Parental causes of death in stroke

There are many reports of familial aggregation in stroke. However, whether familiar aggregation is largely due to genetic or environmental factors is not established. Consecutive subjects with stroke were matched with 2 contr ols per case of the same sex, born in the same year, district, and whose fa thers had the same occupation. Presence on parental death certificates of c erebrovascular disease, other vascular disease, bronchial carcinoma, hypert ension, diabetes mellitus and other causes of death was recorded. No signif icant difference in risk was found for cases having mother (odds ratio, OR 1.08, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.74-1.57), father (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.58 -1.45) or either parent (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.74-1.46) with cerebrovascular di sease. Familial aggregation may reflect socioeconomic and other environment al factors. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.