ARIC is designed to investigate the etiology and natural history of atherosclerosis, the etiology of clinical atherosclerotic diseases, and variation in cardiovascular risk factors, medical care and disease by race, sex, place, and time. Recruited participants have an extensive examination, including medical, social, and demographic data. These participants are re-examined every three years. In the community surveillance component, these four communities are investigated to determine the occurrence of hospitalized myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease death in men and women aged 35-74 years.
Hospitalized stroke is investigated in cohort participants only.
ARIC is currently funded through 1999, but morbidity and mortality follow-up is expected to continue for several additional years. To date, the ARIC project has published over 170 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has presented approximately 284 abstracts and other overviews of ARIC data for national and international conferences and meetings.