scholarly journals Genetic and Environmental Influences on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Study of Chinese Twin Children and Adolescents

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuling Ji ◽  
Feng Ning ◽  
Haiping Duan ◽  
Jaakko Kaprio ◽  
Dongfeng Zhang ◽  
...  

We evaluated the genetic and environmental contributions to metabolic cardiovascular risk factors and their mutual associations. Eight metabolic factors (body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and serum uric acid) were measured in 508 twin pairs aged 8–17 years from the Qingdao Twin Registry, China. Linear structural equation models were used to estimate the heritability of these traits, as well as the genetic and environmental correlations between them. Among boys, body mass index and uric acid showed consistently high heritability (0.49–0.81), whereas other traits showed moderate to high common environmental variance (0.37–0.73) in children (8–12 years) and adolescents (13–17 years) except total cholesterol. For girls, moderate to high heritability (0.39–0.75) were obtained for six metabolic traits in children, while only two traits showed high heritability and others mostly medium to large common environmental variance in adolescents. Genetic correlations between the traits were strong in both boys and girls in children (rg = 0.64–0.99 between body mass index and diastolic blood pressure; rg = 0.71–1.00 between body mass index and waist circumference), but decreased for adolescent girls (rg = 0.51 between body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio; rg = 0.55 between body mass index and uric acid; rg = 0.61 between body mass index and systolic blood pressure). The effect of genetic factors on most metabolic traits decreased from childhood to adolescence. Both common genetic and specific environmental factors influence the mutual associations among most of the metabolic traits.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipender Gill ◽  
Verena Zuber ◽  
Jesse Dawson ◽  
Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard ◽  
Alice R Carter ◽  
...  

Background: Higher body-mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but the extent to which this is mediated by blood pressure, diabetes, lipid traits and smoking is not fully understood. Methods: Using consortia and UK Biobank genetic association summary data from 140,595 to 898,130 participants predominantly of European ancestry, MR mediation analysis was performed to investigate the degree to which genetically predicted systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, lipid traits and smoking mediated an effect of genetically predicted BMI and WHR on risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stroke. Results: The 49% (95% confidence interval [CI] 39%-60%) increased risk of CAD conferred per 1-standard deviation increase in genetically predicted BMI attenuated to 34% (95% CI 24%-45%) after adjusting for genetically predicted SBP, to 27% (95% CI 17%-37%) after adjusting for genetically predicted diabetes, to 47% (95% CI 36%-59%) after adjusting for genetically predicted lipids, and to 46% (95% CI 34%-58%) after adjusting for genetically predicted smoking. Adjusting for all the mediators together, the increased risk attenuated to 14% (95% CI 4%-26%). A similar pattern of attenuation was observed when considering genetically predicted WHR as the exposure, and PAD or stroke as the outcomes. Conclusions: Measures to reduce obesity will lower risk of cardiovascular disease primarily by impacting on downstream metabolic risk factors, particularly diabetes and hypertension. Reduction of obesity prevalence alongside control and management of its mediators is likely to be most effective for minimizing the burden of obesity.


2014 ◽  
pp. S403-S409 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. AUZKÝ ◽  
R. DEMBOVSKÁ ◽  
J. MRÁZKOVÁ ◽  
Š. NOVÁKOVÁ ◽  
L. PAGÁČOVÁ ◽  
...  

Preclinical atherosclerosis may represent a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). In longitudinal study we followed longitudinally 96 patients (32 men) with thrombophilias with (n=51) and without (n=45) history of VTE. In both groups we studied the changes of preclinical atherosclerosis at peripherally located arteries detected by ultrasound. In addition, we assessed changes in selected risk factors of atherosclerosis. During the mean follow-up of 56.0±7.62 months we did not find significant change in preclinical atherosclerosis defined as Belcaro score in either group (–3 % in the VTE group vs 0 % in non VTE group). Significant increase in body mass index (1.03±1.98 kg*m-2, resp. 1.21±1.67 kg*m-2, p<0.01) and non-significant increase in systolic blood pressure were detected in both groups. Waist circumference increased significantly only in patients without VTE (4.11±7.84 cm, p<0.05). No differences in changes of risk factors under study between both groups were detected. In summary, patients with thrombophilia and history of VTE showed no evidence of greater progression of atherosclerosis or increase in traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis than patients with thrombophilia without history of VTE. Unfavorable changes of body mass index, waist circumference and systolic blood pressure were detected in both groups during study period.


