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Wives of coronary high-risk men--are they also at higher risk? The Tromsø Heart Study
1Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway.
Insights
Wives of men at high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) share similar unhealthy lifestyle factors and have an increased risk for CHD themselves. Shared household environments likely contribute to these elevated risks.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk is influenced by various factors including blood lipids, blood pressure, BMI, smoking, diet, and exercise.
- Identifying individuals and households at elevated risk for CHD is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether wives of men with high coronary heart disease (CHD) risk exhibit similar risk factors and have an increased CHD risk compared to the general population.
- To explore the role of shared lifestyle within households in the transmission of CHD risk.
Main Methods:
- The study analyzed data from 911 wives of men identified as high risk for CHD (based on cholesterol levels) from the 1979/80 Tromsø Survey.
- These wives were compared to age-matched married women from the general population regarding blood lipids, BMI, smoking, education, and dietary habits.
- Coronary risk scores were calculated for both groups.
Main Results:
- Wives of high-risk men had significantly higher total cholesterol, lower HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio, higher BMI, and higher coronary risk scores.
- A greater proportion of these wives were daily smokers and had fewer years of education.
- They also reported more dietary habits associated with increased CHD risk compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Living in a household with an individual at high risk for CHD is associated with an increased CHD risk for other household members, particularly spouses.
- Shared lifestyle factors, including diet and smoking, are likely the primary drivers of this increased risk within families.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering the entire household in CHD prevention efforts.
Abstract:
Blood lipids, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), smoking, dietary and exercise habits were studied in 911 wives of men with high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Following the 1979/80 Tromsø Survey, 1373 men, aged 30-54 years, were identified as having high risk for CHD (HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol less than or equal to 17.6% and/or total cholesterol greater than or equal to 7.86 mmol l-1). Of the 1373 men, 911 individuals had wives who also attended the screening. These wives were compared to age-matched, married women in the general population. A significantly higher total cholesterol level (5.98 mmol l-1 vs. 5.78 mmol l-1), lower HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol (30.01% vs. 31.58%), higher BMI and higher coronary risk score (4.55 vs. 3.82) was found among the wives of the high-risk men. Furthermore, a higher proportion of these individuals were daily cigarette smokers (47.3% vs. 42.1%), and had received fewer years of education. They also had more dietary habits associated with increased risk of CHD than other married women in the general population. Our findings support the hypothesis that members of the same household as a person with increased risk for CHD also have increased risk. This is most probably due to shared lifestyle.