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Study Description

Blood was drawn after an overnight fast, immediately centrifuged and stored at -80°C until biomarkers were assayed. Serum HGF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor) was measured with commercial ELISA assay (R&D Inc.). The average inter-assay coefficients of variation was 1.6%.

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.

Authorized Access
Publicly Available Data
Study Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion criteria: participants attending the first examination of the third generation cohort of the Framingham Heart Study.

Study History

The Generation 1 (or Original) cohort Exam 1 took place between 1948 and 1953. Biennial exams have continued to the present. Exam 29 took place between 2006 and 2007. Exam 30 began in 2008.

The Generation 2 (or Offspring) cohort Exam 1 took place between 1971 and 1975. This cohort on average has been examined every three to four years. However, there was an eight year gap between Exam 1 and Exam 2 and a seven year gap between Exam 7 and Exam 8. Exam 8 took place between 2005 and 2008.

The Generation 3 cohort Exam 1 took place between 2002 and 2005. Exam 2 began in 2008.

The New Offspring Spouse cohort Exam 1 took place between 2003 and 2005. Exam 2 began in 2008.

Selected Publications
Diseases/Traits Related to Study (MeSH terms)
Authorized Data Access Requests
Study Attribution
  • Principal Investigators
    • Vasan Ramachandran, MD. Framingham Heart study, Framingham, MA, USA and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
  • 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.
    • RO1 HL 077477. National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.