In 1948, a landmark epidemiological study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was initiated by the US government. Called the Framingham Heart Study, it is a long-term cardiovascular cohort study of residents in the city of Framingham, Massachusetts.
For nearly 80 years, researchers based at the Boston and Harvard Medical School have carefully monitored the heart health of three generations of the city's population, studies that have led to the identification of major CVD risk factors, as well as valuable information on the effects of these factors such as blood pressure, blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels, age, gender, and psychosocial issues.
The study results continue to form the foundation of the medical profession's approach to heart health, both in the United States and globally.
In this gallery, we revisit the earliest years of the study and highlight some of the medical milestones achieved in nearly eight decades of dedicated and groundbreaking research. Click on to continue reading.