Screening of family members of patients with premature coronary heart disease; results from the EUROASPIRE II family survey.

AIMS: To determine whether the Joint European Societies' recommendations that first degree blood relatives of patients with premature coronary heart disease (CHD) should be screened for coronary risk factors is being followed and, if so, how effectively these relatives are being managed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a postal questionnaire, 3322 relatives (siblings and children >/=18 years of age) of 1289 index patients in the EUROASPIRE II survey who had suffered from premature CHD (men under 55 years and women under 65 years) were asked whether screening for coronary risk factors had occurred and, if so, how they were being managed in terms of lifestyle advice and drug therapies. Overall, screening for coronary risk factors because of CHD in the family was only performed in 11.1% of siblings and 5.6% of children. However, prevalences of different cardiac risk factors were high both in relatives and offspring and a clear familial clustering could be documented. Less than 50% of siblings and 25% of children were given some general lifestyle advice regarding cardiac risk factors. Moreover, active interventions such as starting antihypertensive or lipid lowering drugs were rarely carried out, particularly in children of patients with premature CHD. CONCLUSIONS: European physicians rarely screen family members of patients with premature CHD for cardiac risk factors. General lifestyle style advice or active treatment for these risk factors are also rarely given. However, since these family members have a high prevalence and familial clustering of cardiac risk factors, they form an ideal target population for primary prevention of CHD in high-risk patients.     

Implementation of guidelines to screen relatives of patients with premature coronary heart disease in a hospital setting

First-degree relatives of patients with premature coronary heart disease (CHD) bear a substantial excessive risk of CHD; however, multiple barriers may prevent risk factor screening. We examined the feasibility of family screening in a university hospital setting. Consecutive men <55 and women <65 years old admitted to the cardiology ward for coronary angiography and/or angioplasty, acute coronary syndrome, or after coronary artery bypass surgery attended a follow-up clinic visit within 6 months. Of 600 probands with eligible siblings, 78% agreed to contact their siblings, and of 480 probands with eligible children, 93% agreed to contact their children. Proband characteristics that predicted (p <0.05) successful screening of children were female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.0), nonimmigrants (OR 2.3), and low educational level (OR 1.7). Predictors of screening of siblings were age (OR 0.95), female gender (OR 2.0), nonimmigrants (OR 4.0), and cigarette smoker (OR 0.6). Sisters and daughters were more likely to complete screening than brothers and sons. Among screened brothers and sisters, 15% and 8% had CHD or a CHD risk equivalent, respectively; moreover, 71% and 46%, respectively, had > or =1 additional major CHD risk factor. Only 3% of sons and 2% of daughters had CHD or a CHD risk equivalent; however, 50% and 40%, respectively, had >/=1 additional CHD risk factor, primarily smoking. These findings indicate that most patients with premature CHD were willing to contact relatives for screening. Screening yielded a substantial percentage of relatives with additional CHD risk factors.     

The Family Atherosclerosis Risk Intervention Study (FARIS): risk factor profiles of patients and their relatives following an acute cardiac event

Abstract Background: Relatives of patients with coronary heart disease have a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease. Attendance at a family-based screening clinic after an acute cardiac event could motivate patients and relatives to modify their lifestyles.
Aims: The Family Atherosclerosis Risk Intervention Study (FARIS) aimed to determine (i) whether a high proportion of patients and relatives would attend a special screening and prevention programme; (ii) whether the risk factor profiles of relatives would be worse than those in the general community; and (iii) whether ongoing management of patients and families together in a special clinic would improve risk factor profiles.
Methods: Consecutive patients, together with spouse, siblings and offspring, aged 18 to 69 years, were randomly allocated three months after an acute cardiac event to attend a special outpatient clinic, a screening and advice group, or a control group. Risk factor measures were total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (HDLC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI) and smoking behaviour. This paper presents the risk factor profiles of all FARIS attenders and compares those of family members, age adjusted, with risk factors measured in a multicentre urban cross-sectional survey conducted in die same period. Differences between groups were compared using t-tests for numerical variables and ANOVA and chi-square for categorical variables.
Results: Six hundred and twenty-eight patients and 1723 family members were enrolled, representing 85.9% and 82.7% of eligible patients and relatives respectively. Risk factors were significantly worse amongst family members than among those in the population survey.
Conclusion: FARIS has achieved high attendance rates of high risk subjects who are well motivated for secondary and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.     

