Framingham Heart Study cardiovascular disease prospective population epidemiologic research has played an important role in the evolution of modern cohort study design and the advancement of preventive cardiology. To date no single essential factor has been identified; multiple interrelated factors are promoting increased risk for development of CHD. Elevated blood pressure has emerged as a prominent member of cardiovascular risk factors. The study's documentation of a strong link of blood pressure to development of cardiovascular events stimulated the pharmaceutical industry to develop medications for controlling blood pressure and, in turn, national campaigns to combat hypertension and its adverse vascular outlook.