Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

INTERMAP: background, aims, design, methods, and descriptive statistics (nondietary)

Abstract

Blood pressure (BP) above optimal (120/80 mmHg) is established as a major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. Prevalence of adverse BP is high in most adult populations; until recently research has been sparse on reasons for this. Since the 1980s, epidemiologic studies confirmed that salt, alcohol intake, and body mass relate directly to BP; dietary potassium, inversely. Several other nutrients also probably influence BP. The DASH feeding trials demonstrated that with the multiple modifications in the DASH combination diet, SBP/DBP (SBP: systolic blood pressure, DBP: diastolic blood pressure) was sizably reduced, independent of calorie balance, alcohol intake, and BP reduction with decreased dietary salt. A key challenge for research is to elucidate specific nutrients accounting for this effect. The general aim of the study was to clarify influences of multiple nutrients on SBP/DBP of individuals over and above effects of Na, K, alcohol, and body mass. Specific aims were, in a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of 4680 men and women aged 40–59 years from 17 diverse population samples in China, Japan, UK, and USA, test 10 prior hypotheses on relations of macronutrients to SBP/DBP and on role of dietary factors in inverse associations of education with BP; test four related subgroup hypotheses; explore associations with SBP/DBP of multiple other nutrients, urinary metabolites, and foods. For these purposes, for all 4680 participants, with standardized high-quality methods, assess individual intake of 76 nutrients from four 24-h dietary recalls/person; measure in two timed 24-h urine collections/person 24-h excretion of Na, K, Ca, Mg, creatinine, amino acids; microalbuminuria; multiple nutrients and metabolites by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Based on eight SBP/DBP measurements/person, and data on multiple possible confounders, utilize mainly multiple linear regression and quantile analyses to test prior hypotheses and explore relations of multiple dietary and urinary variables to SBP/DBP of individuals.

The 4680 INTERMAP participants are equally divided across four age/gender strata: diverse in ethnicity, education, occupation, physical activity; use of cigarettes, alcohol; diagnosed high BP, CVD, diabetes; CVD family history; women vary in parity, use of contraceptive medication and hormone replacement therapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Joint National Committee on the Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-V). Fifth Report of the Joint National Committee on the Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-V). Arch Intern Med 1993; 153: 154–183.

  2. National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group. Report on the primary prevention of hypertension. Arch Intern Med 1993; 153: 186–208.

  3. National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-VI). NIH Publication No. 98-4080. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Bethesda, MD, 1997.

  4. Whelton PK et al, for the National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee. Primary prevention of hypertension: clinical and public health advisory from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program. JAMA 2002; 288: 1882–1888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Stamler J, Greenland P, Neaton JD . The established major risk factors underlying epidemic coronary and cardiovascular disease. CVD Prev 1998; 1: 82–97.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Stamler J et al. Major risk factors and low risk status in young adulthood: long-term impact on CHD–CVD mortality and longevity. In: Lauer R, Burns TL, Daniels S (eds). Prevention of Adult Cardiovascular Disease Beginning in Childhood and Adolescence, 2003 (to be published).

  7. Katz LN, Stamler J, Pick R . Nutrition and Atherosclerosis. Lea and Febiger: Philadelphia, 1958.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stamler J . Lectures on Preventive Cardiology. Grune and Stratton: New York, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Keys A, Anderson JT, Grande F . Serum cholesterol response to changes in the diet. Part I. Iodine value of dietary fat versus 2S-P; Part II. The effect of cholesterol in the diet; Part III. Differences among individuals; Part IV. Particular saturated fatty acids in the diet. Metabolism 1965; 14: 747–787.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hegsted DM, Ausman LM, Johnson JA, Dallal GE . Dietary fat and serum lipids: an evaluation of the experimental data. Am J Clin Nutr 1993; 57: 875–883.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Clarke R et al. Dietary lipids and blood cholesterol: quantitative meta-analysis of metabolic ward studies. BMJ 1997; 314: 112–117.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Page IH et al. Dietary fat and its relation to heart attacks and strokes. Circulation 1961; 23: 133–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Krauss RM et al. AHA Dietary Guidelines: Revision 2000: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. Circulation 2000; 102: 2284–2299.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. National Research Council. Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1989.

