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Study Description
Name of grants Endothelial Vasomotor Function in The Framingham Heart Study Genetics of Vascular Stiffness: Framingham Heart Study Vascular Function in the Framingham Third Generation
Agency number NIH, NHLBI 5 R01 HL60040 Reynolds Foundation NIH, NHLBI 5 RO1 HL70100
PI Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM PI, Thomas Quertermous, MD; FHS Reynolds' Scholar Daniel Levy, MD Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM
Dates 12/15/1998 - 11/30/2003 5/1999 - 11/2001 10/01/2000 - 09/30/2005 5/01/2002 - 03/31/2007
Cohort Offspring Exam 7 Cohort exam 26 Offspring Exam 7 Generation 3 Exam 1
Specific aims
  • To examine the cross-sectional correlates of endothelial function and arterial tonometry.
  • To perform cross-sectional analyses on the relation of endothelial function and arterial tonometry to prevalent cardiovascular disease events.
  • To examine the prognostic relation of endothelial function and arterial tonometry to incident and recurrent cardiovascular disease events.
  • To study arterial tonometry in the oldest, old.
  • To understand the relation of arterial tonometry measures to healthy aging and cardiovascular events.
  • To examine the genetics of vascular stiffness in Framingham participants.
    To examine vascular function by noninvasive studies of endothelial function (brachial ultrasound flow-mediated dilation), and of vascular stiffness (arterial tonometry), in the community in order to understand:
  • The determinants,
  • The heritability and
  • The relation to longitudinal blood pressure of vascular function.
Authorized Access
Publicly Available Data
Study History

The Original cohort began Exam 1 in 1948 (9/1948 - 4/1953) and has continued with biennial examinations to the present.

The Offspring cohort began Exam 1 in 1971 (8/1971 - 9/1975) and has on average been examined every 3 to 4 years since enrollment. However, there was an eight year window between exam 1 and exam 2. Exam 7 was performed from 9/1998 - 10/2001.

The Generation 3 cohort Exam 1 was performed 4/2002 - 7/2005.

Examinations continue to be performed.

Selected Publications
Diseases/Traits Related to Study (MeSH terms)
Authorized Data Access Requests
Study Attribution
  • Principal Investigator
    • Emilia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM. The NHLBI and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
  • Statistician
    • Martin G. Larson, ScD. The NHLBI and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Boston School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Deparment of Mathematics, Boston University, MA, USA.
  • Investigators
    • Daniel Levy, MD. The NHLBI and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA.
    • Gary F. Mitchell, MD. The NHLBI and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
    • Vasan Ramachandran, MD. The NHLBI and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA.
    • Joseph A. Vita, MD. The NHLBI and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA.
    • Michelle J. Keyes, PhD.
    • Brigitta Lehman, RDCS.
    • Ewa Osypiuk, RDCS.
    • Shuxia Fan.
  • Institutions
    • The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
    • Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.