The Jackson Heart Study of Cardiovascular Disease Among African Americans

The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) initiated in 1998, is a longitudinal investigation of genetic and environmental risk factors associated with the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in African American adults. In addition, the JHS conducts community education and outreach activities to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce disease risk burden, undergraduate- and graduate-level research training programs, and high school science and math enrichment programs to prepare and encourage students to pursue biomedical careers. The study recruited 5306 African American adults living in the Jackson, MS area (Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties). Participants were enrolled from each of 4 recruitment pools: random, 17%; volunteer, 30%; currently enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, 31% (shared JHS/ARIC cohort); and secondary family members, 22%. Recruitment was limited to non-institutionalized African American adults aged 35-84 years, except in a nested family cohort where those aged 21+ years were also eligible. Among those enrolled, approximately 3,700 gave consent that allows genetic research and deposition of data into dbGaP. JHS participants have completed four clinical examinations (Exam 1, 2000-04; Exam 2, 2005-08; Exam 3, 2009-13; Exam 4, 2021-2025) that have generated extensive longitudinal data on traditional and putative CVD risk factors, socioeconomic and sociocultural factors, biochemical analytes, and measures of subclinical disease from echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans of the heart, aorta, and abdomen. Stored biological samples have been assayed for putative biochemical risk factors and stored for future research. DNA has been extracted and lymphocytes cryopreserved for study of candidate genes, genome-wide scanning, expression, and other -omics investigations. Participants have been contacted annually to update information, confirm vital status, document interim medical events, hospitalizations, and functional status, and obtain additional sociocultural information. Ongoing cohort surveillance includes abstraction of medical records and death certificates for relevant International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes and adjudication of nonfatal events and deaths. The JHS serves as a resource to the scientific community for novel research, promotes cardiovascular health in the local community, and encourages students and fellows to pursue biomedical careers.