The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS) of aging, cardiovascular disease and cognitive performance has had its home in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maine since 1976. Participants in the study are persons from the entire adult age-span living in the communities represented by central New York. One must follow longitudinal study subjects wherever they go, and thus the MSLS now includes former residents of central New York who live in Maine and many other states. The longitudinal study paradigm (following the same individuals at prescribed intervals over time) is the ideal design for the study of aging.

The first studies were performed in collaboration between Merrill F. Elias and Professor of Medicine, David H.P. Streeten at what is now State University of New York Health Sciences Center, Syracuse New York. Grant support for this study was transferred from Syracuse University to the University of Maine in 1977. The data analysis and control center resides at the University of Maine, but data collection has always involved the Central New York residents who entered the study at its inception in 1974 Hence the study was labeled the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study.

Professors Merrill Elias and Michael Robbins have been principal and co-principal investigators respectively throughout the 40 years of MSLS presence at the University of Maine. Dr. Ahmed became Associate Director for Research in 2018. Professor Elias is a psychologist and a cardiovascular epidemiologist, Dr. Robbins brings his expertise in social psychology and health psychology to the project, and Dr. Ahmed brings her expertise in clinical psychology, particularly in Neuropsychology.

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Papers from 2023

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Homocysteine Reduction for Stroke Prevention: Regarding the Recent AHA/ASA 2021 Prevention of Stroke in Patients With Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack, Craig Brown, Jianhua Wang, Hong Jiang, and Merrill F. Elias

Papers from 2022

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Medical foods for lowering homocysteine in hypertensive patients, Merrill F. Elias and Craig J. Brown

Papers from 2021

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Reclaiming the importance of homocysteine as a marker of cardiovascular and neurologic disease, Merrill F. Elias

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New Evidence for Homocysteine Lowering for Management of Treatment-Resistant Hypertension, Merrill F. Elias and Craig J. Brown

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Higher yogurt intake is associated with lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals: Cross-sectional findings from the Maine–Syracuse longitudinal study, Alexandra T. Wade, Benjamin A. Guenther, Fayeza S. Ahmed, and Merrill F. Elias

Papers from 2020

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Adherence to a Mediterranean diet associated with lower blood pressure in a US sample: Findings from the Maine- Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Fayeza S. Ahmed, Alexandra T. Wade, Benjamin A. Guenther, Karen J. Murphy, and Merrill F. Elias

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Human Errors in Automated Office Blood Pressure Measurement, Merrill F. Elias and Amanda L. Goodell

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The Perils of Automated Wrist-Cuff Devices and Dental Chairs in Opportunistic Blood Pressure Screening, Merrill F. Elias, Amanda L. Goodell, and Adam Davey

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Leisure activity for dementia prevention. More work to be done., Victor W. Henderson and Merrill F. Elias

Papers from 2019

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Setting the record straight for two heroes in hypertension: John J. Hay and Paul Dudley White, Merrill Elias and Amanda L. Goodell

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Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with cognitive function in an older non- Mediterranean sample: findings from the Maine- Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Alexandra T. Wade, Merril F. Elias, and Karen J. Murphy

Papers from 2018

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Poorer Visual Acuity is Associated with Declines in Cognitive Performance across Multiple Cognitive Domains: The Maine Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Peter J. Dearborn, Merrill F. Elias, Kevin J. Sullivan, Cara E. Sullivan, and Michael A. Robbins

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Design of the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Merrill F. Elias

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Parameters of left ventricular mass and dementia: moving the literature forward, Merrill F. Elias, Rachael V. Torres, and Adam Davey

Papers from 2017

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The Renaissance of Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Cognitive Functioning, Merrill F. Elias and Rachael V. Torres

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Albuminuria and cognitive performance: New evidence for consideration of a risk factor precursor model from the Maastricht Study, Merrill F. Elias, Rachael V. Torres, and Adam Davey

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Systolic orthostatic hypotension is related to lowered cognitive function: Findings from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Rachael V. Torres, Merrill Elias, Georgina E. Crichton, Gregory A. Dore, and Adam Davey

Papers from 2016

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Daily chocolate consumption is inversely associated with insulin resistance and liver enzymes in the Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors study, Ala’a Alkerwi, Nicolas Sauvegeot, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, and Saverio Stranges

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Chocolate intake is associated with better cognitive function: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, and Ala’a Alkerwi

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Relation of habitual chocolate consumption to arterial stiffness in a community-based sample: Preliminary findings, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Ala’a Alkerwi, and Walter P. Abhayaratna

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Habitual chocolate intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study: (1975-2010): Prospective observations, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Peter J. Dearborn MA, and Michael A. Robbins

