title: Lack of familial predisposition to cardiovascular disease in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with nephropathy.
abstract: A familial predisposition has been proposed as a major determinant of the increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease demonstrated in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with nephropathy. We assessed this concept by studying 91 parents of Type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy and 94 parents of aged-matched Type 1 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria. The two groups of parents were of a similar age (58 +/- 8 vs 58 +/- 7 years). The prevalence (%) of death and cardiovascular diseases (World Health Organisation questionnaire) was 10 (4-18)% and 12 (6-21)% in parents of nephropathic patients compared to 8 (3-16)% and 13 (6-23)% in parents of normoalbuminuric Type 1 diabetic patients. The frequency of risk factors for cardiovascular disease were about the same in both groups of parents. Microalbuminuria was found in 5% and 11%, hypercholesterolaemia (greater than 6.5 mmol/l) in 25% and 26% and smokers constituted 40% and 34% of parents of patients with and without proteinuria, respectively. A familial predisposition to cardiovascular disease cannot explain the increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease in young patients with diabetic nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Steno Memorial and Hvidøre Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nørgaard
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Mathiesen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hommel
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Parving
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003718:Denmark; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol