Landmark Framingham Heart Study Recruits Third Generation

The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) - which helped give the world the term "risk factors" to describe behaviors or conditions that increase the chance of disease - is about to begin recruiting its third generation of participants. Researchers plan to enroll about 3,500 grandchildren of the study's 5,209 original participants, recruitment of whom began in 1948. In 1971, the Framingham Offspring Study was created, adding 5,124 men and women (children of the original participants) and their spouses.

• Identify new risk factors for cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases.
• Identify genes that contribute to good health and to the development of cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases.
• Develop new tests that can detect very early stages of coronary atherosclerosis in otherwise healthy adults.

"Expanding to a third generation opens up the chance to explore important new questions about disease risk, especially those related to genetics," said Dr. Lenfant. "We've come a long way in our understanding of what influences the disease process, and that knowledge has contributed to dramatic declines in deaths from heart disease and stroke. But these are complicated diseases and many questions remain unanswered. With the help of another generation, FHS may close in on the root causes of cardiovascular disease and lead to improvements in how we prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiovascular disease."

"The collaboration between FHS scientists and participants has been remarkable," said FHS Director Dr. Daniel Levy. "The study has been possible only because of the participants' dedication. All of our discoveries are their gift to the world."

Spotlight on Our Web Site

Traditionally, December holidays are celebrated with festivities that include friends, family and, of course, food. This month, we are featuring the NHLBI's Obesity Education Initiative's Web site, which includes tips for maintaining your healthy eating habits when dining out and links to three popular collections of heart healthy recipes.

The 32-page cookbook Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style includes a recipe for candied yams that is sure to sweeten your dinner without adding much fat.

You don't have to hablar español to serve dishes from the bilingual Platillos Latinos ¡Sabrosos y Saludables! (Delicious Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes) cookbook; consider substituting a fresh cabbage and tomato salad for coleslaw.

But don't overindulge just because the garlic mashed potatoes, green beans sauté, and crunchy pumpkin pie came from the Stay Young at Heart collection. Low in fat does not mean low in calories, and reducing dietary fat alone without reducing calories will not help you lose weight.

New NHLBI Research Initiatives

From time to time, the NHLBI invites investigators to submit grant applications or contract proposals for specific research programs. We are currently soliciting applications for the programs described below. For a full details of these and other research initiatives, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/inits/index.htm or the Web page that are linked each initiative number.

Basic Research to Improve Cardiopulmonary and Neurological Outcomes Following Resuscitation from Cardiopulmonary Arrest

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-003
• Applications are due February 12, 2002.
• Objectives: To understand the effects of whole-body ischemia and subsequent blood flow restoration on cardiovascular and neurological function.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

• Initiative Number: PA-00-043
• Applications are accepted for February 1, June 1, and October 1 deadlines each year.
• Objectives: To promote research to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the unique vascular remodeling that characterizes PPH and in the regulation of vascular tone during its development.

Centers for Reducing Asthma Disparities

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-006
• Applications are due March 12, 2002.
• Objectives: To promote partnerships between minority-serving institutions that lack strong research programs and research-intensive institutions to conduct collaborative research to reduce asthma disparities.

Functional Tissue Engineering for Heart, Vascular, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders and Diseases

• Initiative Number: PAR-01-006
• Applications are accepted for the following deadlines: March 13, 2002 (Phase I and II applications), March 13, 2003 and March 12, 2004 (Phase II applications only).
• Objectives: To stimulate engineering of biological substitutes for damaged tissues and organs and to promote the development of novel tissue regeneration and remodeling approaches.

Innovative Concepts and Approaches to Developing Functional Tissues and Organs for Heart, Vascular, Lung, and Blood Applications: Exploratory/ Developmental Research Grants

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-004
• Applications are due March 20, 2002.
• Objectives: To develop new approaches, technologies, tools, methods, devices, cells, biomolecules, and biomaterials that can be used as biological substitutes or can foster tissue regeneration in vivo.

Interaction of Genes and Environment in Shaping Risk Factors for Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-010
• Applications are due March 22, 2002.
• Objectives: To identify people who are most likely to benefit from environmental changes to reduce the development or progression of heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders.

NHLBI Innovative Research Grant Program

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-01-016
• Applications are accepted for February 16, 2002 and June 18, 2002 deadlines.
• Objectives: To facilitate innovative studies not readily supported by other funding mechanisms that require the use of existing data sets or specimen collections.

NHLBI Shared Microarray Facilities

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-007
• Applications are due February 26, 2002.
• Objectives: To promote the application of microarray technology to cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematological, and sleep disorders research.

Novel Biomarkers of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-005
• Applications are due February 26, 2002.
• Objectives: To promote examination of associations between specific aspects of COPD and novel biomarkers that can be measured by minimally invasive methods.

Pathogenesis and Treatment of Lymphedema

• Initiative Number: PA-01-035
• Applications are accepted for February 1, June 1, and October 1 deadlines each year.
• Objectives: To stimulate research on the biology of the lymphatic system, to characterize the pathophysiologic mechanisms that cause lymphedema, and to discover new therapeutic interventions.

Physical Activity and Obesity Across Chronic Diseases

• Initiative Number: PA-01-017
• Applications are accepted for February 1, June 1, and October 1 deadlines each year.
• Objectives: To examine relationships between physical activity and obesity, to improve methodology of assessment of physical activity and energy balance, and to test intervention approaches that incorporate physical activity for obesity prevention or treatment related to chronic diseases.

Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

• Initiative Number: PA-01-086
• Applications are accepted for February 1, June 1, and October 1 deadlines each year.
• Objectives: To enhance understanding of and develop treatments for restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder.

Role of Infectious Agents in the Development of Vascular Disease

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-002
• Applications are due February 12, 2002.
• Objectives: To identify and characterize the specific cellular and molecular mechanisms by which infectious agents contribute to vascular disease and thereby establish a basis for development of new therapies.

SBIR/STTR Technologies for Monitoring and Performing Resuscitation

• Initiative Number: PA-01-054
• Applications are accepted for February 1, June 1, and October 1 deadlines each year.
• Objectives: To foster better systems and methods for monitoring of genetic, molecular, biochemical, physical or metabolic derangements associated with circulatory, hypoxemic, or traumatic arrest and for elucidating the unique pathophysiology of irreversible injury following multiple organ or whole-body ischemia and reperfusion.

Transfusion Medicine/Hemostatis Clinical Research Network

• Initiative Number: RFA-HL-02-001
• Applications are due February 22, 2002.
• Objectives: To evaluate novel and existing treatments (e.g., blood products, cytokines) for patients with blood disorders such as idiopathic thrombocytopenia and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Need More Information?

For health related questions and publications, please contact the trained information specialists at the NHLBI Information Center.