Anthropometric, cardiovascular, physiologic and physical fitness data were used to investigate a series of critical issues about the etiology, heterogeneity, comorbidity and developmental trajectories of CVD risk factors, including obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular health. Using the two datasets, the main questions of the study were addressed. How do genes and environment act and interact to create covariation between obesity and hypertension, and were the genetic and environmental factors the same at all ages (from childhood to late adolescence and adulthood) in both sexes? Areas of research included the following: causes of individual differences in anthropometric and cardiovascular characteristics, their covariation and developmental change or continuity in adolescence, parent-offspring transmission, prediction of cardiovascular risk, and sex, race and population differences in genetic and environmental contributions on cardiovascular risk factors.