Smoking offsets the metabolic benefits of parental longevity in women: the CoLaus study.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated whether subjects with long-lived parents show lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors, including the metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
We analyzed data from a Swiss population-based sample (1163 men and 1398 women) aged 55-75 years from Lausanne. Participants were stratified by number of parents (0, 1, 2) who survived to 85 years or more. The associations of parental longevity with cardiovascular risk factors and related metabolic variables were analyzed using multiple linear regressions.


RESULTS
Age-adjusted metabolic syndrome prevalence varied from 24.8%, 20.5% to 13.8% in women (P<0.05) and from 28.8%, 32.1% to 27.6% in men (not significant) with 0, 1 and 2 long-lived parents. The association between parental longevity and metabolic syndrome prevalence was particularly strong in women who had never smoked. In this group, women with 2 long-lived parents had lower Body Mass Index and smaller waist circumference. In never-smokers of both genders, mean (95% CI) adjusted High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were 1.64(1.61-1.67), 1.67(1.65-1.70) and 1.71(1.65-1.76) mmol/L for 0, 1 and 2 long-lived parents (P<0.01), respectively. The trend was not significant in former and current smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
In women, not in men, parental longevity is associated with a better metabolic profile. The metabolic benefits of having long-lived parents are offset by smoking.
Jaunin
Jerome
J
University Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (IUMSP), University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bochud
Murielle
M
Marques-Vidal
Pedro
P
Vollenweider
Peter
P
Waeber
Gérard
G
Mooser
Vincent
V
Paccaud
Fred
F
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
D015415:Biomarkers