AN INVESTIGATION OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN FAMILIES

TLDR

The Framingham Heart Study, initiated in 1948, prospectively examined cardiovascular disease in a cohort of adult men and women. The Framingham Offspring Study was designed to extend understanding of cardiovascular disease by investigating familial clustering and associated risk factors. The study maintained continuous surveillance of 5,209 participants through biennial physical examinations, beginning in 1971 with examinations of the FHS children. Findings indicate that FOS families have typical size and age structure, and that coronary heart disease experience and risk factors are similar between parents of volunteers and non‑volunteers.

Abstract

The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) was started in 1948 as a prospective investigation of cardiovascular disease in a cohort of adult men and women. Continuous surveillance of this sample of 5209 subjects has been maintained through biennial physical examinations. In 1971 examinations were begun on the children of the FHS cohort. This study, called the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS), was undertaken to expand upon knowledge of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the area of familial clustering of the disease and its risk factors. This report reviews the sampling design of the FHS and describes the nature of the FOS sample. The FOS families appear to be of typical size and age structure for families with parents born in the late 19th or early 20th century. In addition, there is little evidence that coronary heart disease (CHD) experience and CHD risk factors differ in parents of those who volunteered for this study and the parents of those who did not volunteer.