Welcome all Study Participants!

We are excited to celebrate 25 years of MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis)! MESA is an important medical research study that involves more than 6,000 men and women from six communities in the United States. Participants in MESA come from diverse race and ethnic backgrounds, and include Black, Chinese, Hispanic, and White individuals.

The MESA study began in 1999 as an investigation of the early stages of a disease called atherosclerosis, also known as "hardening of the arteries. Over the last 25 years, the study has grown and made meaningful contributions to numerous fields, including brain health, lung health, and the impacts of factors like neighborhoods, air pollution, sleep, stress, and nutrition on health. You can learn more about MESA's study findings in the Research Discoveries section of this website.

We completed the seventh MESA exam in June 2024 and are now conducting the third MESA MIND exam, called MESA MIND-C, for eligible participants. This exam focuses primarily on cognitive function to better understand how managing risk factors can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. It also centers around understanding new ways in which heart health may play a role in protecting memory and thinking abilities as we age.

The MIND-C exam revolves around a cognitive assessment and includes more familiar elements like health questionnaires, blood pressure measurements, physical function test, and blood tests, as well as the option to wear a monitor to measure blood sugar at home. You can choose to wear the blood sugar monitor or not. For more information about the study procedures and their role in MIND C, reach out to your Study Coordinator. 

As of early Summer 2025, over 2,500 papers have been published using MESA data!

These papers have been published in well-known journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, and the Journal of the American Medical Association. These papers help scientists learn more about diseases, provide doctors with better tools and knowledge for patient care, and even shape community health policies and programs. We would not have this wide body of knowledge without your continuing participation in MESA. Thank you! 

To download the list of published papers, click here: Published Papers (chronological)
 

Participant Resources