Since there is a greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease among African Americans, the purpose of the Jackson Heart Study is to explore the reasons for this disparity and to uncover new approaches to reduce it.

The Jackson Heart Study is the largest single-site, prospective, epidemiologic investigation of cardiovascular disease among African Americans ever undertaken.  It is a population-based longitudinal study.  The study site is in Jackson, Mississippi.  The Jackson Heart Study exemplifies a unique collaborative model among three participating institutions, Jackson State University, Tougaloo College and University of Mississippi Medical Center, the Jackson community, and the National Institutes of Health to discover and test best practices for eliminating health disparities.

The Jackson Heart Study will transform a history of heart disease into a legacy of heart health through research, and by translating and disseminating research results.  The Jackson Heart Study will involve the community in research approaches, and prepare young African American/minority students for careers in health sciences.

The primary objective of the Jackson Heart Study is to investigate the causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in African Americans to learn how to best prevent this group of diseases in the future. More specific objectives include:

1. Identification of factors, which influence the development, and worsening of CVD in African Americans, with an emphasis on manifestations related to high blood pressure (such as remodeling of the left ventricle of the heart, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and disorders affecting the blood vessels of the kidney).
    
2. Building research capabilities in minority institutions at the undergraduate and graduate level by developing partnerships between minority and majority institutions and enhancing participation of minority investigators in large-scale epidemiologic studies.
    
3. Attracting minority students to and preparing them for careers in health sciences.