title: Multifactorial inheritance of abdominal aortic aneurysm.
abstract: The possible genetic predisposition to abdominal aortic aneurysm was investigated by recording the family history from 60 consecutive patients presenting for aneurysm repair. Twenty patients, age 63.2 +/- 9.3 years, had at least one first degree relative with abdominal aortic aneurysm. Thirty six patients, age 69.6 +/- 6.3 years, knew of no aortic aneurysm amongst first degree relatives and four patients could not give a full family history. A total of 25 among 320 first degree relatives (8%) or 14 amongst 192 siblings (7%) had an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Both the younger age of presentation (P less than 0.01) and the concentration of women amongst those with a positive family history argue for multifactorial inheritance of abdominal aortic aneurysm, with the genetic component calculated as approximately 70%. These same factors suggest that it might be worthwhile screening for aneurysmal disease the sibling smokers of female and younger male probands.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors