title: Distribution of risk factors in parents and siblings of patients with early coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with risk factors (RF). Offspring of parents with a RF have a greater prevalence of them. However, the distribution of RF in parents and siblings of patients with early CAD is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised the parents and siblings of 42 patients with early CAD (< 45 years), 29 males. Their mean age was 39.5 +/- 3.7 years. The following major RF were analyzed: smoking (> 5 cigarretes/day), hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol > 200 mg/dL), hypertension (diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg), and diabetes (glycemia > 126 mg/dL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 102 RF, 4, 3, 2, and 1 were observed in, respectively, 5, 15, 15, and 7 patients with early CAD, the most prevalent being smoking (86%) and hypercholesterolemia (83%). Diabetes was observed in 15 (36%) and hypertension in 16 (38%) patients. Smoking was more prevalent in the fathers (76%) and hypercholesterolemia in the mothers (30%). In 183 siblings, 131 RF were observed (1 patient with the disease had a mean of 4.7 siblings). The prevalences of smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes in the siblings were, respectively, 32%, 18%, 14%, and 9%. The incidence of RF was as follows: 72 (39%) siblings had 1 RF, 25 (14%) siblings had 2 RF, and 3 (2%) siblings had 3 RF. In parents and their offspring, smoking was moderately correlated (r=0.43; P=0.02) with CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking habit of parents is passed on to offspring, and, in association with hypercholesterolemia, it was the major cause of early CAD in offspring. High prevalence of smoking in offspring shows the potential responsibility of parents in the incidence of the disease in offspring.
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio de Padua
authors.initials: Ade P
authors.lastname: Mansur
authors.forename: André P L
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mattar
authors.forename: Anderson L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rolim
authors.forename: Fábio R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Yoshi
authors.forename: José F G
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Luíz Antonio M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: César
authors.forename: José Antonio F
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramires
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects