Strong Heart Study Arizona Field Center

DESCRIPTION: The Strong Heart Study (SHS) is a study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among American Indian men and women, and is one of the largest epidemiological studies of American Indians ever undertaken. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death of American Indians overall. The prevalence and severity of cardiovascular disease among American Indians has been particularly challenging to study due to the small size of American Indian communities, as well as the relatively young age, cultural diversity, and wide geographic distribution of the population. The SHS is designed to overcome challenges to estimating cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity, as well as the prevalence of known and suspected cardiovascular disease risk factors, among American Indians. The study also works to assess the significance of these risk factors over an extended period of time.