San Diego, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/10/2009 -- With an estimated 6 million Twitter users (3.8% of those online)* and about 1 in 2 Americans having a chronic illness, the opportunity for people to connect about health and illness issues grows exponentially each day. With an estimated 6 million Twitter users (3.8 % of those online)* and about 1 in 2 Americans having a chronic illness, the opportunity for people to connect about health and illness issues grows exponentially each day. Lisa Copen, founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week and Rest Ministries, a Christian ministry for those who live with illness, announces her newest venture this week, “Illness Twitters” at http://www.illnesstwitters.ning.com .

“While connecting with the various audiences that twitter on illness topics for Invisible Illness Week I kept seeing a need for some kind of hub where we all could find each other. There are thousands of people who blog and Twitter on autism, cancer, endometriosis, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, panic disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and more. We can each help each other bring awareness to our cause and more.”

According to a report by comScore 45-54 year olds are the top demographic using Twitter and seniors aren’t far behind. The potential to be influential in the online community on behalf of both patients and professionals is enormous and growing daily.

Copen plans to have various groups on the social network that meet the needs of those who Twitter about illness or medical issues, such as listing yourself to review products, finding blogs who need guest authors, authors who twitter, parents who are ill, ill dads who twitter, things to retweet, people willing to review items, etc. Copen hopes it will be an easy way for people with similar interests to find one another and also create more resources for patients, including ebooks, podcasts, and special seminars.

Copen recently won the award of “Women’s Health Hero for Our Bodies Ourselves: Audience Choice.” I hope this is one way I can give back to all the amazing women who are active in increasing awareness for womens health causes.

Some top illness experts have already joined including Jenni Prokopy of chronicbabe.com, Rosalind Joffe of cicoach.com and Nancy Jay of patientallies.com. Anyone is welcome including patients, doctors, counselors, coaches, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, etc.

And if you want to announce it, here is what to tweet!

RT @invisibleillwk Do U Twitter re: illness, health, medical issues? Join new Illness Twitter social network http://illnesstwitters.ning.com