  15. Department of Health. Nutritional aspects of cardiovascular disease. Report of the Cardiovascular Review Group, Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy, London, 1994. Report of Health and Social Subjects #46.

  16. WHO Expert Committee on the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. Technical Report Series no. 678. World Health Organization. WHO: Geneva, 1982.

  17. WHO Expert Committee on Prevention in Childhood and Youth of Adult Cardiovascular Disease. Prevention in childhood and youth of adult cardiovascular diseases—time for action. Report of a WHO Expert Committee. World Health Organization Technical Report Series no. 792. WHO: Geneva, 1990.

  18. U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 5th edn. U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Washington, DC, 2000.

  19. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 2002.

  20. Johnson CL et al. Declining serum total cholesterol levels among U.S. adults: The National Health and Nutrition and Examination Surveys. JAMA 1993; 269: 3002–3008.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Stamler J . The INTERSALT Study: background, methods, findings, and implications. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65 (2 Suppl): 626S–642S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Stamler J . Epidemiologic findings on body mass and blood pressure in adults. Ann Epidemiol 1991; 1: 347–362.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Klatsky AL, Friedman GD, Abraham BS, Gerard MJ . Alcohol consumption and blood pressure: Kaiser Permanente multiphasic health examination data. N Engl J Med 1977; 296: 1194–1200.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Dyer AR et al. Alcohol, cardiovascular risk factors and mortality: the Chicago experience. Circulation 1981; 64 (Suppl III): III-20–III-27.

  25. Sacks FM, Rosner B, Kass EH . Blood pressure in vegetarians. Am J Epidemiol 1974; 100: 390–398.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kimura N . Atherosclerosis in Japan. Epidemiology. In: Paoletti R, Gotto AM (eds). Atherosclerosis Reviews. Raven Press: New York, 1977, pp 209–221.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Yamori Y et al. Hypertension and diet: multiple regression analysis in a Japanese farming community. Lancet 1981; 1: 1204–1205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Yamori Y et al. Dietary prevention of hypertension in animal models and its applicability to humans. Ann Clin Res 1984; 16 (Suppl 43): 28–31.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Kihara M et al. Interrelationships between blood pressure, sodium, potassium, serum cholesterol, and protein intake in Japanese. Hypertension 1984; 6: 736–742.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Meyer TW, Anderson S, Brenner BM . Dietary intake and progressive glomerular sclerosis: the role of capillary hypertension and hyperperfusion in the progression of renal disease. Ann Intern Med 1983; 98: 832–837.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Meyer TW, Anderson S, Brenner BM . Dietary protein intake and the course of renal disease: the role of capillary hypertension and hyperperfusion in the pathogenesis of progressive glomerular sclerosis. In: Horan MJ, Blaustein M, Dunbar JB, Kachadorian W, Kaplan NM, Simopoulos AP (eds). NIH Workshop on Nutrition and Hypertension. Proceedings from a Symposium, Bethesda, MD, 1984, pp 217–229.

    Google Scholar 

  32. INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group (Elliott P, guest editor). The INTERSALT Study: an international cooperative study of electrolyte excretion and blood pressure—further results. J Hum Hypertens 1989; 3: 279–407.

  33. Dyer AR et al. Body mass index and associations of sodium and potassium with blood pressure in INTERSALT. Hypertension 1994; 23: 729–736.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Stamler R et al, on behalf of the INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group. Higher blood pressure in adults with less education: some explanatory factors. Findings of the INTERSALT Study. Hypertension 1992; 19: 237–241.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Elliott P et al, for the INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group. INTERSALT revisited: further analyses for 24-hour sodium excretion and blood pressure within and across populations. BMJ 1996; 312: 1249–1253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Stamler J et al. INTERSALT Study findings: public health and medical care implications. Hypertension 1989; 14: 570–577.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group. INTERSALT: an international study of electrolyte excretion and blood pressure. Results for 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion. BMJ 1988; 297: 319–328.

