--- title: "Washington Heights and Inwood Community Aging project (WHICAP)" id: "1244" type: "study" slug: "sa000007" published_at: "2020-02-19T18:57:09+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-26T15:28:39+00:00" url: "https://dss.niagads.org/studies/sa000007/" markdown_url: "https://dss.niagads.org/studies/sa000007.md" excerpt: "Since inception of the study in 1992, over 6,000 participants have enrolled in the Washington Heights and Inwood Community Aging project (WHICAP). The cohort participants were nondemented initially, 65 years of age or older, and comprised of non‐Hispanic whites (32%),..." --- ## Description Since inception of the study in 1992, over 6,000 participants have enrolled in the Washington Heights and Inwood Community Aging project (WHICAP). The cohort participants were nondemented initially, 65 years of age or older, and comprised of non‐Hispanic whites (32%), African Americans (28%), and Caribbean Hispanics from the Dominican Republic (44%). During each assessment, participants received a neuropsychological test battery, medical interview, and were re‐consented for sharing of genetic information and autopsy. A consensus diagnosis was derived for each participant by experienced clinicians based on NINCDS‐ADRDA criteria for possible, probable, or definite AD, or moderate or high likelihood of neuropathological criteria of AD. Over the length of the project, WHICAP have identified environmental, health-related and genetic risk factors of disease and predictors of disease progression by collecting longitudinal data on cognitive performance, emotional health, independence in daily activities, blood pressure, anthropometric measures, cardiovascular status and selected biomarkers in this elderly, multi-ethnic cohort. Biomarker studies include lipids, amyloid peptides, sex hormones, homocysteine, insulin and C-reactive protein (CRP), and MRI in these elderly participants. WHICAP have reported that the rates of disease and the frequency of disease risk factors vary across ethnic groups, and have identified one of the largest, multi-ethnic groups of incident LOAD cases. ## PI Richard P. Mayeux, MD, MSc *Columbia University* ## Associated Datasets - [NG00067 - ADSP Umbrella](https://dss.niagads.org/datasets/ng00067/) This dataset includes sequencing data and harmonized phenotypes from cohorts sequenced by the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project and other AD and Related Dementia’s studies. Samples are processed using a common… [Learn more](https://dss.niagads.org/datasets/ng00067/) - [NG00093 - WHICAP GWAS (CHOP)](https://dss.niagads.org/datasets/ng00093/) The Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) is a community-based longitudinal study of aging and dementia among elderly, urban-dwelling residents. Beginning enrolment in 1989, WHICAP has followed more than 5,900… [Learn more](https://dss.niagads.org/datasets/ng00093/) ## Associated Sample Sets - [snd10007 - WHICAP WES](https://dss.niagads.org/sample-sets/snd10007/) The WHICAP WES study consists of a multi-ethnic cohort of 4,100 individuals followed over several years. Participants were community-living Medicare recipients 65 years and older recruited from northern Manhattan to… [Learn more](https://dss.niagads.org/sample-sets/snd10007/) - [snd10106 - WHICAP1 WGS](https://dss.niagads.org/sample-sets/snd10106/) A total of 237 WHICAP cohort samples were sequenced at NYGC and USUHS using the Illumina HiSeqX platform. The BAM files were sent to GCAD for processing through the VCPA1.1… [Learn more](https://dss.niagads.org/sample-sets/snd10106/) - [snd10132 - WHICAP GWAS](https://dss.niagads.org/sample-sets/snd10132/) The WHICAP sample set was genotyped at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia using the Illumina Infinium OmniExpress BeadChip which captures genotype data on 730,525 genomic SNPs. The standard Alzheimer's Disease… [Learn more](https://dss.niagads.org/sample-sets/snd10132/) ## Cohorts - [Washington Heights and Inwood Community Aging project (WHICAP)](https://dss.niagads.org/cohorts/washington-heights-and-inwood-community-aging-project-whicap/) Unrelated Nondemented (initially), 65 years of age or older including non‐Hispanic whites (32%), African Americans (28%), and Caribbean Hispanics from the Dominican Republic (44%). Assessments include: medical evaluation, cognitive testing,… [Learn more](https://dss.niagads.org/cohorts/washington-heights-and-inwood-community-aging-project-whicap/) ## Grants R01AG072474 ## Acknowledgement ### Acknowledgment statement for any data distributed by NIAGADS: Data for this study were prepared, archived, and distributed by the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Data Storage Site (NIAGADS) at the University of Pennsylvania (U24-AG041689), funded by the National Institute on Aging. ### For investigators using Washington Heights and Inwood Community Aging project (WHICAP) data: Data collection and sharing for this project was supported by the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP R01AG072474, PO1AG07232, R01AG037212, RF1AG054023) funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). This manuscript has been reviewed by WHICAP investigators for scientific content and consistency of data interpretation with previous WHICAP Study publications. We acknowledge the WHICAP study participants and the WHICAP research and support staff for their contributions to this study**.** ## Publications - Gu Y. **Risk of Alzheimer's disease is associated with longitudinal changes in plasma biomarkers in the multi-ethnic Washington Heights-Hamilton Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP) cohort.***Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2024 Mar.*[PubMed link](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38183363/)