Is exercise testing useful to improve the prediction of coronary events in asymptomatic subjects?

OBJECTIVE: The value of exercise testing (ET) in asymptomatic subjects remains controversial and is unknown in countries with a low coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of ET to improve the prediction of a first coronary event in such a population. METHODS: Using a prospective cohort study, 1051 consecutive healthy asymptomatic adults were enrolled in a cardiovascular screening program including ET. The pre-test risk of CHD was evaluated by the 10-year Framingham risk function. Positive ET was defined as a horizontal or downsloping ST-segment depression >/=1.0 mm. The primary outcome was total coronary events (CE) occurrence, including cardiac deaths, acute myocardial infarction and stable or unstable angina. The mean follow-up period was 6 years. RESULTS: Subjects were aged 18-79 years and 36% were women. A total of 89 subjects (8.5%) had a positive ET. Positive exercise testing was associated with CE occurrence in a univariate analysis only in subjects with higher pre-test risk, defined by a 10-year Framingham risk >10.4% [hazards ratio (HR)=2.61; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.07-6.40)]. In this risk category, ET was able to provide incremental information over the major risk factors in both men and women [risk factor-adjusted HR for positive ET=2.86; 95% CI (1.14-7.20)]. This risk excess in subjects with positive ET persisted even when a coronary revascularization was performed. Subjects with intermediate pre-test probability (10-15%) and positive ET had a post-test probability of CE largely equivalent to the probability in subjects with known CHD. CONCLUSION: Additional information provided by ET in subjects with a pre-test risk at 10-years >10% should lead to a more efficient use of risk-reducing therapies than it would be the case in this risk category with the analysis of traditional risk factors only.     

An integrated assessment of family history on the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes (CARDIO2000 study)

OBJECTIVE: In this work we assessed a risk score for developing a first event of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) based on the family history of the cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS AND RESULTS: The studied population consisted of 848 randomly selected middle-aged patients with first event of ACS and 1078 sex-age-region matched controls admitted to the same hospitals for minor operations and without any clinical suspicion of cardiovascular disease in their life. A Family History Score (FHS) was developed based on the presence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and diabetes mellitus, among first-degree relatives of the participants after adjusting for the family size. The evaluation of FHS was based on conditional logistic regression analysis, after controlling for demographic variables as well as for the mutual confounding effects of other risk factors. Family history of CHD, hypercholesterolaemia and diabetes was highly associated with the development of the disease. The introduced FHS was also highly associated with the development of ACS among participants who had no family history of CHD (odds ratio = 10.9, p < 0.001), whereas it was not associated with the development of the disease among participants who had a family history of CHD (odds ratio = 1.41, p = 0.543). CONCLUSIONS: The suggested FHS could be a useful tool in the primary prevention of ACS, as well as in detecting and understanding associations between genetic vulnerability and cardiovascular risk factors.     

Building a gateway to promote cardiovascular health research in African American communities: lessons and findings from the field

African American communities traditionally mistrust academic research. This forms a significant barrier to understanding cardiovascular risk factors in this population, which bears an excess risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. A clergy/academic partnership was established to build a gateway for salient research and for improving resources for reducing cardiovascular disease risk in the community. From this partnership emanated the African American Family Heart Study. People with a family history of premature coronary heart disease (CHD) have an increased risk for the disease--as high as 12 times that of the general population, if among siblings. Considerably less is known about the actual remediable risk factors in African American families with premature CHD. We initiated the Family Heart Study with a full characterization of 161 apparently healthy, unaffected 30- to 59-year-old African Americans whose siblings were 85 African American index cases with documented premature CHD prior to 60 years of age. We compared their risk factor values to population reference norms obtained in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for cigarette smoking. Only 13% of African American male siblings and 14% of female siblings from these families were without any major remediable risk factors. The fact that so many siblings were at extremely high risk calls into question the current applications by provider systems of national guidelines in high-risk African American families. This is an easily identifiable population that would be likely to benefit greatly from targeted screening and culturally sensitive and appropriate treatment.     

