The project was undertaken between the years 1957-1960 and involved a sample of around 1000 participants who were to be studied over the following 36 months to

test the hypothesis that “The regulation of the level of serum cholesterol and the development of coronary heart disease are related to

1. The caloric balance- sudy showed=>calories per day showed a slight negative association with serum cholesterol (over all age groups) in men but no association in women.

This finding is somewhat puzzling and it is reasonable to inquire if this is related in some way to the level of physical activity. Men in the same physical activity class tend to have higher serum cholesterol levels at lower caloric intake. This finding is contrary to expectation.

2. Level of animal fat intake-study showed=>Paralleling the findings for total calories there is a slight negative association between daily intake of total fat (and also of animal fat) with serum cholesterol level, in men but not in women. This parallel is not surprising given the high correlation between fat intake and total caloric intake. No association between percent of calories from fat and serum cholesterol level was shown;

3. Level of vegetable fat intake- No association...between ratio of plant fat to animal fat intake and serum cholesterol level

4. Level of protein intake-There was a trivial negative correlation between daily protein intake (in grams) and serum cholesterol level

5. Level of cholesterol intake-There is no indication of a relationship between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol level. If the intake on animal fat is held constant there is still no relation of cholesterol intake to serum cholesterol level. If (further) a multiple regression is calculated [using animal fat and dietary cholesterol] there is also little suggestion of an association between this pair of variables and serum cholesterol level. IN SUMMARY-

In undertaking the diet study at Framingham the primary interest was, of course, in the relation of diet to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). It was felt, however, that any such relationship would be an indirect one, diet influencing serum cholesterol level and serum cholesterol level influencing the risk of CHD. However, no relationship could be discerned within the study cohort between food intake and serum cholesterol level.

In the period between the taking of the diet interviews and the end of the 16-year follow-up, 47 cases of de novo CHD developed in the Diet Study group. The means for all the diet variables measured were practically the same for these cases as for the original cohort at risk. There is, in short, no suggestion of any relation between diet and the subsequent development of CHD in the study group… With one exception there was no discernible association between reported diet intake and serum cholesterol level in the Framingham Diet Study Group. The one exception was a weak negative association between caloric intake and serum cholesterol level in men. [As to] coronary heart disease–was it related prospectively to diet. No relationship was found