  38. Stamler J et al, for the INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group. Inverse relation of dietary protein markers with blood pressure. Findings for 10,020 men and women in the INTERSALT Study. Circulation 1996; 94: 1629–1634.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Dyer AR, Elliott P, Chee D, Stamler J . Urinary biochemical markers of dietary intake in the INTERSALT Study. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65 (Suppl): 1246S–1253S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Elliott P et al. Dietary protein and blood pressure: a report from the dietary and nutritional survey of British adults. Abstracts of the 14th Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hypertension, Madrid, 1992, p S141.

  41. Stamler J, Caggiula AW, Grandits GA . Relation of body mass and alcohol, nutrient, fiber, and caffeine intakes to blood pressure in the special intervention and usual care groups in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65 (1 Suppl): 338S–365S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Stamler J et al, for the MRFIT Research Group. Relationship to blood pressure of combinations of dietary macronutrients. Findings of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). Circulation 1996; 94: 2417–2423.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Zhou BF et al. Dietary patterns in 10 groups and the relationship with blood pressure. Chin Med J 1988; 102: 257–261.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Zhang X, Cai R, Zhou B . The relationships of dietary protein, serum and urine free amino acids and blood pressure in three Chinese populations. Abstract book of the 3rd International Conference on Preventive Cardiology, Oslo, Norway, 27 June–1 July 1993, Abstract 5.

  45. Zhou B et al. The relationship of dietary animal protein and electrolytes to blood pressure: a study on three Chinese populations. Int J Epidemiol 1994; 23: 716–722.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Sacks FM, Kass EH . Low blood pressure in vegetarians: effects of specific foods and nutrients. Am J Clin Nutr 1988; 48: 795–800.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Dwyer JT . Health aspects of vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr 1988; 48: 712–738.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Prescott SL et al. A randomized controlled trial of the effect on blood pressure of dietary non-meat protein versus meat protein in normotensive omnivores. Clin Sci 1988; 74: 665–672.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Kestin M, Rouse IL, Correll RA, Nestel PJ . Cardiovascular disease risk factors in free-living men: comparison of two prudent diets, one based on lactovegetarianism and the other allowing lean meat. Am J Clin Nutr 1989; 50: 280–287.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Beilin LJ, Burke V . Vegetarian diet components, protein and blood pressure: which nutrients are important? Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1995; 22: 195–198.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Obarzanek E, Velletri PA, Cutler JA . Dietary protein and blood pressure. JAMA 1996; 275: 1598–1603.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Stamler J et al. Eight-year blood pressure change in middle-aged men: relationship to multiple nutrients. Hypertension 2002; 39: 1000–1006.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Appel LJ et al, for the DASH Collaborative Research Group. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. N Engl J Med 1997; 336: 1117–1124.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Sacks FM et al, for the DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. N Engl J Med 2001; 344: 3–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. MacMahon S et al. Blood pressure, stroke, and coronary heart disease. I. Prolonged differences in blood pressure: prospective observational studies corrected for the regression–dilution bias. Lancet 1990; 335: 765–774.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Grandits GA, Bartsch GE, Stamler J . Methods issues in dietary data analyses in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65 (1 Suppl): 211S–227S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Dyer AR, Shipley M, Elliott P for the INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group. Urinary electrolyte excretion in 24 hours and blood pressure in the INTERSALT Study. I. Estimates of reliability. Am J Epidemiol 1994; 139: 927–939.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Dyer AR, Shipley M, Elliott P for the INTERSALT Cooperative Research Group. Urinary electrolyte excretion in 24 hours and blood pressure in the INTERSALT Study. II. Estimates of electrolyte–blood pressure associations corrected for regression dilution bias. Am J Epidemiol 1994; 139: 940–951.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Elliott P, Stamler R . Manual of operations for INTERSALT: an international cooperative study on the relation of sodium and potassium to blood pressure. Control Clin Trials 1988; 9: 1S–118S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Dennis B et al, for the INTERMAP Research Group. INTERMAP: the dietary data—process and quality control. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 609–622.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Bartels H, Bohmer M . Micro-determination of creatinine. Clin Chem Acta 1971; 32: 81–85.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Talke H, Schubert GE . Enzymatische harnstoffbestimmung im blut und serum im optischen test nach Warburg. Klin Wschr 1965; 43: 174–175.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Mann CK, Yoe JH . Spectrophotometric determination of magnesium with sodium 1-azo-2-hydroxy-3-(2,4-dimethylcarboxanilido)-napthalene-1′-(2-hydroxybenzene-5-sulfonate). Anal Chem 1956; 28: 202–205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Hubbuch A et al. Multicenter study of tina-quant-albumin in urine and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (β-NAG) in urine. Workshop Munich, 29–30 November 1990. Wien klin Wschr Suppl 1991; 103 (Suppl. 189): 1–66.