系统性红斑狼疮合并冠心病临床特点

目的总结系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者合并冠心病的临床特点。方法对1970—2006年北京协和医院院诊断为SLE合并冠心病11例患者传统危险因素、第一次心脏事件发作时的情况、SLE诊断、治疗及活动情况进行了回顾性分析。结果SLE患者发生冠心病的年龄较小为（53．9±8．1）岁;冠心病传统危险因素较少为（1．3±0．8）个／例;糖皮质激素使用前后各项血脂指标均有显著增高（P〈0．05）;发生心脏事件时的狼疮活动评分（SLEDAI）较高为（12．0±10．3）分;SLE患者冠状动脉（冠脉）病变程度较重,表现为弥漫狭窄、重度钙化。结论SLE患者早发冠心病不能完全用传统危险因素来解释,而且冠脉病变程度往往较重,预后差,需要尽早干预,尽量延缓疾病进程,并使用无创检查加强早期检出率,从而改善预后。     

早发冠心病的危险因素及其冠状动脉病变特点

目的 探讨早发冠心病惠者的冠状动脉病变特点及其相关危险因素.方法 294例经冠状动脉造影确诊的冠心病患者,根据年龄分为早发冠心痛组(男性<55岁,女性<65岁)169例和老年冠心病组125例.对两组患者的相关临床资料进行回顾性统计分析,比较二者的冠状动脉病变特点、血脂水平、高血压病史、糖尿病痛史、冠心病家族史、吸烟史、饮酒史等,评价其是否存在差异性.结果 早发冠心痛组吸烟、冠心病阳性家族史、血甘油三酯水平高于老年冠心病组(P<0.05),而高血压、糖尿病略低于老年冠心痛组(P>0.05).早发冠心病组患者常以急性冠状动脉综合征起病(66.3%比45.6%),冠状动脉病变多为单支病变(44.4%比22.4%),老年冠心病组以多支病变为主.结论 吸烟、冠心病阳性家族史、血甘油三酯水平升高在早发冠心病的发生发展中起重要作用,早发冠心痛以单支冠状动脉病变为主.     

A high risk score for coronary heart disease is associated with the metabolic syndrome in 40-year-old men and women

OBJECTIVE: Guidelines recommend follow-up of people whose 10-year risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is > 10%. We calculated CHD risk, number of risk factors and occurrence of the metabolic syndrome among screened 40-year-old men and women. DESIGN: A total of 1547 women and 1374 men participated in a cardiovascular risk factor screening programme in 1997-1999 in Oslo. Of 387 (13%) recalled for further examination and advice, 337 (87%) attended. We used the National Cholesterol Education Program criteria to define the metabolic syndrome and the Framingham risk score to assess absolute 10-year risk of CHD and counted nine risk factors (male, southeast-Asian origin, low education, smoking, premature familial cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, high waist circumference, impaired fasting glucose or diabetes and high apolipoprotein B). RESULTS: More than one-third of subjects recalled for hypertension (n = 88) or low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (n = 95) had the metabolic syndrome. Of 55 subjects with a 10-year risk score > 10%, 33 (60%) had the metabolic syndrome. Subjects with the metabolic syndrome had a higher risk score compared with their counterparts (P < 0.001); among men with the metabolic syndrome, the mean +/- SD risk score was 10.0 +/- 4.4%. Subjects with dyslipidaemia [high triglyceride and normal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels] or combined hyperlipidaemia had a higher risk score and more risk factors compared with subjects with isolated high LDL cholesterol (P < 0.05). Only 12% of subjects with hypertension were taking drugs and of 237 subjects with a lipid disorder, 30% had been given dietary advice and one was taking a lipid-lowering drug. CONCLUSION: CVD screening should focus on identifying people with features of the metabolic syndrome in this age group. The screening programme uncovered a substantial potential for CVD prevention.     

