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The Framingham Heart Study has followed three generations of families from one Massachusetts town since 1948. It began with 5,209 adults; their children and the children's spouses joined from 1971, and a third generation from 2002.

Framingham Heart Study

HealthHistory

The story behind the card

Before this study, many doctors treated high blood pressure as a normal, harmless part of growing older. By tracking the same people year after year, Framingham's researchers showed that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and lack of exercise each raised the chance of later heart disease, and the study's reports popularised the term “risk factor” for such measurable warning signs. The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has funded the study since it began, working with Boston University since 1971. It has produced more than 3,000 scientific papers and is one of the most cited long-term health studies ever run.

Türkçe oku
Framingham Kalp Çalışması, 1948'den beri Massachusetts'teki bir kasabada yaşayan ailelerin üç kuşağını izliyor. Çalışma 5.209 yetişkinle başladı; 1971'den itibaren onların çocukları ve bu çocukların eşleri, 2002'den itibaren de torunları katıldı.

Bu çalışmadan önce birçok doktor yüksek tansiyonu yaşlanmanın doğal ve zararsız bir parçası sayıyordu. Framingham araştırmacıları aynı insanları yıllarca izleyerek yüksek tansiyonun, yüksek kolesterolün, sigaranın ve hareketsizliğin her birinin ileride kalp hastalığı riskini artırdığını gösterdi. Ölçülebilen bu tür uyarı işaretleri için “risk faktörü” deyimi de çalışmanın raporlarıyla yaygınlaştı. Çalışmayı başından beri ABD Ulusal Kalp, Akciğer ve Kan Enstitüsü finanse ediyor; 1971'den beri Boston Üniversitesi de ortak. Çalışmadan 3.000'i aşkın bilimsel makale çıktı ve bugüne kadar yürütülmüş en çok atıf alan uzun soluklu sağlık araştırmalarından biri oldu.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Framingham Heart Study
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