Tobacco Documents Online

r ~, Pboeniz, Monday„Jan. 3, 1972 The Arlpna Republic 21 ;22-. .ear-©ld heart Stu~ ~' Y :' -saved af ter U.S. f undcut I By JULIAN DeVRiES Republic Medical Editor . In 1949, the U.S. Public especially not' when so much Health Service Instituted the time, money. and effort had Framingham Heart Study, of- been expended in what scien- ficially called the Heart Dis- tists everywhere recognized! ease Epidemiology Study. Its as an important! and unique 11ledical Spotlight purpose was approach in try.mg to ftnd to make per- some answers to the problem lodic physical' of heart disease, still the na- examination s tion's biggest killer. rofessor of ' ~n n how ass)stant' p of Framingham, Mass.,a dustrial community 20 miles medicine at' Boston University sehool of inedicine, Dawber I west of Boston, and' some of his associates in ^- -From a total population at the Framingham study.began 'tliat' time of about 25,000 per. looking elsewhere for fund4 ::acins, 5,127 were selected at with which toi continue the °random to take p,artlin the project. They were success- :atudy. All were between 30 ftt~~11 :and 50 years of age. Today /pazt of the moneythatwill aAout 4 200 of the originals , k th Fmigham study eeperan participants are still alive. alive will come from the Their ages range from 50 to Council for Tobacco Research 79 years. - U.S.A., a New York-based Thorough autopsy etamina- organization supported by the tions were made of the 1i000 tobacco industry. Its purpose or so persons who died in the is to sponsor research by in. lnter.'ening 22 years to deter- dependent scientists in4o the mine If any general trends or effects of smoking on health, specif•ic factors could be re Danber's grant LS for the lated to deaths which were attributed to heart disease- study of "smoking classes, risk factors, and cardiovascu- Much valuable data that lar diseases." could be life saving, were He ls one of 16 scientists being gained from the study who received research grants when the government decided' to wield a heavy ax on its h'om the Council last year, w'hich awarded a total of th Th din tifi i us e sc en c spen g. Framingham H e a r t Study $2,353,000 during 1971. Since was scheduled to end on July its inception in 1934, the coun- 1 1971 cfl has given 426'3 grant; total- ,.ing more than $2'0 million. But Dr Thomas R Daw- .- Wy one federal -ant' it ber, the scientist who headed the study for 16 years, is not paying for part of the study, I The rest of the funds are easil iv h s u I o g e p  man w y. t l a I I t r o m non-govemmen ... . awu,cca. There have been 10 com- ~ plete physical examinations of the citizens of Framing W ham who are participating in ~ the study. Two more esami- nations are planned oNer the ~,next five years. In addition tb V, the usual items covered in a ~ p hys i c al examination, the r_ Framingham prohe includes V ` "V I , - as~ it'~eontinucs,- ~ has been gainedlm from the study. Afora can, be espectcxt family, occupationall and per- sonal histncics, personal fac- tors and em ironmemal fac- tors, bndy build, and smok- ing, eating and!drinkiiig halr lts. Much valnahle information ,44~00W- C; . Memo from Leonard!S. Zahn A specific column idea was suggested to thi~s medical editor 1 eonard ahn andrtssoriahxlrsc. P. 0. BOX,523• 13 LintCOLNROAD •GREAT NEOrc: N.Y: 11021 •(212)',69S7a1_ r