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AlzRisk Cohort Detail
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Cohort: Framingham Heart Study
Website: http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/
Risk Factors: Diabetes Mellitus,
Homocysteine,
Inflammatory Biomarkers

Introduction to the Cohort
The Framingham Heart Study began in 1948, when researchers invited 5,209 adults between the ages of 30 and 62 from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, USA, to participate in a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease. Since its inception, participants have undergone detailed, in-person examinations every two years. Although the Framingham Heart Study’s original focus was cardiovascular disease, as its name suggests, the study has more recently expanded to examine age-related cognitive outcomes. In 1976, researchers initiated a longitudinal substudy of dementia among the 2210 surviving participants who were dementia-free. At baseline, participants were aged 70 years old on average, and 60% were female. Most were middle-class.

Ethnicity Breakdown
Nearly all members of the original Framingham cohort were Caucasian.

Diagnosis & Evaluation Methods
For a detailed description, see Bachman DL et al. 1993.

References
Bachman DL, Wolf PA, Linn RT, Knoefel JE, Cobb JL, Belanger AJ, White LR, D'Agostino RB. Incidence of dementia and probable Alzheimer's disease in a general population: the Framingham Study. Neurology. 1993 Mar;43(3 Pt 1):515-9.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Framingham Heart Study, available at http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/index.html. Accessed on Aug 15, 2008.