title: High prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors in first-degree relatives of individuals with familial premature coronary artery disease--the GENECARD project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and smoking are highly prevalent among patients with familial premature coronary artery disease (FP-CAD). Whether these risk factors equally affect other family members remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 222 FP-CAD patients, 158 unaffected sibs, 197 offspring and 94 spouses in 108 FP-CAD families (> or = 2 sibs having survived CAD diagnosed before age 51 (M)/56 (F)), and compared them to population controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unaffected sibs had a higher prevalence of hypertension (49% versus 24%, p<0.001), hypercholesterolemia (47% versus 34%, p=0.002), abdominal obesity (35% versus 24%, p=0.006) and smoking (39% versus 24%, p=0.001) than population controls. Offspring had a higher prevalence of hypertension (females), hypercholesterolemia and abdominal obesity than population controls. No difference was observed between spouses and controls. Compared to unaffected sibs, FP-CAD affected sibs had a similar risk factor profile, except for smoking, which was more prevalent (76% versus 39%, p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension, obesity and hypercholesterolemia are highly prevalent among first-degree relatives, but not spouses, of patients with FP-CAD. These persons deserve special medical attention due to their familial/genetic susceptibility to atherogenic metabolic abnormalities. In these families, smoking may be the trigger for FP-CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, CHUV University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. Claire.Hurrell@chuv.ch
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hurrell
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wietlisbach
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jotterand
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volet
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lenain
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicod
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Darioli
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paccaud
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mooser
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat; D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children; D017668:Age of Onset; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D018454:Spouses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data