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

Mark A. Pereira, Pamela J. Schreiner, James S. Pankow, Roger R. Williams, Millicent Higgins, Michael A. Province, D. C. Rao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

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) cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) protein [Lp(a)]. METHODS: FRS was computed from observed and expected CHD events using family data collected from 11467 black and white adults of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC). BMI, WHR, and lipids adjusted for study center, race, education, BMI (except BMI), WHR (except for BMI and WHR), cigarette 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 and these risk factors was compared to that for simpler estimates of family risk. RESULTS: Adjusted means of BMI, WHR, LDL, Lp(a), and triglycerides were positively associated with FRS, whereas HDL cholesterol was inversely associated with FRS. Of demographic and behavioral factors, cigarette smoking was most strongly associated with FRS. Based on additional comparisons of adjusted means, high vs. low levels of FRS appear to correlate better with CHD risk factors than do the simpler family history assessments. CONCLUSIONS: In situations where genetic or clinical information is not available, FRS may be a favorable measure of familial burden for CHD. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)239-245
Number of pages7
JournalAnnals of Epidemiology
Volume10
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2000

Keywords

  • Cigarette Smoking
  • Family History
  • Lipoproteins
  • Obesity

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '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'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this