The Framingham Heart Study
New Research, Developments and Directions
The Framingham Heart Study is renowned for its contributions advancing the understanding, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. With the advent of new technologies and the riches contained in the genetic data collected from two generations of Framingham families, the "best may be yet to come."
Today, Framingham scientists are searching for the molecular basis of disease, looking for new risk factors that play a role in the development of heart disease, and looking for evidence of "subclinical" atherosclerosis in coronary arteries and the aorta.
Just four examples of new areas of investigation and interest follow:
- Locating regions on particular chromosomes and genes responsible for such disorders as hypertension or high cholesterol.
- Identifying and treating new, emerging risk factors implicated in cardiovascular disease.
- Using the Framingham information about individual risk factors to develop singular, more sophisticated risk prediction tools.
- Investigating the differences in the genesis and manifestation of disease among such populations as women and the elderly.
