Decades-Long study reveals if early nurse support shields families from heart disease and diabetes

This study followed over 1,000 low-income, first-time mothers and their children for 29 years to see if a program of nurse home visits during pregnancy and early childhood could prevent chronic diseases later in life. The program, called the Nurse-Family Partnership, aimed to see if this early support reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease in both the mothers and their now-adult children. Researchers measured health markers like body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation to understand the long-term health impacts of the early-life program.