2013 ◽  
Vol 131 (5) ◽  
pp. 323-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezane Priscila Reuter ◽  
Leandro Tibirica Burgos ◽  
Marcelo Dias Camargo ◽  
Lia Goncalves Possuelo ◽  
Miriam Beatris Reckziegel ◽  
...  

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Studies have demonstrated that metabolic complications from child obesity, although silent, increase the risk of development of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. The present paper sought to describe the prevalence of overweight/obesity and analyze the possible relationship between obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study, conducted in a university. METHODS: The study included 564 children and adolescents, aged 8 to 17 years. Body mass index and waist circumference were used to evaluate obesity. Other cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated, like systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glycemia, triglycerides and total cholesterol. Descriptive analysis was used for sample characterization, the chi-square test for categorical variables and Pearson's linear correlation for evaluating the relationship between obesity indicators and other cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: High prevalence of overweight/obesity was found among the schoolchildren (25.3% among the boys and 25.6% among the girls), along with abdominal obesity (19.0%). The overweight/obese schoolchildren presented higher percentages for the pressure and biochemical indicators, compared with underweight and normal-weight schoolchildren. Body mass index and waist circumference showed a weak correlation with the variables of age and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), but there was no correlation between these obesity indices and biochemical variables. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of overweight/obesity and its relationship with other cardiovascular risk factors demonstrate that it is necessary to develop intervention and prevention strategies from childhood onwards, in order to avoid development of chronic-degenerative diseases in adulthood.


Author(s):  
Dipender Gill ◽  
Verena Zuber ◽  
Jesse Dawson ◽  
Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard ◽  
Alice R. Carter ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Higher body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but the extent to which this is mediated by blood pressure, diabetes, lipid traits, and smoking is not fully understood. Methods Using consortia and UK Biobank genetic association summary data from 140,595 to 898,130 participants predominantly of European ancestry, Mendelian randomization mediation analysis was performed to investigate the degree to which systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, lipid traits, and smoking mediated an effect of BMI and WHR on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stroke. Results The odds ratio of CAD per 1-standard deviation increase in genetically predicted BMI was 1.49 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.60). This attenuated to 1.34 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.45) after adjusting for genetically predicted SBP (proportion mediated 27%, 95% CI 3% to 50%), to 1.27 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.37) after adjusting for genetically predicted diabetes (41% mediated, 95% CI 18% to 63%), to 1.47 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.59) after adjusting for genetically predicted lipids (3% mediated, 95% −23% to 29%), and to 1.46 (95% CI 1.34 to 1.58) after adjusting for genetically predicted smoking (6% mediated, 95% CI −20% to 32%). Adjusting for all the mediators together, the estimate attenuated to 1.14 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.26; 66% mediated, 95% CI 42% to 91%). A similar pattern was observed when considering genetically predicted WHR as the exposure, and PAD or stroke as the outcome. Conclusions Measures to reduce obesity will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease primarily by impacting downstream metabolic risk factors, particularly diabetes and hypertension. Reduction of obesity prevalence alongside control and management of its mediators is likely to be most effective for minimizing the burden of obesity.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawad A Al-Lawati ◽  
Pekka Jousilahti

