Dear Dallas Heart Study Participant:

It is hard to believe that it has been over 5 years since you first became a member of the Dallas Heart Study! Thanks to you and over 6,000 other volunteers who participated in the Dallas Heart Study, we have learned many new things about heart disease in our community. We have discovered new factors that explain why some people develop heart disease, whereas other people maintain a healthy heart. Despite our progress, we have a long way to go before we eliminate the number one killer in our community.

Beginning this fall, we will begin inviting all of you who completed the three phases of the Dallas Heart Study (2 home visits and 1 visit to our campus) to return to the clinic for another visit. You will be asked to have many of the tests performed at your last visit, including:

• A survey so we can catch up with you regarding your health since the last visit.
• Routine medical measurements, such as height, weight, blood pressure
• Blood and urine testing to check your cholesterol levels, etc.
• Tests to examine the health of your heart, including an electrocardiogram (EKG) to see how your heart beats and imaging studies to see the size, strength and health of your heart.

In the next few months, we will send you an invitation to visit us at University Hospital St. Paul Building, which is right up the street from Parkland Hospital. We expect the visit to take 4-5 hours and we will compensate you for your time. All the medically important test results will be provided to you. We will also provide the results of your tests to your doctor of your choice, if you request us to do so.

The information we gather will ultimately be used to help doctors from Dallas County and around the world to improve the diagnosis, prevention and the treatment of heart disease. The key to the success of Dallas Heart Study is you! No one can substitute for you! We thank you for your past participation. You are special to us and we look forward to seeing you in the clinic.

Best regards,

Dr. Helen H. Hobbs, Director
Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Map to DHS Clinic Office

FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) LINK