Transmission of CHD risk equal for both parents

Kinra et al from the University of Bristol, noted that a parental history of CHD has long been recognized as a risk factor for CHD, but that little attention has been paid to differential maternal and paternal transmission of risk. They examined data from a prospective cohort study of 8402 male students from the University of Glasgow, which included over 40 years of follow-up for mortality. Of the 8402 men studied, 615 (7.3%) reported a history of CHD in at least one of the parents: 479 (5.8%) for fathers only, 124 (1.6%) for mothers only, and a further 12 (0.2%) for both their parents.During follow-up, 4.4% of the men died of CHD. Parental history of the disease was associated with fatal CHD, and the team found that controlling for personal risk factors such as cigarette smoking, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and father's social class did not diminish this relationship. Compared with men whose parents did not have CHD, a paternal history of CHD was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.53, a maternal history of CHD with a hazard ratio of 1.19, and a history in both parents with a hazard ratio of 8.65. There was some evidence for interaction between parental histories (p = 0.049), with particularly high risk if both parents reported a history of CHD. The authors conclude that intergenerational transmission of CHD does not appear to have differential effects between mothers and fathers. In an accompanying editorial, Rita Redberg from the National Centre of Excellence in Women's Health said that the results of the study reinforce the need to carefully counsel all patients with a positive family history of coronary disease on aggressive risk factor reduction-including smoking cessation, a heart healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, regular physical activity, and weight loss and pharmacotherapy for hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia when appropriate.Reference...