title: The Third Generation Cohort of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study: design, recruitment, and initial examination.
abstract: For nearly 60 years, the Framingham Heart Study has examined the natural history, risk factors, and prognosis of cardiovascular, lung, and other diseases. Recruitment of the Original Cohort began in 1948. Twenty-three years later, 3,548 children of the Original Cohort, along with 1,576 of their spouses, enrolled in the Offspring Cohort. Beginning in 2002, 4,095 adults having at least one parent in the Offspring Cohort enrolled in the Third Generation Cohort, along with 103 parents of Third Generation Cohort participants who were not previously enrolled in the Offspring Cohort. The objective of new recruitment was to complement phenotypic and genotypic information obtained from prior generations, with priority assigned to larger families. From a pool of 6,553 eligible individuals, 1,912 men and 2,183 women consented and attended the first examination (mean age: 40 (standard deviation: 9) years; range: 19-72 years). The examination included clinical and laboratory assessments of vascular risk factors and imaging for subclinical atherosclerosis, as well as assessment of cardiac structure and function. The comparison of Third Generation Cohort data with measures previously collected from the first two generations will facilitate investigations of genetic and environmental risk factors for subclinical and overt diseases, with a focus on cardiovascular and lung disorders.
authors: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Boston University School of Medicine, Framingham, MA 01702-5827, USA. gretalee@bu.edu
authors: Greta Lee
authors: GL
authors: Splansky
authors: Diane
authors: D
authors: Corey
authors: Qiong
authors: Q
authors: Yang
authors: Larry D
authors: LD
authors: Atwood
authors: L Adrienne
authors: LA
authors: Cupples
authors: Emelia J
authors: EJ
authors: Benjamin
authors: Ralph B
authors: RB
authors: D'Agostino
authors: Caroline S
authors: CS
authors: Fox
authors: Martin G
authors: MG
authors: Larson
authors: Joanne M
authors: JM
authors: Murabito
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: O'Donnell
authors: Ramachandran S
authors: RS
authors: Vasan
authors: Philip A
authors: PA
authors: Wolf
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Levy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D010808:Physical Examination; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology