This landmark study was begun in the fall of 1982 to test the benefits and risks of aspirin and beta-carotene in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Twenty years and more than 170 published research reports later, it is still going strong.

Framingham Heart Study

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and serious illness in the United States. In 1948, the Framingham Heart Study -- under the direction of the National Heart Institute (now known as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; NHLBI) -- embarked on an ambitious project in health research. At the time, little was known about the general causes of heart disease and stroke, but the death rates for CVD had been increasing steadily since the beginning of the century and had become an American epidemic.

Framingham Heart Study Prediction Calculator

Estimating Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Risk Using Framingham Heart Study Data

This update of the 1991 Framingham coronary prediction algorithm provides estimates of total CHD risk (risk of developing one of the following: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or coronary disease death) over the course of 10 years.

National Cholesterol Education Program

This is the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Expert panel report on the Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults. The Executive Summary is a good brief review of the problem.

Women's Health Initiative

The WHI is one of the largest preventive studies of its kind in the United States. The WHI will focus on the major causes of death, disability and frailty in postmenopausal women. The overall goal of WHI is to reduce coronary heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporotic-fractures among postmenopausal women via prevention/intervention strategies and risk factor identification.

The Nurses' Health Study

The Nurses Health Study established in 1976 by Dr. Frank Speizer and the Nurses' Health Study II, established in 1989 by Dr. Walter Willett, are among the largest prospective investigations into the risk factors for major chronic diseases in women. A total of 122,000 nurses (Ages 30-55) were enrolled in Nurses Health Study and 116,686 nurses (Ages 25-42) were enrolled in Nurses' Health Study II.

The Nun Study

The Nun Study is a longitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer's disease funded by the National Institute on Aging. Participants are 678 American members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame religious congregation who are 75 to 106 years of age.

http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/GUTSnews_2002.pdf

The GUTS was started 6 years ago at Harvard University. With some 16,000 participants, GUTS is one of the largest studies ever of adolescent health. But even with all of those study participants, you are still incredibly important to our study. Your perspective on being a young adult is unique, and we want your voice to be heard.

NHANES

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This survey has been designed to collect information about the health and diet of people in the United States.

BRFSS

The BRFSS, the world’s largest telephone survey, tracks health risks in the United States. Information from the survey is used to improve the health of the American people.

The New England Centenarian Study The NECS began in 1994 as a population-based study of all centenarians living within 8 towns in the Boston area. The NECS is the largest genetic study of centenarians in the world with approximately 1,000 subjects enrolled including centenarians, their siblings and children and control subjects.

The Okinawa Centenarian Study is a population-based study of hundred-year-olds (centenarians) and other elderly in Okinawa, Japan. The study began in 1976, after the Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed initial reports of outstanding health and long life in Okinawa through validation of birth certificates and other statistical data. Since then our research group has investigated over 600 centenarians to uncover clues to their outstanding health and long lives. Studies have concentrated on the genetics, diets, exercise habits, and psychospiritual beliefs and practices of the Okinawan elders.