Patients' sibling history was sensitive for hypertension and specific for diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the analytic validity of reported family history of hypertension and diabetes among siblings in the Seychelles.


METHODS
Four hundred four siblings from 73 families with at least two hypertensive persons were identified through a national hypertension register. Two gold standards were used prospectively. Sensitivity was the proportion of respondents who indicated the presence of disease in a sibling, given that the sibling reported to be affected (personal history gold standard) or was clinically affected (clinical status gold standard). Specificity was the proportion of respondents who reported an unaffected sibling, given that the sibling reported to be unaffected or was clinically unaffected. Respondents gave information on the disease status in their siblings in approximately two-thirds of instances.


RESULTS
When sibling history could be obtained (n=348 for hypertension, n=404 for diabetes), the sensitivity and the specificity of the sibling history were, respectively, 90 and 55% for hypertension, and 61 and 98% for diabetes, using clinical status and, respectively, 89 and 78% for hypertension, and 53 and 98% for diabetes, using personal history.


CONCLUSIONS
The sibling history, when available, is a useful screening test to detect hypertension, but it is less useful to detect diabetes.
Bochud
Murielle
M
University Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, Rue du Bugnon 17, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland. pascal.bovet@hospvd.ch
Burnier
Michel
M
Paccaud
Fred
F
Falconnet
Catherine
C
Mooser
Vincent
V
Both
Norma
N
Bovet
Pascal
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012750:Seychelles / Q000453:epidemiology