Edward David Freis (1912-2005) was an American cardiologist who made key contributions to clinical and scientific understanding of cardiovascular disease. He is best known as the father of the first double-blind, multi-institutional controlled clinical trial of cardiovascular drugs, the Veterans Administration Cooperative Study on Antihypertensive Agents. This landmark study demonstrated that treating high blood pressure--hypertension--with medication could dramatically reduce disability and death from stroke, congestive heart failure, and other cardiovascular diseases. Freis received a Lasker Award in 1971 in recognition of this work. The study provided the impetus for the establishment of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 1972, and launched an era of preventive cardiology. The National Library of Medicine is the repository for the Edward D. Freis Papers, which range from 1926 to 2004. The collection contains articles, photographic prints, correspondence, and speeches.

As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine has made available online a digitized selection of the Edward D. Freis Papers. This website provides access to the portions of the Edward D. Freis Papers that are now publicly available. Individuals interested in conducting research using the full collection of Edward D. Freis Papers should contact the National Library of Medicine.

This Profile is designed to introduce you to the various phases of Freis's scientific career and professional life. Narrative sections available from the navigation bar under "The Story" focus on Freis's life and major scientific contributions to public health.

Researchers can search the digitized items using the Search box or browse all Documents and Visuals in the collection by selecting "Collection Items" from the navigation bar.