The Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS), started in 1986, is a cohort of 41,836 postmenopausal women aged 55-69 at baseline. The primary aims of the study were to:

1) Determine if the distribution of body fat (waist/hip) predicts incidence of chronic diseases, with the primary endpoints being total mortality, and incident cancers of the breast, endometrium, and ovaries, and

2) Determine to what degree diet and other lifestyle factors influence risk of chronic disease.

Questionnaires at baseline and for five follow-ups (1987, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2004) provide self-reported information on demographics, reproductive history, medical history, hormone replace therapy, dietary intake (FFQ), physical activity and other factors.

DNA samples are available on a limited number of subsets within the cohort. Annual linkage to the Iowa SEER registry provides cancer incidence and linkage to the National Death Index provides mortality. Self-reported information is used for other endpoint (e.g., diabetes and fractures).

Currently underway is linkage to the CMS database (Medicare and Medicaid files), which will expand both endpoints (e.g., cardiovascular disease incidence) and exposures (e.g. myeloproliferative disorders, pancreatitis, health care).

From 1986 to 2003, there have been 7,813 incident cancers: over 2,800 breast; 1,100 colon; 885 lung; 580 uterine; and 260 ovarian. There have been over 10,800 deaths, including about 3,800 from cancer and 3,900 from cardiovascular disease. Over 200 manuscripts have been published based on analyses in IWHS or based on collaborative projects with Harvard and Oxford Universities. Selected examples of recent publications are provided below:

Thyagarajan B, Anderson KE, Kong F, Selk FR, Lynch CF, Gross MD: New approaches for genotyping paraffin wax embedded breast tissue from patients with cancer: The Iowa Women's Health Study. J Clin Pathol 2005;58:955-961.

Sinner PJ, Cerhan JR, Folsom AR, Ross JA: Positive association of farm or rural residence with acute myeloid leukemia incidence in a cohort of older women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:2446-2448.

Koushik A, Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, Anderson KE, Arslan AA, Beeson WL, van den Brandt PA, Buring JE, Cerhan JR, Colditz GA, Fraser GE, Freudenheim JL, Genkinger JM, Goldbohm RA, Hankinson SE, Koenig KL, Larsson SC, Leitzmann M, McCullough ML, Miller AB, Patel A, Rohan TE, Schatzkin A, Smit E, Willett WC, Wolk A, Zhang SM, Smith-Warner SA: Fruits and vegetables and ovarian cancer risk in a pooled analysis of 12 cohort studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:2160-2167.

Lee D-H, Jacobs DR Jr: Interaction among heme iron, zinc, and supplemental vitamin C intake on the risk of lung cancer: Iowa Women's Health Study. Nutr Cancer 2005;52:130-137.

Folsom AR, Hong C-P: Magnesium intake and reduced risk of colon cancer in a prospective study of women. Am J Epidemiol; in press.

Contact Information

Questions about specific endpoints, variables or analyses can be directed to: Aaron Folsom, PI, Kristin Anderson Co-PI, or any of the Iowa co-investigators and collaborators: Andrew Flood, Myron Gross, Lisa Harnack, David Jacobs, DeAnn Lazovich, Kim Robien, Julie Ross, Beth Virnig (U of MN); James Cerhan, Celine Vachon, Janet Olson, and Paul Limburg (Mayo Clinic).