The Cardiovascular Health Study
 

Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
 

The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) is an NHLBI-funded observational study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adults 65 years or older. Starting in 1989, and continuing through 1999, participants underwent annual extensive clinical examinations. Measurements included traditional risk factors such as blood pressure and lipids as well as measures of subclinical disease, including echocardiography of the heart, carotid ultrasound, and cranial magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI). At six month intervals between clinic visits, and once clinic visits ended, participants were contacted by phone to ascertain hospitalizations and health status. The main outcomes are coronary heart disease (CHD), angina, heart failure (HF), stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), claudication, and mortality. Participants continue to be contacted by phone every 6 months. 

To date, more than 2,000 papers from CHS have been published and more than 400 ancillary studies are ongoing or complete.

CHS listing at NHLBI.NIH.gov

Announcements:

• January 2025: New CHS grant funded. See updated Funding Acknowledgement Guidelines.
• June 2023: Transition to NIH BioLINCC in 2024: See revised policy for ancillary studies on the Ancillary Study home page.
• March 2022: Congratulations to CHS Biorepository RFA Award Recipients!
  • Alison Fohner, PhD: Association of TDP-43 plasma concentrations with cognitive decline and dementia: The Cardiovascular Health Study.
  • Megan Marron, PhD: Using lipidomics to investigate racial and gender differences in trajectories of lipids with aging, their risk factors, and their link to functional decline and mortality.
  • Joyce Njoroge, MD: Plasma Estrogen Concentrations and Risk of Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Men.
  • Ravi Patel, MD MSc: Determinants of Left Atrial Dysfunction: The Roles of Extracellular Matrix and Myocardial Filament Regulation.
  • Meng Wang, PhD: A pilot study of aromatic amino acids-derived microbial metabolites.

CHS in the News: 

• CHS Investigator Dr. Ian de Boer receives the ASN's Distinguished Researcher Award (May, 2023)
• CHS Investigator Dr. Mary Cushman receives the AHA's Award of Meritorious Achievement (July, 2020)
• CHS Investigator Dr. Mitchell S. V. Elkind new AHA president (July, 2020)
• CHS Investigator Dr. Michael Shlipak receives prestigious Barnwell Award   (May, 2019)
• "Is 90 the New 80?"  (March, 2017)