The family risk score for coronary heart disease: Associations with lipids, lipoproteins, and body habitus in a middle-aged bi-racial cohort: The ARIC study

PURPOSE: To examine the association between the Family Risk Score (FRS) for coronary heart disease (CHD) and body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) ch olesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) protein [Lp(a)]. METHODS: FRS was computed from observed and expected CHD events using famil y data collected from 11467 black and white adults of the Atherosclerosis R isk in Communities Study (ARIC). BMI, WHR, and lipids adjusted for study ce nter, race, education, BMI (except BMI), WHR (except fur BMI and WHR), ciga rette smoking, alcohol, and Keys' score were compared among low (FRS < -0.5 ), average (-0.5 to 0.5), and high (> 0.5) FRS using analysis of covariance . The association between FRS anti these risk factors was compared to that fur simpler estimates of family risk. RESULTS: Adjusted means of BMI, WHR, LDL, Lp(a), and triglycerides were pos itively associated with FRS, whereas HDL cholesterol was inversely associat ed with FRS. Of demographic and behavioral factors, cigarette smoking was m ost strongly associated with FRS. Based on additional comparisons of adjust ed means, high vs. low levels of FRS appear to correlate better with CHD ri sk factors than do the simpler family history assessments. CONCLUSIONS: In situations where genetic or clinical information is not ava ilable, FRS may be a favorable measure of familial burden for CHD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science inc. All rights reserved.