    Google Scholar 

  65. Piez KA, Morris L . A modified procedure for the automatic analysis of amino acid. Anal Biochem 1960; 1: 187–201.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Nicholson JK, Wilson ID . High resolution proton NMR spectroscopy of biological fluids. Prog in NMR Spectrosc 1989; 21: 449–501.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Anthony ML, Lindon JC, Beddell CR, Nicholson JK . Pattern recognition classification of the site of nephrotoxicity based on metabolic data derived from high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of urine. Mol Pharmacol 1994; 46: 199–211.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Anthony ML et al. An NMR spectroscopic approach to the investigation of the biochemical responses of renal cells to nephrotoxins. Biomarkers 1996; 1: 35–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Holmes E et al. Automatic data reduction and pattern recognition methods for analysis of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of human urine from normal and pathological states. Anal Biochem 1994; 220: 284–296.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Nicholson JK, Lindon JC, Holmes E . ‘Metabonomics’: understanding the metabolic responses of living systems to pathophysiological stimuli via multivariate statistical analysis of biological NMR spectroscopic data. Xenobiotica 1999; 29: 1181–1189.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Wilson ID, Nicholson JK, Lindon JC . The development and application of coupled HPLC–NMR spectroscopy. Adv Chromatogr 1995; 36: 315–382.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Schakel S, Buzzard M, Gebhardt S . Procedures for estimating nutrient values for food composition databases. J Food Comp Anal 1997; 10: 102–114.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Schakel SF et al, for the INTERMAP Research Group. Enhancing data on nutrient composition of foods eaten by participants in the INTERMAP Study in China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. J Food Comp Anal 2003; 16: 395–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Stamler J, Elliott P, Chan Q, for the INTERMAP Research Group . Appendix tables. J Hum Hypertens 2003; this issue (appendix tables from p 665–775).

  75. Zhou BF et al, for the INTERMAP Research Group. Nutrient intakes of middle-aged men and women in China, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States in the late 1990s: The INTERMAP Study. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 623–630.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  76. Ueshima H et al, for the INTERLIPID Research Group. Differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors between Japanese and Japanese-Americans in Hawaii: The INTERLIPID Study. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 631–639.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  77. Dyer AR, Elliott P, Chan Q, Stamler J, for the INTERMAP Research Group. Dietary intake in male and female smokers, ex-smokers, and never smokers: The INTERMAP Study. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 641–654.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Grant 2-RO1-HL50490 from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; by the Chicago Health Research Foundation; and by national agencies in China, Japan (the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research [A], No. 090357003), and the UK.

We are grateful to Rand McNally & Company, Skokie, IL, USA for permission to reproduce here as Figure 1 three maps from its publication The Rand McNally Classroom Atlas.

