The Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) is a study of the ...



What is NOMAS?

The Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) is a study of the population of Washington Heights in Northern Manhattan. The ongoing study, which began in 1990, is based in the Neurological Institute of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, located in Washington Heights. Its knowledgeable team of doctors and researchers has enrolled over 4,400 people from the surrounding community, many of whom have suffered a stroke or related neurological syndromes.

NOMAS is the first study of its kind to focus on stroke risk factors in whites, blacks, and Hispanics living in the same community. It is helping to fill gaps in our knowledge of stroke epidemiology in minority populations. Until now, there has not been sufficient research of Hispanic communities and their risks for stroke and heart disease, and NOMAS strives to provide that needed resource of knowledge and prevention.

The overall goal of NOMAS is to investigate stroke risk factors in different race-ethnic groups. NOMAS is also committed to developing better stroke prevention programs to improve the health of the surrounding community. The study looks at risk factors, occurrence, and outcome of stroke in Northern Manhattan’s multiethnic population.

The Hispanic population in Northern Manhattan is largely Dominican, along with Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central and South American components. The Hispanic community continues to grow today. NOMAS provides a vital source of support and information for the Hispanic, black, and white community. Using clinical trials, interviews with patients, and other neurological examinations, the study has already made great advances in the understanding, prevention, and treatment of stroke.

NOMAS is part of the stroke service at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and Columbia University’s School of Public Health. The project director is Dr. Ralph L. Sacco. NOMAS is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn More

Stroke and coronary disease are two of the top three leading causes of death in the United States.

Facts about stroke:

• On average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 45 seconds.

• Each year, about 700,000 people have a stroke (out of 4,700,000).

• One of every 14 deaths is caused by stroke.

• On average, every 3.1 minutes someone dies of a stroke.

Citation for above statistics

American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2003 Update. Dallas, Tex.: American Heart Association; 2002.

One of NOMAS’s most important missions is to increase the community’s awareness about the risk factors for stroke and what steps those at risk can take to prevent stroke from occurring.

These risk factors include:

• Heart problems

• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• Family history of stroke or coronary disease

• High blood pressure

• Obesity

• High cholesterol levels

• Smoking

• Lack of physical activity

• Excessive alcohol consumption

Signs of Stroke:

(any of the following symptoms lasting more than 24 hours)

• Sudden loss or change of speech

• Sudden loss of vision

• Sudden numbness or tingling on one side of the body

• Sudden paralysis or weakness of the face, arm or leg

• Sudden spells of dizziness or loss of balance

For more information about stroke:





About Hispanics specifically:

Stroke affects Hispanics and blacks more than whites, regardless of socio-economic status. Hispanics are also the most rapidly growing minority in this country. Caribbean Hispanics are one of the two major groups of Hispanics in the United States. There are many Caribbean Hispanics, particularly with origins in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, living in the Northern Manhattan community.

What NOMAS Has Done So Far: Findings, Published Papers, etc.

NOMAS is evaluating reasons for race-ethnic differences in stroke incidence and confirming findings of the protective, beneficial effects of physical activity and moderate, daily alcohol intake.

NOMAS has found that Caribbean Hispanics from the Northern Manhattan community had strokes at a younger age than blacks and whites. There was also a higher rate of stroke-related death in Caribbean Hispanic and black patients than in white patients. NOMAS continues to investigate risk factors for stroke and enhance the Hispanic community’s awareness of stroke prevention.

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