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Association between depressive symptoms, use of antidepressant medication and the metabolic syndrome: The Maine-Syracuse Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, and Michael A. Robbins

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Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are associated with poorer cognitive function in individuals with type 2 diabetes: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, and Rachael V. Torres

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Challenging the “jolly fat” hypothesis among older adults: High body mass index predicts increases in depressive symptoms over a 5-year period, Peter J. Dearborn MA; Michael A. Robbins Ph.D.; and Merrill F. Elias Ph.D., MPH

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The eye is the window to the kidney and brain, Merrill F. Elias, Rachael V. Torres, and Adam Davey

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Risk for cognitive impairment across 22 measures of cognitive ability in early-stage chronic kidney disease, Rachael V. Torres, Merrill F. Elias, Stephen L. Seliger, Adam Davey, and Michael A. Robbins

Papers from 2015

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Demographic and socioeconomic disparity in nutrition: Application of a novel correlated Component Regression Approach, Ala'a Alkerwi, Céderic Vernier, Nicholas Sauvageot, Georgina E. Crichton, and Merrill F. Elias

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Diet soft drink consumption is associated with the metabolic syndrome: A two sample comparison., Georgina E. Crichton, Ala'a Alkerwi, and Merrill F. Elias

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Intake of lutein-rich vegetables is associated with higher levels of physical activity, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Ala'a Alkerwi, and Jonathon Buckley

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Higher cognitive performance is prospectively associated with healthy dietary choices: The Maine Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Adam Davey, Ala'a Alkerwi, and Gregory A. Dore

Papers from 2014

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Dairy food intake and cardiovascular health: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton and Merrill F. Elias

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Cardiovascular health and cognitive function: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Adam A. Davey, and Ala'a Alkerwi

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Cardiovascular health: A cross-national comparison between The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (Central New York, USA) and ORISCAV-LUX (Luxembourg), Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Adam A. Davey, Nicholas Sauvageot, and Charles Delagardelle

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Higher HDL cholesterol is associated with better cognitive function: The Maine-Syracuse Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Adam A. Davey, and Kevin J. Sullivan

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Measurement-to-measurement blood pressure variability is related to cognitive performance: The Maine-Syracuse Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Rachael V. Torres, and Michael A. Robbins

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Cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, and Michael A. Robbins

Papers from 2013

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Dairy Consumption and Hypertension: Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, and Georgina E. Crichton

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Kidney Disease and Cognitive Function, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, and Adam Davey

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High Rates of Uncontrolled Blood Pressure: Pulse Wave Velocity and Future Opportunities, Merrill Elias, Kevin Sullivan, Gregory A. Dore, and Michael A. Robbins

Papers from 2012

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Relations between dairy food intake and arterial stiffness: Pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Walter P. Abhayaratna, and Michael A. Robbins

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Relations between dairy food intake and arterial stiffness: Pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Walter P. Abhayaratna, and Michael A. Robbins

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Relation between dairy food intake and cognitive function: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, and Michael A. Robbins

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Diabetes mellitus in centenarians, Adam Davey, Uday Lele, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Ilene C. Seliger, Mary Ann Johnson, Dorothy B. Hausman, Lisa Tenover, Leonard W. Poon, and Georgian Centenarian Study

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Hypertension and Cognitive Functioning: A Perspective in Historical Context, Merrill F. Elias, Amanda L. Goodell, and Gregory A. Dore

Papers from 2011

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Metabolic syndrome, cognitive performance and dementia: A review, Georgina E. Crichton, Merrill F. Elias, Jonathan Buckley, Karen Murphy, Janet Bryan, and Vincenza Frisardi

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Balanced decisions and unbiased reporting in bioscience and medicine, Merrill F. Elias, Adam Davey, and Amanda L. Goodell

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Norms and reference values for pulse wave velocity: One size does not fit all, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Adam Davey, Walter P. Abhayaratna, Amanda L. Goodell, and Michael A. Robbins

Papers from 2010

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Cognitive Function, Physical Performance, Health, and Disease: Norms from the Georgia Centenarian Study, Adam Davey, Merrill F. Elias, Ilene C. Seigler, Uday Lele, Peter Martin, Mary Ann Johnson, Dorothy B. Hausman, Leonard W. Poon, and Georgia Centenarian Study

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From Blood Pressure to Physical Disability: The Role of Cognition, Merrill F. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Adam Davey, Michael A. Robbins, and Penelope K. Elias

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Diet and exercise-blood pressure and cognition: to serve and protect, Merrill F. Elias and Amanda L. Goodell

Papers from 2009

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Predicting conversion to mild cognitive impairment: Some error is the price of much truth, Merrill F. Elias and Adam Davey

