FHS News: Framingham Heart Study is turning 75 years old!!

On September 29, 2023, the Framingham Heart Study celebrated its 75th anniversary.

In 1948, under the direction of the National Health Institute (now the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH), researchers of the Framingham Heart Study opened its doors and recruited 5,209 men and women, about two-thirds of town’s adult population. The objective was to identify the common factors that contribute Cardiovascular Disease by following its development over a long period of time in participants who have not yet developed overt symptoms of Cardiovascular Disease or suffered a heart attack or stroke.

Since then the study has partnered with Boston University and enrolled 15,447 people. These participants, of varying ages and backgrounds, are integral to helping FHS uncover insights for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, lung diseases, and much more. They have helped change the health of a nation. Now that nation takes a moment to reflect on all they have helped it achieve.