Examining How Heart Disease Risk Factors Affect Healthy Aging (The Chicago Healthy Aging Study [CHAS])
Condition: Coronary Disease; Cardiovascular Diseases
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for 30%
      of all deaths in the United States. This study will examine how risk factors for heart
      disease in young and middle aged people affect people's health as they grow older.
    

Detailed description: 
      Heart disease, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), is a
      serious health problem in the United States. It is the leading cause of death in this
      country, and each year almost 700,000 people die from the disease. Risk factors for heart
      disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, tobacco use, diabetes, and
      history of a prior heart attack. It has been shown that young and middle aged adults with few
      risk factors experience a lower incidence of heart disease, lower Medicare costs, and longer
      lives than those with more risk factors. However, it is not known how having a low risk for
      heart disease at a young age affects health-related outcomes in older age. It may be possible
      that a low risk for developing heart disease in younger years results in healthier aging than
      does a higher risk. This study will examine former participants of the Chicago Heart
      Association (CHA) study who are now 65 to 84 years old. The purpose of this study is to
      determine how risk factors for heart disease in young adulthood and middle age are related to
      healthy aging.

      This study will enroll 1500 people who participated in the CHA study from 1967 to 1973 and
      who are still living in the Greater Chicagoland area. Six hundred former participants who had
      a low risk of developing heart disease and 900 former participants who had a high risk of
      developing heart disease will be enrolled. Participants will attend one study visit that will
      include medical history interviews and questionnaires, a physical examination, blood pressure
      measurements, blood and urine collection, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the
      electrical activity of the heart. Blood samples will be collected and stored for future
      genetic testing. Participants will undergo physical functioning performance tests on balance,
      leg strength and coordination, grip strength, and endurance. They will also undergo a
      computed tomography chest scan to measure the amount of calcium in the arteries of the heart
      and ultrasound scans of the arteries in the neck to measure artery size and function.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Original participants in the Chicago Heart Association (CHA) Detection in Industry study
        (1967 to 1973) who still reside in the Greater Chicagoland area.
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Whole blood, serum, white cells, and urine
    
Keywords: Coronary Heart Disease; Subclinical Atherosclerosis; CVD-Related Markers of Inflammation; Mortality