FAMILIAL RESEMBLANCE FOR RESTING BLOOD-PRESSURE WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO RACIAL-DIFFERENCES - PRELIMINARY ANALYSES FROM THE HERITAGE FAMILY STUDY

Resting blood pressure in both white and black families participating in the HERITAGE Family Study was analyzed using a simple familial corr elation model to assess familial influences. The two samples of black and white families were analyzed separately and together, providing an opportunity to test for heterogeneity in the familial resemblance. Ma ximal heritability was 46% for systolic blood pressure (SEP) and 31% f or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the pooled sample. Noticeably hig her heritabilities were found in the black sample (68% for SEP and 56% for DBP) than in the white sample (43% for SEP and 24% for DBP). The patterns of familial correlations were similar in blacks and whites, w ith the exception that spouse resemblance was significant in white fam ilies but not in black families. These results along with the finding that the magnitude of the familial correlations was higher in the blac k sample than in the white sample suggest that the effects of host and familial environmental factors differ between the races.