The Whitehall II study was set up in 1985 by Professor Sir Michael Marmot to investigate the importance of social class for health by following a cohort of 10,308 working men and women. Looking towards the future, the study seeks to answer questions about how previous and current circumstances affect health and quality of life in an ageing cohort. The study is currently funded by major grants from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI; USA) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA; USA).