The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study is a prospective longitudinal epidemiological study conducted in four communities: Forsyth County (North Carolina), Jackson (Mississippi), Minneapolis (Minnesota), and Washington County (Maryland). ARIC is designed to investigate the causes of atherosclerosis and its clinical outcomes, and variations in cardiovascular risk factors, medical care, and disease by race, gender, location, and date. ARIC consists of two parts: a Cohort Component and a Community Surveillance Component.

The Cohort Component includes participants aged 45 to 64 years old at the time of enrollment in 1987. Medical, social, and demographic information was collected at baseline in 1987-1989 and continues to be assessed annually and semi-annually. Available data includes physiological information, health history, dietary history, medication history, electrocardiogram (ECG), demographics, and administrative information. Approximately 6,000 of the original cohort presently contribute to follow-up assessments.

The Community Surveillance Component encompasses approximately 470,000 men and women aged 35 to 84 years old. Data was collected on deaths from cardiovascular heart disease (CHD) and heart failure (HF) among participants aged 35 to 74 years old who were enrolled between 1987-2014, and among participants aged 35 to 84 years old between 2005-2014. From 2005 to 2014, the study also collected information on inpatient heart failure among adults aged 55 years and older and outpatient heart failure in adults aged 65 years and older.