The Framingham Heart Study is now considered one of the longest,
most important epidemiological studies in medical history
. In the 1960s, the study demonstrated the role cigarette smoking plays in the development of heart disease. Those findings helped to fuel the first anti-smoking campaigns of that era.
What was the main finding from the Framingham Heart Study?
The study found
high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol
to be major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In the past half century, the study has produced approximately 3,000 articles in leading medical journals.
What did the Framingham study teach us?
The findings of the Framingham Heart Study produced a revolution in
preventive cardiovascular medicine
and greatly influenced scientists’ understanding of the origins of heart disease.
What was the greatest contribution from the Framingham Heart Study?
The now
well-established risk factor concept, fundamental to prevention of CVD
, originated from the Framingham study. It generated seminal findings such as the effects of tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, obesity, raised blood cholesterol, raised blood pressure, and diabetes on CVD.
How did the Framingham study contribute to the field of epidemiology?
The 21st century ushered in a new era in “molecular epidemiology” centered on cutting-edge genetic and “-omics technologies.” Framingham Heart Study investigators embraced these opportunities by
pioneering genome-wide association studies at the population level and examining CHD through the lens of genetic variation,
…
What disease did the Framingham study focus on?
Research. Framingham Study is a population-based, observational cohort study that was initiated by the United States Public Health Service in 1948 to prospectively investigate the epidemiology and risk factors for
cardiovascular disease
.
Is the Framingham Heart Study still going on?
The Framingham Heart Study (FHS), the nation’s longest running cohort study with longitudinal analysis of cardiovascular disease, has been renewed for an additional six years and $38 million dollars from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
What did the Framingham study find about high blood pressure?
Recent analysis of the relation of “nonhypertensive” BP to CVD incidence in the Framingham Study confirmed a significant graded
influence
of BP from optimal (<120/80 mm Hg) to normal (≥120-129/≥80-84 mm Hg) to high-normal (130-139/85-89 mm Hg) in untreated participants.
Is the study of heart?
Cardiology
is the study and treatment of disorders of the heart and the blood vessels. A person with heart disease or cardiovascular disease may be referred to a cardiologist. Cardiology is a branch of internal medicine.
What data collection methods were used in the Framingham Heart Study?
In 1948, FHS investigators sent
invitation letters
based on a random sampling of two of every three families with members aged 30–59 years, living in the town of Framingham, Massachusetts.
Why was the town of Framingham selected?
The town of Framingham was selected
because its residents had already shown their willingness to cooperate with medical researchers
. From 1916 to 1923, 5000 Framingham residents had volunteered to participate in the long-term Framingham Tuberculosis Demonstration Study.
How many doctors responded to the Framingham study?
described 6,507 persons originally selected for study of whom
4,469 responded
, 4,393 were found be free of CHD and suitable for follow-up.
What is a high Framingham risk score?
Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk at 10 years in percent can be calculated with the help of the Framingham Risk Score. Individuals with low risk have 10% or less CHD risk at 10 years, with intermediate risk 10-20%, and with
high risk 20% or more
.
Is there proof that cholesterol causes heart disease?
The bottom line. High blood cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease. However, dietary cholesterol has little to no effect on blood cholesterol levels in most people. More importantly,
there is no significant link between the cholesterol you eat and your risk of heart disease
.
What have epidemiologic studies like the Framingham study contributed to our current understanding of heart disease?
THE FRAMINGHAM HEART STUDY
Much of our appreciation of the pathophysiology of heart disease came from the results of studies from the FHS. It established the traditional risk factors, such as
high blood pressure, diabetes, and cigarette smoking for coronary heart disease
.
What year did the Framingham Heart Study begin?
The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) was established in
1948
to improve understanding of the epidemiology of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the USA.
