The magnitude of familial associations of cardiovascular risk factor variables between parents and offspring are influenced by age: The Bogalusa Heart Study

PURPOSE: Although parent-offspring associations of ardiovascular risk facto r variables are known, the age,specific nature of this familial relationshi p is not clear. METHODS: This aspect was examined in 727 unrelated children (mean age: 11.2 years) and their parents who participated in the Bogalusa Heart Study duri ng their childhood (mean age: 11.3 years) and adulthood (mean age: 25.5 yea rs). RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, the mothers' childhood-offspring c orrelations were consistently higher than mothers' adulthood-offspring corr elations for body mass index (BMI) [r = 0.45 vs. 0.32], systolic blood pres sure (SBP) [r = 0.30 vs. 0.10], diastolic blood pressure (DPB) [r = 0.22 vs . 0.13] and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) [r = 0.20 vs. 0.11]. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and triglycerides did not show such age-specific trends in mother-offspring correlations. Co rresponding father-offspring correlations showed similar patterns, but the differences were of lesser magnitude. Multiple regression analyses using of fspring's risk factor variables as dependent variables revealed that parent s' childhood obesity, blood pressure and LDLC levels were better predictors of the corresponding variables in the young offspring than parents' adulth ood values. Further, sex of either parents or offspring made no difference in the above findings. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the familial associations of cardiovascular r isk factor variables between parents and offspring are influenced by age. I ntrinsic genetic make-up, duration of exposure to environment and gene-envi ronment interactions may play a role in this association. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.