Health Professionals Follow-Up Study

The study began in 1986, when Principal Investigator Walter Willett and colleagues enlisted 51,529 health professionals who identified as males to participate in the study. The researchers focused their work on health professionals, who they believed would be committed to regularly and honestly participating in this long-term project. The group is composed of dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, osteopath physicians, podiatrists, and veterinarians.

Today, the HPFS cohort consists of nearly 20,000 active participants. Every two years, members of the study receive questionnaires asking about disease occurrences and health-related topics like smoking, physical activity, and medications taken. Every four years, participants receive questionnaires that ask for detailed dietary information. Given the longevity of the study and the continued valuable participation of our cohort, we are increasing our efforts to address issues of great importance to older men, such as how to maintain cognitive function and maximize quality of life.

Since its inception, data produced from this study has been cited in thousands of published research articles produced by scientists, both at Harvard and around the globe.

News and Recent Research Highlights

• The role of sodium or “salt” in the diet for heart disease prevention has been long debated by scientists. A new study conducted by HPFS investigators provides strong evidence that limiting sodium and increasing potassium leads to better cardiovascular health.
• A higher intake of phytoestrogens, including isoflavones, lignans, and coumarins, and foods rich in these compounds was associated with lower risk of total and certain cause-specific mortality in generally healthy US adults.
• Zinc supplementation of more than 75 mg per day or over 15 years may substantially increase future risk of lethal and aggressive prostate cancer. Caution is warranted regarding excessive usage of zinc supplements among adult men.
• Higher avocado intake was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease in two large prospective cohorts of US men and women. The replacement of certain fat-containing foods with avocado could lead to lower risk of CVD. 
• Research suggests that higher consumption of total whole grains, as well as individual whole grain foods, were significantly associated with lower coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. This study provides further evidence in support of increasing whole grain intake for the prevention of CHD in US populations. 
• Mediterranean diet and cardiometabolic disease risk: Initial finding supports the premise that dietary interventions or recommendations for cardiometabolic disease prevention might be tailored to an individual’s microbial profile, and encourages further research in the area.

Donations

Donations and bequests to the Friends of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study Fund help to sustain our continued work. Donations may be sent to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For information on how to give or to make a secure gift online, please visit www.hsph.harvard.edu/give and indicate that the gift is in support of the Friends of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study Fund.

The Nutrition Source

Read more to learn about healthy nutrition choices and how eating right, along with having an active lifestyle can benefit you.