Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease: Historical Perspectives.

TLDR: The concept of “risk factors” in coronary heart disease (CHD) was first coined by the Framingham heart study (FHS), which published its findings in 1957, and it helped bring about a change in the way medicine is practiced.

Abstract: We consider our current understanding and therapy of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) state-of-the-art, but heart disease is still a problem because there is still a lot that we do not know. There is still no cure for any form of heart disease. However, research is ongoing, and new clues are emerging which could lead to better treatments in the future. Results from epidemiological studies, foremost among them the Framingham study, have been crucial to our current knowledge about CVD. Emphasis is on the identification of risk factors, assessment of their predictive ability, and their implications for disease prevention. The concept of “risk factors” in coronary heart disease (CHD) was first coined by the Framingham heart study (FHS), which published its findings in 1957. FHS demonstrated the epidemiologic relations of cigarette smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels to the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). The findings were truly revolutionary for it helped bring about a change in the way medicine is practiced.