K. Koski et al., Predictors of coronary heart diseases among children and adolescents in families with premature coronary heart diseases in central eastern Finland, SC J PRIM H, 18(3), 2000, pp. 170-176
Objective - To describe coronary heart disease (CHD) predictors in children
and adolescents (aged from 7 to 16 years) in families with premature CHD.
Design - A cross-sectional cohort study.
Setting-Part of a family-oriented preventive intervention programme concern
ing CHD risk factors in central eastern Fin4and (FOPIC study). Subjects - 4
73 participants in families with premature CHD and 371 in control families.
Main outcome measures - Traditional CHD predictors.
Results - Offspring in families with premature CHD had significantly higher
concentrations of total cholesterol (TC, 4.7 vs 4.5 mmol/l, p < 0.01) and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, 2.8 vs 2.6 mmol/l, p < 0.01) th
an the control children, and higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP, p < 0.01
). According to this cross-sectional screening of children in high-CHD-risk
families in the Kainuu region, 75% of those with adverse cholesterol value
s could be found. After adjusting for confounding factors, associations bet
ween TC, LDL-C, body mass index, DBP and the offspring of families with a h
istory of premature CHD were found.
Conclusions-The results indicated strong associations between CHD predictor
s and offspring with a family history of premature CHD. The findings confir
m the usability of familial premature CHD in screening for early prevention
in primary health care.