The suburban Minneapolis ARIC communities include Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, New Hope, Plymouth, and Robbinsdale. Through its “Community Surveillance” ARIC is studying the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in these communities.

In 1987-89, 4009 residents from these communities were selected to be the “ARIC cohort.” Several ARIC examinations took place over the past two decades, and ARIC staff still contacts the cohort by telephone on a regular basis. The ARIC telephone call helps us identify medical events of interest to ARIC research.

ARIC researchers often request access to the records of medical events that cohort members report. The researchers often request that participants complete a consent form for release of this medical information. We are grateful for participants’ understanding of the need for paperwork to ensure that personal health data remain private.

The ARIC staff at the University of Minnesota appreciate the continuing interest/enthusiasm of ARIC participants. We thank "snow birds" for allowing us to telephone them at their winter homes far from Minnesota, as they tell us of the warm temperatures they are enjoying.

Thank you to all who have been so loyal to the ARIC Study over these years. We continue to look forward to talking with you regularly. If you need to reach us, our telephone number is 612-627-4253 and our address is 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454.