Evaluating CMR

The Framingham Heart Study

The original cohort
Initiated in 1948, the Framingham Heart Study enrolled 5,209 men and women between 30 and 62 years of age from Framingham, Massachusetts, for a longitudinal cardiovascular study. All participants underwent a complete physical examination that included blood testing and answered a detailed questionnaire about their family medical history and lifestyle. Volunteers were asked to return every two years for a detailed medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. The participants from the original cohort of 1948 have now been followed for about twenty-four subsequent biennial examinations.

The offspring cohort
In 1971, the study enrolled a second-generation group to participate in similar examinations. This group consisted of 5,124 offspring of the original participants’ adult children and their spouses. This second study has been called the Framingham Offspring Study.

The third-generation cohort
In 2002, recruitment began for a third generation of participants, consisting of the children of the Offspring cohort. These participants were given an extensive cardiovascular examination similar to that of their parents and grandparents. The main objective of this third cohort is to better understand the genetic component of CHD. The first phase was completed in 2005 and included 4,095 participants.