早发冠心病患者冠状动脉病变特点及危险因素分析

目的 探讨早发冠心病患者冠状动脉病变特点及危险因素.方法 入选我院2012年6月至2014年4月经冠状动脉造影诊断为冠心病的患者279例,根据男性年龄≤55岁、女性年龄≤65岁分为早发冠心病组和非早发冠心病组.统计患者入院基本临床资料.所有患者均检测空腹血糖（FPG）、总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）.根据冠状动脉狭窄直径≥50％累及左前降支（LAD）、左回旋支（LCX）、右冠状动脉（RCA）或左主干（LM）分为单支、双支（累及左主干为双支病变）及三支病变组.根据Gensini积分标准对每位患者冠状动脉病变进行评分.结果 早发冠心病组男性比例、吸烟比例、存在早发冠心病家族史的比例、TG水平显著高于非早发冠心病组（P＜0.05）.与非早发冠心病组相比,早发冠心病组患者以单支病变为主,二者在受累冠状动脉部位上并无差别.非早发冠心病组患者平均冠状动脉病变支数、平均Gensini积分高于早发冠心病组（1.97±0.82比1.66±0.93,P=0.003;8.72±6.21比48.65±8.90,P=0.000）.多因素Logistic回归分析显示,男性（95％CI：2.342～10.420,P=0.000）、吸烟（95％CI：9.468～31.220,P=0.000）、早发冠心病家族史（95％CI：8.120～23.480,P=0.001）、TG（95％CI：1.224～5.465,P=0.001）是早发冠心病患者独立危险因素.结论 早发冠心病患者冠状动脉病变特点是以单支病变为主.男性、吸烟、早发冠心病家族史、TG是早发冠心病患者的独立危险因素.积极戒烟、降低TG能够降低早发冠心病的发病率.     

Mild hypercholesterolemia and premature heart disease: do the national criteria underestimate disease risk?

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome in young adults and to examine the risk factors that predispose to the development of premature heart disease. BACKGROUND: Significant coronary heart disease (CHD) is considered rare in the young adult. Current guidelines do not recommend treatment of mild cholesterol abnormalities for primary prevention of CHD in the young. METHODS: This is a large case series of 449 adults (< or =50 years) admitted to the hospital with acute coronary syndrome. A history of cardiovascular risk factors and lipid profile were recorded. The presence and extent of CHD were established. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 44 +/- 6 years. Documented CHD was present in 61% of hospital admissions. Multivariate analysis revealed that history of hypercholesterolemia, history of smoking and diabetes were independently associated with premature CHD. The fasting lipid profiles were only borderline to mildly abnormal. Serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels were not different in cases compared with control subjects. Nearly half (49%) of those with LDL levels of > or =160 mg/dl had only one additional risk factor or none. Despite this, a history of hypercholesterolemia had independent and incremental value on other risk factors for the likelihood of premature CHD. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of hospital admissions relating to premature CHD is high. In this population, the presence of borderline or mild hypercholesterolemia has significant effects on the development of premature CHD. These observations have significant implications in the development of guidelines for primary prevention of premature CHD.     

Low Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Female Type II Diabetic Subjects with Diabetic Relatives

ABSTRACT Possible risk factors for cardiovascular disease were studied in 52 type II diabetic subjects, 19 with and 33 without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD). None of the recognized risk factors, such as hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, smoking and blood glucose imbalance, could be related to CHD. However, all female patients with CHD were lacking a family history of diabetes, while seven of nine female diabetic subjects without a history of CHD had diabetes in the family (p<0.02). This was confirmed in a second study of 150 type II diabetic subjects; CHD was more common among female patients without compared to those with diabetes in the family; 9/38 and 1/28, respectively (p<0.03). Diabetes increases the risk of CHD, and it does so for women more than it does for men. The finding of a possible low CHD risk in female diabetic subjects with diabetes in the family supports the hypothesis of genetic factors being important for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in diabetes mellitus.     

