We are forever grateful to everyone who has participated in the MYHAT study.They have made an enormous contribution to the understanding of health and aging.

What is MYHAT’s purpose?
With federal funding from the National Institute on Aging, the University of Pittsburgh and Mon-Yough Healthy Aging Team have been studying health and aging in older adults in the Monongahela-Youghiogheny area since 2006. Over 2700 seniors have taken part in our study. We examine many aspects of health and aging including the ability to think, understand, remember, concentrate, and solve problems. We are interested in understanding what causes people lose or preserve these abilities as they grow older. The study is purely observational. There is no experiment or treatment included in this study.

Who are the MYHAT participants?
Our participants are individuals aged 65 years or older, with their names randomly selected from the publicly available Allegheny County voter registration list. All have provided their written consent to take part in this long-term research study. We chose the Mon-Yough area because we want to focus on senior citizens who live in small towns and don’t usually have the opportunity to take part in big research studies. Their health problems and needs deserve to be documented and analyzed so that in the future their communities can receive the kinds of services they need.

What are the MYHAT study procedures?
Every year a research interviewer visits our participants, either in their homes or at our office in White Oak, to collect information about health, lifestyle, medications, daily activities, mood and feelings. We also conduct a series of quizzes and puzzles to measure memory, attention, learning, problem solving and mental speed. The researchers perform a brief physical exam, including a check of balance, reflexes, and eye movements. Our participants are also called on the phone every six months to check up on any major changes or life events. In some years we ask for a blood sample to conduct certain tests to help identify possible risk and protective factors against mental decline. We also sometimes request access to participants’ medical records.

What are MYHAT participants’ rights, benefits, and privacy?
Participation is voluntary, and everyone has the right to withdraw from the study at any time with no negative consequences to themselves. All information collected from the study is strictly confidential. Study documents are kept in locked cabinets. Only researchers who are directly involved in the MYHAT study have access to the study information. The data we analyze only contains participants’ study ID numbers, and not their names or addresses or other identifiable information.

What do we do with the information we obtain from MYHAT participants?
The information is coded, entered into the secure database, processed, stored, and then statistically analyzed. The statisticians perform sophisticated analyses to answer our research questions about factors that affect memory and thinking ability. Please explore our website. You can see a list of the investigators, staff, and the scientific reports we have published from the research. If you would like a copy of any of the scientific reports, please let us know and we can provide that to you.

If you have any questions about the MYHAT study, feel free to call our office in White Oak at 412-673-0980 or use the Contact Us form on this website.