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Chronic kidney disease, creatinine and cognitive functioning, Merrill F. Elias, Penelope K. Elias, Stephen L. Seliger, Sriram S. Narsipur, Gregory A. Dore, and Michael A. Robbins

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Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity and Cognition With Advancing Age, Merrill F. Elias, Michael A. Robbins, Marc M. Budge, Walter P. Abhayaratna, Gregory A. Dore, and Penelope K. Elias

Papers from 2008

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Relation Between Central Adiposity and Cognitive Function in the Maine–Syracuse Study: Attenuation by Physical Activity, Gregory A. Dore, Merrill F. Elias, Michael A. Robbins, Marc M. Budge, and Penelope K. Elias

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Homocysteine and cognitive performance: Modification by the ApoE genotype, Merrill F. Elias, Michael A. Robbins, Marc M. Budge, Penelope K. Elias, Gregory A. Dore, Suzanne L. Brennan, Carole Johnston, and Suzsanna Nagy

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Blood Pressure and Disability: First Steps in Future Studies, Michael A. Robbins, Penelope K. Elias, and Merrill F. Elias

Papers from 2007

Cognitive performance and age: Norms from the Maine-Syracuse Study, Gregory A. Dore, Merrill F. Elias, Michael A. Robbins, Penelope K. Elias, and Suzanne L. Brennan

Papers from 2006

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Homocysteine, Folate, and Vitamins B6 and B12 Blood Levels in Relation to Cognitive Performance: The Maine-Syracuse Study, Merrill F. Elias, Michael A. Robbins, Marc M. Budge, Penelope K. Elias, Suzanne L. Brennan, Carole Johnston, Zsuzsanna Nagy, and Christopher J. Bates

Papers from 2005

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Serum Cholesterol and Cognitive Performance in the Framingham Heart Study, Penelope K. Elias, Merrill F. Elias, Ralph B. D'Agostino, Lisa M. Sullivan, and Philip A. Wolf

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Homocysteine, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cognitive performance: The Maine-Syracuse Study, Michael A. Robbins, Merrill F. Elias, Marc M. Budge, Suzanne L. Brennan, and Penelope K. Elias

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Blood Pressure and Cognitive Function in an African-American and a Caucasian-American Sample: The Maine-Syracuse Study, Michael A. Robbins, Merrill F. Elias, Penelope K. Elias, and Marc M. Budge

Papers from 2004

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New Norms for a New Generation: Cognitive Performance in the Framingham Offspring Cohort, Rhoda Au, Sudha Seshadri, Philip A. Wolf, Merrill F. Elias, Penelope K. Elias, Lisa Sullivan, Alexa Beiser, and Ralph B. D'Agostino

Papers from 2000

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Low Blood Pressure and Depression: Comorbidity and Competing Outcomes, Michael A. Robbins, Penelope K. Elias, and Merrill F. Elias

Papers from 1998

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Idiopathic intracranial hypertension and orthostatic edema may share a common pathogenesis, Deborah L. Friedman and David H. P. Streeten

Papers from 1994

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Effects of Antihypertensive Medications on Quality of Life in Elderly Hypertensive Women, Sydney H. Croog, Merrill F. Elias, Theodore Colton, Robert M. Baume, Sandra R. Leiblum, C David Jones, H Mitchell Perry, and W Dallas Hall

Unmedicated blood pressure levels and quality of life in elderly hypertensive women, Michael A. Robbins, Merrill F. Elias, Sydney F. Croog, and Theodore Colton

Papers from 1993

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Treatment of orthostatic hypotension with erythropoietin, Robert D. Hoeldtke and David H. P. Streeten

Papers from 1992

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Delayed orthostatic intolerance, David H. P. Streeten and Gunnar H. Anderson

Papers from 1990

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Pathogenesis of hyperadrenergic orthostatic hypotension: Evidence of disordered venous innervation exclusively in the lower limbs, David H. P. Streeten

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Primary hyperepinephrinemia in patients without pheochromocytoma, David H. P. Streeten, Gunnar H. Anderson, Mitchell Lebowitz, and Philip J. Speller

Papers from 1987

Clinical significance of cognitive performance by hypertensive patients, Merrill F. Elias, Michael A. Robbins, Norman R. Schultz, David H. P. Streeten, and Penelope K. Elias

Papers from 1979

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Relationship of age and hypertension to neuropsychological test performance, Clyde A. Pentz III, Merrill F. Elias, W Gibson Wood, Norman A. Schultz, and John Dineen

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Anxiety and depression in young and middle aged hypertensive and normotensive subjects, W. Gibson Wood, Merrill F. Elias, Norman R. Schultz, and Clyde A. Pentz