time to fully understand their benefits. As a result, they are not able to use these benefits to their advantage. Most plans provide incentives that encourage you to see your primary care physician. These exist for a reason — for you to actually set up and attend the appointment so you can get the tests and screenings you need.

In addition, most benefit plans these days offer access to either flexible spending (FSA), health savings (HSA) or health reimbursement (HRA) structures.

Use reliable sources of data. There is a wealth of health information on the Internet that can be of great value to you. The challenge is to find the ones that offer credible information. Fortunately, others have done the dirty work of researching which sites to rely on. Go to www.healthratings. org to find Consumer Report's ranking of the 20 best sites and save them as favorites.

Know where candidates stand. By the time you read this, the Iowa Caucus is over and election year is starting to get serious. Sure, Iraq will be a hot campaign issue but so will health care.

To maximize your candidate health IQ, take advantage of Lawrence University's blind test. This tool, at www. lawrence.edu, and by clicking on MyElectionDecison.org will, without knowing which candidate said what, weigh the issues according to your priority, judge which statements you support, and then find out who's your candidate. This election will have a major impact on health care in the U.S.

There you have it — the keys to a higher health IQ for 2008. It's a resolution that's worth sticking to.

Larry Sobal is chief executive officer of Appleton Cardiology Associates, a member of the Appleton Heart Institute. He can be reached at 920-731-8900 or at larry.sobal@thedacare.org