AbstractBackgroundThere are no data on optimal cut-off points to classify obesity among Omani Arabs. The existing cut-off points were obtained from studies of European populations.ObjectiveTo determine gender-specific optimal cut-off points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) associated with elevated prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among Omani Arabs.DesignA community-based cross-sectional study.SettingThe survey was conducted in the city of Nizwa in Oman in 2001.Subjects and methodsThe study contained a probabilistic random sample of 1421 adults aged ≥20 years. Prevalent CVD risk was defined as the presence of at least two of the following three risk factors: hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to determine optimal cut-off points for BMI, WC and WHR in relation to the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity.ResultsOver 87% of Omanis had at least one CVD risk factor (38% had hyperglycaemia, 19% hypertension and 34.5% had high total cholesterol). All three indices including BMI (AUC = 0.766), WC (AUC = 0.772) and WHR (AUC = 0.767) predicted prevalent CVD risk factors equally well. The optimal cut-off points for men and women respectively were 23.2 and 26.8 kg m−2 for BMI, 80.0 and 84.5 cm for WC, and 0.91 and 0.91 for WHR.ConclusionsTo identify Omani subjects of Arab ethnicity at high risk of CVD, cut-off points lower than currently recommended for BMI, WC and WHR are needed for men while higher cut-off points are suggested for women.


Author(s):  
Perez Quartey ◽  
Bright Afriyie Owusu ◽  
Lawrence Marfo ◽  
Emmanuel Appiah

Background: Age- and sex-dependent variations in the relationship between uric acid and blood pressure and anthropometric indices have been reported in some populations. However, this has not been studied in a Ghanaian adult population.Methods: Body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure and serum uric acid levels were measured. Categorical differences were analysed with chi-square. Differences between groups were assessed by t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Association between serum uric acid and baseline characteristics of age, body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure was assessed by Pearson’s correlation. Statistical significance was pegged at p<0.05.Results: Prevalence of hyperuricemia was 3.2%. There was no significant difference in prevalence of hypertension between males (28.6%) and females (28.9%). General obesity and central obesity prevalence were significantly higher among females. In males, serum uric acids levels had statistically non-significant positive correlations with age, blood pressure, waist circumference and body mass index. In females, the results showed that among women less than 45 years, serum uric acid had significant positive correlations with only body mass index and waist circumference. However, significant positive correlations were observed between all the baseline parameters and uric acid among women who are 45 years and above.Conclusions: Increasing serum uric acid levels are significantly associated with higher blood pressure, body mass index and waist circumference. This relationship is stronger in females than in males, with the age group ≥45 years being the main determinant of this relationship.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-22
Author(s):  
Temsutola Maken ◽  
Lalmunlien Robert Varte

Objective: Hypertension is related to increased body fat, which can be evaluated by anthropometric indicators among the Aos, a tribe of North-East India. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a sample of 1804 Ao adults (male= 890) (females= 914) aged 18 to 70 years. We considered the following anthropometric indicators: body mass index, waist circumference, waist-tohip ratio and waist-to-stature ratio. To identify predictors of high blood pressure, we adopted the analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves with a confidence interval of 95%. Result: For males, the area under curve with confidence intervals were BMI = 0.691 (0.67-0.712); waist circumference=0.757 (0.739-0.775); waist-to-hip ratio=0.692 (0.671-0.713); waist-to-stature ratio = 0.763 (0.745-0.781) and Conicity index = 0.734 (0.716-0.716). For females, the values were BMI = 0.754 (0.732-0.776); waist circumference = 0.762 (0.74-0.784); waist-to-hip ratio = 0.690 (0.668-0.784), waist-to-stature ratio=0.776 (0.753-0.799) and Conicity index=0.722 (0.701-0.743). Different cut off points of anthropometric indicators with better predictive power and their relevant sensitivities and specificities were identified. Conclusion: BMI does not show a very good area under the ROC curve. It seems that waist-to-stature ratio is the best predictor, followed by waist circumference and Conicity index among the males and results in high sensitivity and specificity to hypertension. We suggest the use of both waistto- stature ratio and waist circumference to predict hypertension among males. Among females, waist-to-stature ratio is the best predictor, followed by waist circumference and body mass index. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v4i3.6275 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 4(2013) 15-22


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document