Familial aggregation of hypertension treatment and control in the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess if the treatment and control of hypertension aggregates in families.


METHODS
The Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study enrolled sibships between 1997 and 1999, including 1329 hypertensive non-Hispanic blacks (1057 sibling pairs) from Jackson, Mississippi, 1133 hypertensive non-Hispanic whites (859 sibling pairs) from Rochester, Minnesota, and 752 hypertensive Hispanic whites (627 sibling pairs) from Starr County, Texas. Hypertension awareness and drug treatment were ascertained at examination; control was defined by blood pressure levels <140/90 mm Hg. As a measure of familial aggregation, odds ratios were calculated to assess concordance between sibling pairs in the treatment and control of hypertension.


RESULTS
Overall, 90.5% of subjects were aware of their hypertension; 90.6% of those who were aware were treated with antihypertensive drugs and 56.0% of those treated had their hypertension controlled. There was statistically significant sib-sib concordance in the treatment of hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25 to 2.47; P = 0.003) and in the control of drug-treated hypertension (OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.81; P <0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the treatment and control of hypertension aggregates in families.
Daniels
Paul R
PR
Division of Hypertension and Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Kardia
Sharon L R
SL
Hanis
Craig L
CL
Brown
C Andrew
CA
Hutchinson
Richard
R
Boerwinkle
Eric
E
Turner
Stephen T
ST
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D035781:Siblings; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents