Family studies play a crucial role in investigating familial trait aggregation, localizing genes implicated in cardiovascular diseases, and establishing the role of environmental factors.
This review highlights the utility of family-based epidemiological studies in understanding the genetic and environmental underpinnings of cardiovascular risk.
Early epidemiological studies showed that genetic factors contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Genetic epidemiological studies based upon families can be used to investigate familial trait aggregation, to localize genes implicated in cardiovascular diseases in the human genome, and to establish the role of environmental factors. Family studies can be also used to identify the physiological role of candidate genes for cardiovascular diseases, and to characterize shared environmental risk factors and their impact on the expression of genetic predisposition. The present paper reviews the existing family studies with special emphasis on those which have studied healthy populations in relation to cardiovascular disease such as the Framingham Heart Study, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study, and the STANISLAS cohort.
Chemaly et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease. Family studies was evaluated. Family studies play a crucial role in investigating familial trait aggregation, localizing genes implicated in cardiovascular diseases, and establishing the role of environmental factors.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: