Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Human Genetics logoLink to American Journal of Human Genetics
. 1989 Aug;45(2):240–251.

Cardiovascular risk factors in a French-Canadian population: resolution of genetic and familial environmental effects on blood pressure by using extensive information on environmental correlates.

L Pérusse 1, T Rice 1, C Bouchard 1, G P Vogler 1, D C Rao 1
PMCID: PMC1683357  PMID: 2757030

Abstract

Genetic and environmental influences on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) were examined in 371 French-Canadian families by using path analysis. Familial environment was estimated with environmental indices constructed from as many as 14 (of a pool of more than 100) correlates of blood pressure (BP). Approximately 20% of the variance in BP can be accounted for by the composite index, and the types of variables and the direction of their effects vary as a function of age and of the multivariate context. Path analysis of the family data suggests that genetic heritability is relatively high in children (from 0.49 for SBP to 0.56 for MBP) but much smaller in adults (from 0.08 for DBP to 0.18 for SBP). The proportion of variability explained by familial environment is estimated to be the same in children and adults and is much higher than reported to date (from 0.30 for SBP to 0.42 for DBP). In addition, sibships share significant nontransmitted environmental effects, and there is no evidence to suggest specific maternal effects in the aggregation of BP. Two unique findings emerge from this study. First, unlike in most earlier studies, we were able to arrive at the same parsimonious model for each of the BP variables. Second, the familial environment accounts for a substantial proportion of the variability in BP, which has been considerably underestimated in earlier studies.