Premature cardiovascular disease is common in relatives of patients with premature peripheral atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND: Numerous clinical conditions have been proposed to explain the premature onset of symptomatic peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in young adults, but the role of genetic factors has not been defined. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among family members of patients with premature PVD. METHODS: The prevalence of early cardiovascular events occurring in first-degree relatives of 90 subjects with premature PVD (onset < or =49 years) was determined. The prevalence of occult atherosclerosis was determined by duplex ultrasonography in a cohort of 20 asymptomatic siblings. Reference groups included first-degree relatives of 80 subjects with premature coronary artery disease (CAD) and first-degree relatives of 48 healthy subjects. RESULTS: Cardiovascular events occurred at age 55 years or younger in 28% of the parents of PVD subjects, in 23% of parents of CAD subjects, and in 7% of the parents of healthy controls (P<.001). Cardiovascular events occurred in 24% of siblings of PVD subjects, in 14% of siblings of CAD subjects, and in 7% of siblings of healthy controls (P<.001). Duplex ultrasonography detected early plaques in the lower extremity circulation of 10 (50%) of the asymptomatic siblings of PVD subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Early, symptomatic cardiovascular disease is more common in first-degree relatives of individuals with premature PVD than in relatives of healthy individuals or of probands with premature CAD. Occult vascular disease in the lower extremity is prevalent among asymptomatic siblings of probands with premature PVD. These observations indicate that susceptibility to premature PVD has a familial basis.     

Gender differences on the risk evaluation of acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 study

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is more common in men than women. Gender differences in CHD risk may be explained by a different impact that coronary risk factors may have for men and women, in the development of CHD. Thus, the authors aimed to analyze the extent to which cardiovascular risk factors can explain the gender difference in CHD risk, at population level. During 2000–2001, 848 hospitalized patients with a first event of acute coronary syndrome and 1078 controls, paired by gender, age, and region with no evidence of overt CHD, were randomly selected from all Greek regions. Data revealed that women experiencing their first acute coronary syndrome were significantly older than men (65.3±8 vs. 59.7±10 years old; p<0.01), and that acute coronary syndrome occurred more frequently in men than women (frequency ratio 4:1, men:women). When adjusting for age, multivariate analysis revealed that both family history of premature CHD and hypercholesterolemia were associated with higher coronary risk in men than women (odds ratio [OR]=5.11 vs. 3.14; p<0.05 for family history and OR=3.77 vs. 2.19; p<0.05 for hypercholesterolemia). The presence of hypertension however, had a significantly greater effect in women than men (OR=4.86 vs. 1.66; p<0.01). Also, higher education level and the adoption of a Mediterranean diet had a more protective effect in women than men (OR=0.53 vs. 0.87; p<0.001; and OR=0.80 vs. 0.96; p<0.05, respectively). There was also evidence of a greater association between depression and higher coronary risk in women than men (OR=1.93 vs. 1.58; p<0.07). The impact of other factors (i.e., smoking, diabetes, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and financial status), on the coronary risk difference between genders was similar for men and women. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the contribution of certain coronary risk factors to the risk for CHD is different for men and women.     

An evidence-based guide for coronary calcium scoring in asymptomatic patients without coronary heart disease

As public awareness and clinical use of CAC screening increases, physicians should, at a minimum, know the following information: 1) The presence of CAC indicates underlying CHD but does not predict luminal obstruction. 2) Non-contrast, prospectively ECG-gated cardiac EBCT and MDCT are sensitive, reproducible, rapid, and essentially equivalent imaging techniques commonly used to screen for CAC. 3) Currently, CAC screening is appropriate for all intermediate- risk patients and low-risk patients with a family history of premature CHD, and might be appropriate for all low-risk women. 4) The risks associated with CAC screening are a small but measurable excess risk of cancer and the risk of unnecessary downstream tests and procedures. 5) A CAC score of zero has a very high negative predictive value for CHD events. 6) Increasingly positive (non-zero) CAC scores are directly proportional to increased CHD event risk, and a CAC score >100 or greater than the 75th percentile indicates high risk. 7) Repeat screening to determine CAC progression or regression is not currently recommended.     

