title: Transgenerational effects of parental cardiovascular disease and risk factors on offspring mortality: family-linkage data from the HUNT Study, Norway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular risk factors are known to be associated between parents and offspring. However, whether these associations are reflected in increased offspring mortality has not been extensively studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a family study of 32,536 father-offspring and 39,614 mother-offspring pairs who participated in the HUNT Study, Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for offspring total and cardiovascular mortality associated with parental levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors were estimated using Cox regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fathers' and mothers' reporting of cardiovascular disease (HRs: 1.18; 95% CI 1.04-1.32 and 1.20; 1.07-1.35, respectively), diabetes (HRs: 1.22; 95% CI 1.00-1.49 and 1.21; 1.05-1.40, respectively), and current smoking (HRs: 1.21; 95% CI 1.08-1.36 and 1.30; 1.15-1.47, respectively) was associated with total mortality in offspring. An inverse association was found with maternal height (HR: 0.95; 95% CI 0.91-0.99), and a suggestive inverse association with paternal height (HR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.93-1.03). Relations with offspring cardiovascular mortality were less clear and consistent. Offspring whose parents both had a risk factor did not seem to have higher mortality than would be expected from the independent effects of each parent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway kirsti.lund.vik@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Kirsti L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Vik
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway.
authors.forename: Pål
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romundstad
authors.affiliation: MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carslake
authors.affiliation: MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davey Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway.
authors.forename: Tom I L
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Nilsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Epidemiology; cardiovascular diseases; intergenerational relations; risk factors