The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) was designed to determine the characteristics of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and identify the risk factors associated with disease progression. Sponsored by the NIH’s National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the research has been conducted by six university clinics located throughout the United States. Over 6,000 men and women aged 45 to 84 years were recruited for the first exam which took place over two years, from 2000 to 2002. Subsequently, participants have been contacted every 9-12 months to assess clinical morbidity and mortality with the sixth 2-year exam period ending in June 2018. The ethnic breakdown of the original cohort was: 38% white, 28% African-American, 22% Hispanic, and 12% Asian, predominantly of Chinese descent. The dataset includes demographic, medical history, lifestyle and psychosocial factors, clinical, laboratory values, genetic, and diagnostic imaging results.