Full text

PDF
240

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Annest J. L., Sing C. F., Biron P., Mongeau J. G. Familial aggregation of blood pressure and weight in adoptive families. II. Estimation of the relative contributions of genetic and common environmental factors to blood pressure correlations between family members. Am J Epidemiol. 1979 Oct;110(4):492–503. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112830. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bouchard C., Lortie G., Simoneau J. A., Leblanc C., Thériault G., Tremblay A. Submaximal power output in adopted and biological siblings. Ann Hum Biol. 1984 Jul-Aug;11(4):303–309. doi: 10.1080/03014468400007201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bouchard C., Savard R., Després J. P., Tremblay A., Leblanc C. Body composition in adopted and biological siblings. Hum Biol. 1985 Feb;57(1):61–75. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bouchard C., Tremblay A., Leblanc C., Lortie G., Savard R., Thériault G. A method to assess energy expenditure in children and adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 1983 Mar;37(3):461–467. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/37.3.461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Després J. P., Tremblay A., Thériault G., Pérusse L., Leblanc C., Bouchard C. Relationships between body fatness, adipose tissue distribution and blood pressure in men and women. J Clin Epidemiol. 1988;41(9):889–897. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(88)90106-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Feinleib M., Garrison R. J., Fabsitz R., Christian J. C., Hrubec Z., Borhani N. O., Kannel W. B., Rosenman R., Schwartz J. T., Wagner J. O. The NHLBI twin study of cardiovascular disease risk factors: methodology and summary of results. Am J Epidemiol. 1977 Oct;106(4):284–285. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Feinleib M., Garrison R. J. The contribution of family studies to the partitioning of population variation of blood pressure. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1979;32:653–673. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fortmann S. P., Haskell W. L., Vranizan K., Brown B. W., Farquhar J. W. The association of blood pressure and dietary alcohol: differences by age, sex, and estrogen use. Am J Epidemiol. 1983 Oct;118(4):497–507. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113655. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Harlan W. R., Hull A. L., Schmouder R. L., Landis J. R., Thompson F. E., Larkin F. A. Blood pressure and nutrition in adults. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Epidemiol. 1984 Jul;120(1):17–28. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113870. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Havlik R. J., Garrison R. J., Katz S. H., Ellison R. C., Feinleib M., Myrianthopoulos N. C. Detection of genetic variance in blood pressure of seven-year-old twins. Am J Epidemiol. 1979 May;109(5):512–516. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112708. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jackson R., Stewart A., Beaglehole R., Scragg R. Alcohol consumption and blood pressure. Am J Epidemiol. 1985 Dec;122(6):1037–1044. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kirkendall W. M., Burton A. C., Epstein F. H., Freis E. D. Recommendations for human blood pressure determination by sphygmomanometers. Circulation. 1967 Dec;36(6):980–988. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.36.6.980. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Krieger H., Morton N. E., Rao D. C., Azevêdo E. Familial determinants of blood pressure in northeastern Brazil. Hum Genet. 1980;53(3):415–418. doi: 10.1007/BF00287065. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. LaPorte R. E., Adams L. L., Savage D. D., Brenes G., Dearwater S., Cook T. The spectrum of physical activity, cardiovascular disease and health: an epidemiologic perspective. Am J Epidemiol. 1984 Oct;120(4):507–517. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113911. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Leclerc S., Allard C., Talbot J., Gauvin R., Bouchard C. High density lipoprotein cholesterol, habitual physical activity and physical fitness. Atherosclerosis. 1985 Oct;57(1):43–51. doi: 10.1016/0021-9150(85)90136-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lortie G., Bouchard C., Leblanc C., Tremblay A., Simoneau J. A., Thériault G., Savoie J. P. Familial similarity in aerobic power. Hum Biol. 1982 Dec;54(4):801–812. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Matthews K. A., Cottington E. M., Talbott E., Kuller L. H., Siegel J. M. Stressful work conditions and diastolic blood pressure among blue collar factory workers. Am J Epidemiol. 1987 Aug;126(2):280–291. doi: 10.1093/aje/126.2.280. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McGue M., Wette R., Rao D. C. Path analysis under generalized marital resemblance: evaluation of the assumptions underlying the mixed homogamy model by the Monte Carlo method. Genet Epidemiol. 1989;6(2):373–388. doi: 10.1002/gepi.1370060207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Morton N. E., Gulbrandsen C. L., Rao D. C., Rhoads G. G., Kagan A. Determinants of blood pressure in Japanese-American Families. Hum Genet. 1980 Feb;53(2):261–266. doi: 10.1007/BF00273508. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pan W. H., Nanas S., Dyer A., Liu K., McDonald A., Schoenberger J. A., Shekelle R. B., Stamler R., Stamler J. The role of weight in the positive association between age and blood pressure. Am J Epidemiol. 1986 Oct;124(4):612–623. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114434. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pérusse L., Lortie G., Leblanc C., Tremblay A., Thériault G., Bouchard C. Genetic and environmental sources of variation in physical fitness. Ann Hum Biol. 1987 Sep-Oct;14(5):425–434. doi: 10.1080/03014468700009241. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pérusse L., Tremblay A., Leblanc C., Cloninger C. R., Reich T., Rice J., Bouchard C. Familial resemblance in energy intake: contribution of genetic and environmental factors. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Apr;47(4):629–635. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/47.4.629. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rao D. C., Laskarzewski P. M., Morrison J. A., Khoury P., Kelly K., Wette R., Russell J., Glueck C. J. The Cincinnati Lipid Research Clinic family study: cultural and biological determinants of lipids and lipoprotein concentrations. Am J Hum Genet. 1982 Nov;34(6):888–903. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rao D. C., Morton N. E., Gulbrandsen C. L., Rhoads G. G., Kagan A., Yee S. Cultural and biological determinants of lipoprotein concentrations. Ann Hum Genet. 1979 May;42(4):467–477. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-1809.1979.tb00680.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Rao D. C., Morton N. E., Yee S. Analysis of family resemblance. II. A linear model for familial correlation. Am J Hum Genet. 1974 May;26(3):331–359. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sobolski J., Kornitzer M., De Backer G., Dramaix M., Abramowicz M., Degre S., Denolin H. Protection against ischemic heart disease in the Belgian Physical Fitness Study: physical fitness rather than physical activity? Am J Epidemiol. 1987 Apr;125(4):601–610. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114573. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Human Genetics are provided here courtesy of American Society of Human Genetics

RESOURCES