A Positive Family History, Particularly in the Mother, Is an Important Determinant for the Development of Arterial Hypertension

Objective: A positive family history is one of the non-modifiable risk factors directly linked to arterial hypertension (AH). This study aimed to show the influence of a positive family history of AH on the incidence of AH in the studied population. Design and method: A total of 1784 participants (a random sample of the general adult population in Croatia included in the ’Epidemiology of Hypertension in Croatia -2’ project) were examined. Data were systematically collected through a structured questionnaire. Results: Analysis showed a statistically significant difference in having a positive family history of AH in at least one parent between those having AH and the normotensive group (59.2% vs. 51.6%; p=0.002). Furthermore, 14.5% of subjects with AH and 9.4% of normotensive subjects reported at least one of the grandmothers with a history of AH (p=0.001). A significant correlation was observed for individuals reporting a positive history of AH in their paternal grandmother (p=0.004) and maternal grandfather (p=0.009), reported by 8.8% and 6.4% of subjects with AH, respectively, as opposed to 5.5% and 4.5% of the normotensive subjects. The most significant difference was found for a positive family history of AH in the mother, reported by 46.5% of subjects with AH and 38.5% of normotensive subjects (p<0.001). Regression analysis indicated a statistically significant association between a positive family history of AH in the mother and an increased odds ratio for developing AH (OR 1.36 95% CI 1.11-1.66, p=0.003). Conversely, a positive family history on either the paternal or maternal side, at least one of the grandfathers, father, and paternal grandfather failed to exhibit a significant correlation with the occurrence of AH. Conclusions: Our study affirmed the importance of family history for arterial hypertension, which should be an elementary part of taking medical history. Subjects who had mothers with arterial hypertension were at higher risk of having AH themselves which is in line with the previous notion that the mother's hypertensive status is more important than the father's.