Abstract
The Adult Health Study (AHS) was established in 1950 to observe the late effects of radiation exposure among atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The original AHS cohort consisted of about 20,000 atomic bomb survivors selected from residents in Hiroshima and Nagasaki using the 1950 national census. Since 1958, the AHS subjects have been followed through biennial health examinations. Data accumulated from this 50-year long-term follow-up study have been utilized for a wide range of research activities, from radiation effects research to clinical epidemiological research including studies on stroke, dementia, and other outcomes.
Dementia study in the AHS demonstrated that prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease was higher than vascular dementia among women. In a recent stroke study, lifetime risk for stroke was firstly estimated among Japanese. We also demonstrated that blood pressure in middle life predicted lifetime risk of stroke. No effects of A-bomb radiation on dementia were observed, and analysis of its relationship with stroke continues.
This long-term, large-scale follow-up study continues to provide significant epidemiological findings for disease prevention.
