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The Health and Retirement Study (HRS)

http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/index.php

Overview
The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS; NIA U01AG009740) surveys more than 20,000 Americans over the age of 50 every two years. Since its launch in 1992, the study has collected information about income, work, assets, pension plans, health insurance, disability, physical health and functioning, cognitive functioning, and health care expenditures.

Data Collection
The HRS is a longitudinal survey of adults aged 50 and older that began in 1992. The original HRS sample consisted of 12,652 individuals born between 1931 and 1941. In 1998, the HRS was merged with the Assets and Health Dynamics among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) study. New cohorts are added every six years. The HRS observational unit is an eligible household financial unit (uncoupled individuals and couples) that must include at least one age-eligible member. Interviews are conducted by telephone or in-person.

Biomarkers

HRS began biomarker collection in 2006 during face-to-face interviews conducted in a random half of the sample.  They were collected from the other half of the sample in 2008.  In 2010 the first half of the sample were asked to provide biomarker data for a second time.

User Guides
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/

Eileen Crimmins, Heidi Guyer, Kenneth Langa, Mary Beth Ofstedal, Robert Wallace, and David Weir, Documentation of Biomarkers in the Health and Retirement Study. HRS Documentation Report (April 2009). 
Eileen Crimmins, Heidi Guyer, Kenneth Langa, Mary Beth Ofstedal, Robert Wallace, and David Weir, Documentation of Physical Measures, Anthropometrics and Blood Pressure in the Health and Retirement Study. HRS Documentation Report DR-011 (February 2008)

Publications
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/index.php?p=bibstat