Coronary heart disease risk factors in subjects whose brothers, sisters or husbands developed premature myocardial infarction during 12 years of follow-up. The Finnmark Study (1977-1989).
In individuals whose relatives have experienced heart disease, levels of classic risk factors may have been underestimated because of life style changes after serious family disease or inaccurate disease reports.
To overcome pitfalls noted in previous research, risk factors were measured at a screening of the general population aged 20-52 years in four Norwegian municipalities. After 12 years of follow-up, a first myocardial infarction was evident in 51 of 753 sibships and in 68 of 1518 spouse pairs.
Multiple adjusted means were higher in men with than in men without a brother or sister who became affected: 7.17 versus 6.84 mmol/l (P=0.07) for serum total cholesterol, 140.8 versus 135.6 mmHg (P=0.02) and 85.7 versus 82.5 mmHg (P=0.04) for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Total cholesterol readings were higher the younger (P