The INTERMAP Study has been accomplished through the fine work of the staff at the local, national, and international centres. A partial listing of colleagues follows:

Japan

Shiga, Country Coordinating Center Management Committee

Hirotsugu Ueshima, Principal Investigator and Chair

Akira Okayama, Co-Principal Investigator

Sohel R Choudhury, Co-Principal Investigator

Yoshikuni Kita, Co-Principal Investigator

Nagako Okuda, Country Nutritionist

Aito Town Local Center

Akira Okayama, Principal Investigator

Sohel R Choudhury, Co-Principal Investigator

Yoshikuni Kita, Co-Principal Investigator

Harumi Fuse, Research Associate

Takashi Kadowaki, Research Associate

Atsuko Morino, Research Associate and Site Nutritionist

Yoko Sekiya, Research Associate and Site Nutritionist

Makoto Watanabe, Research Associate

Kazuyo Yamamoto, Research Associate

Masako Yoshioka, Research Associate

Sapporo Local Center

Shigeyuki Saitoh, Principal Investigator

Kazuaki Shimamoto, Co-Principal Investigator

Shigeyuki Tanaka, Co-Principal Investigator

Koko Ishishita, Site Nutritionist

Toshio Isomatsu, Research Associate

Toshiyuki Takahashi, Research Associate

Toyama Local Center

Hideaki Nakagawa, Principal Investigator

Katsuyuki Miura, Co-Principal Investigator

Katsushi Yoshita, Co-Principal Investigator and Site Nutritionist

Masako Higashiyama, Research Associate

Sadanobu Kagamimori, Research Associate

Yuchi Naruse, Research Associate

Wakayama Local Center

Tsutomu Hashimoto, Principal Investigator

Seiji Morioka, Co-Principal Investigator

Kiyomi Sakata, Co-Principal Investigator

Fujihisa Kinoshita, Research Associate

Osamu Mohara, Research Associate

Masanori Ohta, Research Associate

Kayoko Oki, Research Associate and Site Nutritionist

Yoshimi Shibe, Research Associate and Site Nutritionist

People's Republic of China

Beijing, Country Coordinating Center

Beifan Zhou, Principal Investigator and Country Nutritionist

Liancheng Zhao, Country Nutritionist

Yangfeng Wu, Co-Principal Investigator

Beijing Local Center

Yangfeng Wu, Principal Investigator and Coordinator

The two other above listed colleagues, plus:

