The Jackson Heart Study: an overview

The JHS, therefore, is a response to American health disparities that employs community-driven research strategies that promise impact in the near and the long term. It includes scientific investigations in the tradition of Framingham and other large-scale epidemiologic studies that may confirm or revise our understanding of key factors in the current epidemic. The future health of the nation compels us to produce future cohorts of scientists that are prepared to sustain any gains made and to press on toward the long-term goal of eliminating CVD from all segments of American society. The dearth of scientists from the population most afflicted by CVD means that we must make inclusion of such scientists in the scientific workforce a priority. Through programs described in this issue, the JHS is taking steps toward these goals. Ultimately, the science and the scientists that emerge from the JHS will produce health benefits that transcend geography, ethnicity, and the current era of population research.