Health Professional Follow-USudy (HPFS)

Health Professional Follow-Up Study (HPFS)
The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) was an observational: prospective cohort study that began in 1986. This all-male longitudinal study evaluated the health of 51,529 men in the health professions and is the counterpart of an all-female Nurses ' Health Study, which began in 1976. Similar to the HPFS, the NHS evaluated the health of approximately 122,000 female nurses in order to gain a better understanding of how diet and lifestyle factors affect health. According to the Harvard School of Public Health (n.d.), the health professionals that participated in the HPFS consisted of “29,683 dentists, 4,185 pharmacists, 3,745 optometrists, 2,220 osteopath physicians, 1,600 podiatrists, and 10,098

It was assumed that these men would be more likely to answer the questionnaires honestly, given that they entered the health professions and could perhaps understand the importance of the information being collected from these surveys. The participants received questionnaires every two years inquiring about disease related topics and their overall health (e.g. tobacco & alcohol use, physical activity level, medications). They also received questionnaires asking a series of detailed questions about dietary habits. These questionnaires were sent to participants from 1986 until 2008 and the questions that were on these various questionnaires can be found at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hpfs/hpfs_qx.htm.
This study provided invaluable information about the relationship between chronic diseases, and nutrition. It has also provided valuable information about the association between chronic disease and genetic and behavioral factors. According to the Harvard School of Public Health (n.d.), “more than 100 published research articles have been produced by scientists working with data from the study”. Some of the major nutrition findings that have stemmed from HPFS data

• HPFS data identified the risk factors associated with an increased risk for basal cell carcinoma of the skin in men.
• HPFS data helped to identify the association between cardiovascular risk factors and higher phosphorus intake and higher fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23).

The information collected from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study has provided important information about how different types of fat affects the body as well as information about the different classes of fatty acids. Furthermore, these studies provided important information about several other nutrients such as antioxidants, folate, fiber, and overall dietary patterns. Some of the most important information that has come from these studies is the information pertaining to an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease due to diet and lifestyle factors. According to Willett (2015), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among all Americans despite an overall decline in mortality in recent years (p.6). Decades worth of research has allowed healthcare professionals to encourage prevention and promote awareness about the diet and lifestyle factors that research has linked to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. This research has also helped to improve prevention, early detection and