Jun Yang, Dietary Interviewer

Donghai Lu, Technician for Urine Collection

Yao Li, Data Entry Technician

Jun Xing, Dietary Interviewer

Guangxi Local Center

Shuxiong Zhu, Principal Investigator

Liguang Zhu, Coordinator and Site Nutritionist

Xingsan Li, Quality Control Technician, Non-Dietary Data Collection

Xiufan Li, Assistant Coordinator

Mengsheng Mo, Dietary Interviewer

Shanxi Local Center

Ruixiang Yang, Principal Investigator

Dongshuang Guo, Coordinator

Jinglan Gong, Site Nutritionist

Shengying Liang, Assistant Coordinator

Peizhu Wang, Quality Control Technician, Non-Dietary Data Collection

Xiuming Li, Data Entry Technician

UK

London, INTERMAP International and Country Coordinating Center

Paul Elliott, Principal Investigator

Queenie Chan, Data Coordinator and Statistician

Deborah Chee, Coordinator

Rana Conway, Country Nutritionist

Judith Diamond, Data Coordinator and Statistician

Valerie McCormack, Data Coordinator

Rob Nichols, Data Coordinator and Statistician

Yui Rerkpatima, Dietary Coder

Claire Robertson, Country Nutritionist

Frankie Robinson, Country Nutritionist

Nina Seres, Nutritionist

Simon Sheffield, Administrator

Caroline Terrill, Data Coordinator and Statistician

Michael Tumilty, Nutritionist

Jennifer Wells, Special Assistant

London, Metabonomics Laboratory

Jeremy Nicholson, Co-Principal Investigator

Elaine Holmes, Co-Principal Investigator

Claire James, PhD Candidate

Elaine Taylor, Research Associate

Belfast Local Center

Alun Evans, Principal Investigator

John Yarnell, Co-Principal Investigator

Claire Robertson, Coordinator and Site Nutritionist

Jackie Bates, Dietary Interviewer

Mary Crawford, Dietary Interviewer

Elaine Duffy, Interviewer, BP Technician

Sally Johnson, Interviewer, BP Technician

Julie Laird, Dietary Interviewer

Annette McAnnulla, Dietary Interviewer

Gillian McGeough, Site Nutritionist

Collette Ryan, Dietary Interviewer

Margaret Ward, Interviewer, BP Technician

West Bromwich Local Center

Gareth Beevers, Principal Investigator

Gregory Lip, Co-Principal Investigator

Koon-Lan Chan, Coordinator

Georgina Alderslade, Site Nutritionist

Ada Conteh, Dietary Interviewer

Melanie Farron, Dietary Coder

Anne Gowing, Dietary Interviewer

Tina Howe, Dietary Coder

Karen Hubbard, Dietary Coder

Baljit Sanghera, Site Nutritionist

USA

Chicago, INTERMAP International and Country Coordinating Center

Jeremiah Stamler, Principal Investigator

Alan R Dyer, Co-Principal Investigator

Kiang Liu, Co-Principal Investigator

Rose Stamler (deceased), Co-Principal Investigator

Martha Daviglus, Principal Investigator, Study on Urinary Amino Acids

Philip Greenland, Co-Investigator

Linda Van Horn, Consultant Nutritionist

Sujata Archer, Nutritionist

Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, US Coordinator and Country Nutritionist

Dan Garside, Chief, Computer Systems

Niki Gernhofer, Nutritionist

Colleen De Luca, Administrator

Joseph Shayka, Chief, Computer Systems for INTERMAP USA

Harold Wexler, Secretary

Chapel Hill, INTERMAP International Nutrition Coordinating Center

Barbara Dennis, International Nutrition Coordinator

Susan Blackwell Marshall, Research Associate

Minneapolis, Nutrition Coordinating Center

Nancy Van Heel, Project Coordinator

Marilyn Buzzard, Principal Investigator

Lisa Harnack, Principal Investigator

Gloria Ray, Dietary Interview Quality Control

Sally Schakel, Chief Database Nutritionist

Susan Seftick, Dietary Interview Quality Control

Alice Shapiro, Project Coordinator

Mary Stevens, Dietary Interview and Quality Control Training Coordinator

Christine Wold, Database Nutritionist

Roberta Zeug, Database Nutritionist

Richmond

Marilyn Buzzard, Senior Consultant, Dietary Data Collection and Analysis

Rhonda Stout, Graduate Assistant, Dietary Interview Quality Control

Bethesda, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Eva Obarzanek, Project Officer