The design and rationale of SAVE BC: The Study to Avoid CardioVascular Events in British Columbia

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is highly heritable, particularly when it occurs at a young age. The screening of individuals with premature ASCVD, although often recommended, is not routinely performed. Strategies to address this gap in care are essential. We designed the Study to Avoid CardioVascular Events in British Columbia (SAVE BC) as a prospective, observational study of individuals with a new diagnosis of very premature ASCVD (defined as age ≤ 50 years in males and age ≤ 55 years in females) and their first‐degree relatives (FDRs) and spouses. FDRs and spouses will undergo screening for cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and subclinical ASCVD using a structured screening algorithm. All subjects will be followed longitudinally for ≥10 years. The overall goal of SAVE BC is to evaluate the yield of a structured screening program for identifying individuals at risk of premature ASCVD. The primary objectives of SAVE BC are to identify and follow index cases with very premature ASCVD and their FDRs and to determine the diagnostic yield of a structured screening program for these individuals. We will collect data on CV risk factors, medication use, CV events, and healthcare costs in these individuals. SAVE BC will provide insight regarding approaches to identify individuals at risk for premature ASCVD with implications for prevention and treatment in this population.     

Effect of lifestyle changes on atherogenic lipids and endothelial cell adhesion molecules in young adults with familial premature coronary heart disease

Guidelines have recommended that a family history of premature coronary heart disease (CHD) warrants screening and preventive efforts, including lifestyle change. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a lifestyle modification program on lipids and novel risk markers in young relatives of patients with premature CHD. In a parallel, randomized, intervention trial, intensified support to quit smoking and dietary modification was compared with general lifestyle advice in 172 men and women aged 18 to 39 years with a total cholesterol of 5 to 8 mmol/L and >or=1 lipid abnormality (high low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, triglycerides or lipoprotein(a), or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). All had a first-degree relative with premature CHD or with hyperlipidemia and other relative(s) with premature CHD, and 40% were daily smokers. After a mean of 8 months, the intervention group reduced the dietary intake of saturated fat and cholesterol compared with controls (p = <0.01). Ten smokers in the intervention group quit, whereas 2 subjects in the control group started and none quit. LDL cholesterol (p = 0.007), oxidized LDL (p = 0.03), and E-selectin (p = 0.02) concentrations were reduced in the intervention group compared with controls. In subjects who quit smoking, concentrations of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 decreased (261 +/- 66 to 228 +/- 30 ng/ml) compared with that in continuing smokers (308 +/- 106 ng/ml to 304 +/- 109 ng/ml) (p = 0.05 between groups). These findings indicate that dietary modification and smoking cessation are feasible in young adults with familial premature CHD and document novel mechanisms by which lifestyle modification may reduce CHD risk.     

The association of cardiovascular mortality with a first-degree family member history of different cardiovascular diseases

OBJECTIVETo investigate which history of cardiovascular disease [coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or peripheral arterial disease] in a first-degree family member predicts cardiovascular mortality.METHODSWe studied a prospective cohort (the Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Study) from ten primary care centers across North America. The primary outcome was cardiovascular mortality, assessed using Cox survival models.RESULTSThere were 8,646 participants (mean age: 47.4 ± 12.1 years, 46% women, 52% of participants with hyperlipidemia) who were followed up for a mean duration of 19.4 ± 4.9 years. There were 1,851 deaths (21%), including 852 cardiovascular deaths. A paternal, maternal or sibling history of premature CHD (before 60 years) was present in 26% of participants, of stroke in 27% of participants, and of peripheral arterial disease in 24% of participants. After adjusting for risk factors (age, sex, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, fasting glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides), only a paternal history of premature or any CHD, a maternal history of diabetes mellitus or premature or any CHD, and a sibling history of premature CHD, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia were individually predictive of cardiovascular mortality. After adjusting for risk factors and the mentioned familial factors, only paternal and maternal histories of CHD, especially before 60 years, remained predictive of cardiovascular mortality, with a somewhat higher association for a maternal history [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.36−2.92,P < 0.001 for maternal history of premature CHD; aHR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.10−2.10, P = 0.011 for paternal history of premature CHD]. Family history of stroke or peripheral arterial disease did not predict cardiovascular mortality. Parental history of premature CHD predicted cardiovascular mortality independently of baseline age (< 60 years and ≥ 60 years), hypertension, or hyperlipidemia and carried more important prognostic value in men rather than women. CONCLUSIONSIn this study, a parental history of CHD, especially before 60 years, best predicted cardiovascular mortality. This finding could help more accurately identify high-risk patients who would benefit from preventive strategies.

