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[Does an early heart attack in a parent indicate increased cardiovascular risk in the offspring?]
M Rumboldt1, Z Rumboldt, S Pesenti
1Skolska poliklinika, Dom zdravlja Split.
Insights
Cardiovascular risk factors like hypercholesterolemia and hypertension are prevalent in children of parents with premature coronary artery disease. Early identification and intervention are crucial for these high-risk offspring.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Context:
- Premature coronary artery disease (CAD) affects individuals under 45.
- Family history is a significant indicator of cardiovascular risk.
- Understanding risk factors in offspring is vital for early prevention.
Purpose:
- To analyze cardiovascular risk factors in offspring of patients with premature CAD.
- To compare risk factor prevalence between affected offspring and a control group.
- To identify common risk factors in this high-risk pediatric population.
Summary:
- A 5-year study examined 97 offspring (ages 3-26) of 55 patients with premature CAD.
- Over 50% of offspring exhibited cardiovascular risk factors, including hypercholesterolemia (45%), hypertension (40%), obesity (32%), and smoking (24%).
- Offspring with risk factors showed significantly higher blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels compared to controls.
Impact:
- Highlights the genetic predisposition and early onset of cardiovascular risks in families with premature CAD.
- Emphasizes the need for proactive screening and lifestyle interventions in children with a parental history of early heart disease.
- Provides data for developing targeted pediatric cardiovascular health programs.
Abstract:
In a 5-year period analyzed were cardiovascular risk factors in 55 patients suffering from premature coronary accidents (below the age of 45) and in their 97 offsprings, aged 3-26 years. In 50 of these children (51.6%), 22 girls and 28 boys, in addition to the obvious positive family history, detected were other cardiovascular risk factors. The most common among them was hypercholesterolemia (in 45.0%), followed by arterial hypertension (40.0%), obesity (32.0%) and smoking (24.0%). Majority of these offsprings (64.0%) had only one additional risk factor. The average blood pressure, relative weight and cholesterol levels were significantly higher in these very children than in all the coronary offsprings (p < 0.05), and even more so (p < 0.01) than in the matching control sample.