About the Northern Manhattan Family Study

The Northern Manhattan Family Study is an exciting and innovative study about stroke and stroke risk factors among Hispanic families in Washington Heights and the surrounding areas. It is the first clinical study of its kind to focus attention on stroke and stroke risk factors among Caribbean Hispanic Families.

Most participants in the study will be Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, or Cubans, and their family members throughout the United States and their homelands. Both Dominicans and Puerto Ricans are the fastest growing ethnic groups in the Northeastern United States and make up most of the population living in Washington Heights.

The Northern Manhattan Family Study is an expansion of the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS), which began in 1993 and has enrolled over 4,400 people. The goal of NOMAS is to understand the underlying risk factors for stroke among this multiethnic community. We hope that such understanding will lead to better treatment and prevention of strokes.