Heritability of Vascular Structure and Function: A Parent-Child Study.
Understanding the heritable contribution of vascular measures, from parent to offspring, may aid in risk stratification and atherosclerosis prevention efforts. We hypothesized that measures of vascular structure and function would be heritable in this cohort of parents and their adolescent offspring.



High-resolution ultrasound scans of the brachial and carotid arteries were obtained in parents (n=558) and their offspring (n=369). Lumen diameter and flow-mediated dilation were measured in the brachial artery. Intima-media thickness, lumen diameter, incremental elastic modulus, diameter distensibility, and cross-sectional distensibility were measured, and carotid cross-sectional compliance was measured in the carotid artery. Carotid-radial pulse wave velocity was obtained using SphygmoCor®. Heritability analysis (h2, expressed as %) using Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines was performed on the entire cohort and adjusted for age, sex, race, body-mass index, smoking, and mean arterial pressure. Data are presented as mean±SE. Measures of brachial artery diameter (h2=25±9%, P=0.001), lumen diameter (h2=55±9%, P<0.001), intima-media thickness (h2=29±13%, P=0.014), diameter distensibility (h2=28±7%, P<0.001), cross-sectional distensibility (h2=27±7%, P<0.001), and pulse wave velocity (h2=26±9%, P<0.001) were significantly heritable. Flow-mediated dilation and incremental elastic modulus were not significantly heritable. Similar associations were observed in analysis restricted to siblings and complete Trios (mother, father, and child).



These data show that the majority of noninvasive measures of vascular structure and function are heritable, suggesting that measurement of these subclinical risk factors in parents may be helpful in assessing childhood risk for future cardiovascular disease.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN jrryder@umn.edu.
Justin R
JR
Ryder
Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.
Nathan D
ND
Pankratz
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.|School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Donald R
DR
Dengel
Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN.
James S
JS
Pankow
Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN.
David R
DR
Jacobs
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.
Alan R
AR
Sinaiko
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.
Vasu
V
Gooty
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.
Julia
J
Steinberger
D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*
carotid artery; carotid intima‐media thickness; heritability; vascular endothelial function; vascular imaging