Jeffrey Cutler, Program Director

Baltimore Local Center

Paul Whelton, original Principal Investigator

Lawrence Appel, Principal Investigator

Jeanne Charleston, Director of Research Operations

Phyllis McCarron, Site Nutritionist

Vicki Shank, Coordinator

Sharon Cappelli, Nutritionist

Ellen Gold, Nutritionist

Charles Harris, Data Technician

Dolores Kaidy, Recruiter

Shirley Kritt, Recruiter

Estelle Levitas, Data Technician

Bonnie Peterson, Nutritionist

LeeLana Thomas, Nutritionist

Letitia Thomas, Nutritionist

Bobbie Weiss, Data Technician

Chicago Local Center

Linda Van Horn, Principal Investigator

Philip Greenland, Co-Principal Investigator

Alan R. Dyer, Co-Investigator

Kiang Liu, Co-Investigator

Judy Gerber, Coordinator and Nutritionist

Niki Gernhofer, Site Nutritionist

Cindy Buettgan, Nutritionist

Colleen De Luca, Department Administrator

Penelope Garrett, Nutritionist

Natalie Lopez, Site Administrator

Frances Oppenheimer, Nutritionist

Corpus Christi Local Center

Darwin R Labarthe, Principal Investigator

Milton Nichaman, Principal Investigator

Deanna Montgomery Hoelscher, Co-Investigator

Lyn Steffen, Project Coordinator

Mark Canales, BP Technician

Pam Folsom, BP Technician and original Clinic Manager

Sarita Garcia, Dietary Interviewer

Mimi Guajardo, Administrative Assistant

Luanna Ortiz, BP Technician

Rose Ramirez, BP Technician

Melissa Taylor, BP and Lab Technician

Gina Valdez, BP Technician, Dietary Interviewer, Clinic Manager

Laurita Yuras, Dietary Interviewer

Honolulu Local Center

Beatriz L Rodriguez, Principal Investigator

J David Curb, Co-Principal Investigator

Kamal Masaki, Co-Principal Investigator

Helen Petrovitch, Co-Investigator

Joane Moylan, Site Nutritionist

Jackson Local Center

Daniel Jones, Principal Investigator

Margaret E Miller, Co-Investigator

Mary Whitten, Research Administrator

Teresa Caruthers, Site Nutritionist

Cathy Adair, Research Nurse

Mary Cameron, Dietary Interviewer

Gertie Carr, Dietary Interviewer

Nancy King, Research Assistant

Diane Willoughby, Research Nurse

Minneapolis Local Center

Patricia J Elmer, Principal Investigator

David R Jacobs Jr, Co-Principal Investigator

Terri Tharp, Project Coordinator and Site Nutritionist

Mary Dahlberg Johnson, Dietary Interviewer

Kari Elfstrom, Dietary Interviewer

Pittsburgh Local Center

Arlene Caggiula, Principal Investigator

Monica Yamamoto, Co-Principal Investigator and Site Manager

Lewis H Kuller, Co-Investigator

Lisa Atkins, Site Administrative Assistant and Data Clerk

Nancy Epler, Recruiter

Karen Givner, Site Administrative Assistant and Data Clerk

Refaat Hegasi, Clinical Assessor

Deborah Larsen, Dietary Interviewer

Alysia Mason Feuer, Dietary Interviewer

Rebecca M Meehan, Dietary Interviewer

Blanca Nieves, Dietary Interviewer

Tony O'Dea, Summer Intern

Heather Strickland, Clinical Assesssor

Charlene Walter, Dietary Interviewer

Belgium—Leuven, INTERMAP Central Laboratory

Hugo Kesteloot, Principal Investigator

Peter Declercq, Co-Principal Investigator

George Claeys, Co-Principal Investigator

Norbert Blanckaert, Head, Central Clinical Laboratory

Wim Blom, Adviser

Lene Koolen, Technician, INTERMAP Laboratory

Kristine Lauwereys, Head Programmer

Nadia Vangeel, Technician, INTERMAP Laboratory

INTERMAP International Steering and Editorial Committee

Jeremiah Stamler, Co-Chair

Paul Elliott, Co-Chair

Barbara Dennis

Alan R Dyer

Hugo Kesteloot

Kiang Liu

Rose Stamler (deceased)

Hirotsugu Ueshima

Beifan Zhou

INTERMAP International Advisory Committee

John Chalmers

Scott Grundy

Mark Hegsted

Lisheng Liu

Michael Marmot

Teruo Omae

Kalevi Pyorala

Neil Stone

INTERMAP International Nutrition Advisory Committee

Anna Ferro-Luzzi

Daan Kromhout

Wen Harn Pan

Pirjo Pietinen

Wija J van Steveren

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Consortia

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J Stamler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stamler, J., Elliott, P., Dennis, B. et al. INTERMAP: background, aims, design, methods, and descriptive statistics (nondietary). J Hum Hypertens 17, 591–608 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001603

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001603

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links