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Study Description

Laboratory assessment of plasma ADMA was conducted on fasting samples drawn at the sixth examination cycle. Plasma samples that were stored for about 8 years at -80°C without freeze-thaw cycles were used for mass spectrometric determination of ADMA, SDMA and L-arginine using a validated high throughput LC-MS/MS assay with both intra-assay precision and inter-assay precision of <5% for all three biomarkers.

In 1948, researchers recruited men and women from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, beginning the first round of extensive physical examinations and lifestyle interviews that would later be analyzed for common patterns related to CVD development.

Initially, the Framingham Heart Study enrolled 5209 men and women from the Framingham area who were between the ages of 28 and 62 years. Beginning in 1971, the Framingham Heart Study enrolled 5,124 men and women, who were either offspring of the original cohort or spouses of those offspring. In 2002, 4095 third generation participants (men and women) were enrolled.

During each clinic exam cycle, the participants undergo a detailed examination including physical examination, medical history, laboratory testing, and electrocardiogram. Over the years, other tests (that may not be performed at every exam cycle) have included pulmonary function, lifestyle, physical function, cognitive function questionnaires, and various noninvasive cardiovascular tests including echocardiograms. The content of each exam cycle differs for Original, Offspring and Generation 3 cohorts and can be found in the Exam Cycle Protocol Manuals.

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Publicly Available Data
Study Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion criteria: Framingham heart study offspring participants attending examination cycle 6.

Study History

The Original cohort began Exam 1 in 1948 (9/1948 - 4/1953) and has continued with biennial examinations to the present. Exam 29 was performed from 4/2006 - 12/2007.

The Offspring cohort began Exam 1 in 1971 (8/1971 - 9/1975) and has on average been examined every 3 to 4 years since enrollment. However, there was an eight year window between Exam 1 and Exam 2. Exam 8 was performed from 3/2005 - 1/25/2008.

The Generation 3 cohort Exam 1 was performed 4/2002 - 7/2005.

Examination of all three cohorts is ongoing.

Selected Publications
Diseases/Traits Related to Study (MeSH terms)
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Study Attribution
  • Principal Investigators
    • Vasan Ramachandran, MD. Framingham Heart study, Framingham, MA, USA.
    • Rainer Böger, PhD. Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
  • Institute
    • National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
  • Funding Source
    • N01-HC-25195. National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
    • N01HV28178. National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
    • Bo 1431/4-1. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn, Germany.