title: Can the cardiovascular family history reported by our patients be trusted? The Norwegian Stroke in the Young Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Family history (FH) is used as a marker for inherited risk. Using FH for this purpose requires the FH to reflect true disease in the family. The aim was to analyse the concordance between young and middle-aged ischaemic stroke patients' reported FH of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with their parents' own reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ischaemic stroke patients aged 15-60 years and their eligible parents were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Information of own CVD and FH of CVD was registered. Concordance between patients and parents was tested by kappa statistics, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios. Regression analyses were performed to identify patient characteristics associated with non-concordance of replies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in response rate between fathers and mothers (P = 0.355). Both parents responded in 57 cases. Concordance between patient and parent reports was good, with kappa values ranging from 0.57 to 0.7. The patient-reported FH yielded positive predictive values of 75% or above and negative predictive values of 90% or higher. The positive likelihood ratios (LR+) were 10 or higher and negative likelihood ratios (LR-) were generally 0.5 or lower. Interpretation regarding peripheral arterial disease was limited due to low parental prevalence. Higher age was associated with impaired concordance between patient and parent reports (odds ratio 1.05; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.09; P = 0.020).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FH provided by young and middle-aged stroke patients is in good concordance with parental reports. FH is an adequate proxy to assess inherited risk of CVD in young stroke patients.
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Øygarden
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Fromm
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors: K M
authors: KM
authors: Sand
authors: Centre for Clinical Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.|Lifestyle Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors: G E
authors: GE
authors: Eide
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Thomassen
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Naess
authors: Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Waje-Andreassen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards*; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cardiovascular disease; family history; ischaemic stroke; verification; young stroke