Chapter VIII: Faribault Materials and Methods

The National Diet-Heart Study included a feasibility trial in an institution for the mentally retarded, the Faribault State School and Hospital, Faribault, Minnesota. In order to recruit 225 men from a total institutional population of 3,179, the age range had to be expanded to 40-59, and the medical criteria for eligibility relaxed. In both the First and Extended Studies, four groups were followed, B, C, and D (as in the open centers), plus a group E. (40% of calories from fat, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, very high in polyunsaturated fat). In the Extended Study, less expensive lean meats were procured locally, and fed to half the men, while the other half continued to eat D-H meats. A considerable investment had to be made to assure successful feeding of the four diets to the subjects. The Second Study at Faribault evaluated the effects on serum cholesterol of simultaneously varying amount of dietary cholesterol, and amount and type of dietary fat (for design and results, cf. Chapter XVII).