Cardiovascular mortality is defined as death due to diseases of the heart or blood vessels, most commonly coronary heart disease (CHD), sudden cardiac death, or stroke. CHD and stroke remain the leading causes of death worldwide.^[1] Care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and loss of productivity due to disability or death costs the United States around $219 billion yearly.^[2] A variety of modifiable risk factors have been associated with increased risk of CVD and mortality, namely hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity and smoking. The identification of such risk factors and their overall assessment along with other non-modifiable risk factors, mainly age and family history of CVD, is crucial to help estimate an individual’s risk and ultimately guide therapy.^[3]The important role of family history in the development of CVD has been shown in many prospective cohorts.^[4–8] However, several controversies exist about the prognostic value of a family history of CVD. This is reflected in the variation of the definitions used across different studies and risk calculators.^[9] Firstly, there is scarcity of data on what constitutes a clinically meaningful familial history of CVD. For instance, whether different cardiovascular conditions (e.g., CHD, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease) in different first-degree family members (parents, siblings, or children) carry distinct prognostic values remains unclear.^[4,5] Secondly, whether a family history of CVD onset at any age (as opposed to a family history of premature CVD) is an important risk factor is unsure.^[7] Thirdly, whether there are sex-based differences in the role of a familial history of CVD in individual risk assessment is also unclear.^[7,8,10]Given all these considerations, additional research is needed to further characterize the relationship between familial history and cardiovascular risk. Using patient data from the Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Study^[11] with up to twenty-three years of follow-up, we aimed to determine which specific first-degree familial histories of CVD (CHD, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease) predict cardiovascular mortality.     

Family coronary heart disease: a call to action

A family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) is an accepted risk factor for cardiovascular events and is independent of common CHD risk factors. Advances in the understanding of genetic influences on CHD risk provide the opportunity to apply this knowledge and improve patient care. Utility of inherited cardiovascular risk testing exists by utilizing both phenotypes and genotypes and includes improved CHD risk prediction, selection of the most appropriate treatment, prediction of outcome, and family counseling. The major impediment to widespread clinical adoption of this concept involves un-reimbursed staff time, educational needs, access to a standardized and efficient assessment mechanism, and privacy issues. The link between CHD and inheritance is indisputable and the evidence strong and consistent. For clinicians, the question is how to utilize this information, in an efficient manner, in order to improve patient care and detection of high-risk family members.     

Alcohol-related Death and Associated Risk Factors in Urban Middle-aged Males

ABSTRACT Alcohol-related disorders belong to the spectrum of major non-infectious diseases in Western societies which can be prevented by means that have not yet been fully implemented. Total consecutive mortality in a population of 10 353 middle-age males invited to take a part in a preventive medical population program in Malmö was followed up for 3.5–8.5 years (mean 4.5) after the time of invitation and analysed in relation to participation or non-participation and forensic or in-hospital autopsy. Entry characteristics in the 7935 males who attended the screening were compared in order to evaluate risk factor patterns for the major categories of premature death during the follow-up period. Even in the males participating in the screening, alcohol-related deaths (ARD) constituted a major mortality category, comprising 55 of 218 cases, whereas cancer comprised 61 and coronary heart disease (CHD) 50 of the premature deaths in this group. Both in the ARD and CHD categories of male premature mortality, significant and distinctly differential risk factor patterns were found; in CHD for smoking, cholesterol, serum triglycerides and systolic blood pressure, and in ARD for γ-glutamyltransferase, questionnaire alcoholism screening test and, inversely, serum cholesterol and serum creatinine. In both groups of diseases, these risk factors could be combined into highly predictive multiple logistic risk factor functions. The discriminative power of this instrument was even higher in ARD than in CHD deaths. In consequence, these factors may be applied both as indicators of the ARD risk and as signals and instrument for directed preventive measures in analogy with previously well established and tested methods for the regulation of blood pressure, serum lipids, etc. in the conquest of the cardiovascular diseases.