What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine the extent to which carotid intima-media thickness, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is driven by genetic versus environmental factors.

February 1, 2003Stroke

Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Atherosclerosis Phenotypes in Men and Women

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To determine the extent to which carotid intima-media thickness, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is driven by genetic versus environmental factors.
Measured carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) using B-mode ultrasonography in 906 men and 980 women (586 extended families; 1,630 sibling pairs) from the Framingham Offspring cohort.
Calculated mean and maximum IMT for the common carotid artery (CCA) and internal carotid artery (ICA).
Estimated sibling correlations and heritability using variance component methods with crude, age- and sex-adjusted, and multivariable-adjusted models.
Multivariable-adjusted heritability was 0.38 for mean CCA IMT and 0.35 for mean ICA IMT (both P<0.001), compared with crude estimates of 0.67 and 0.43 (both P<0.001).
Multivariable-adjusted sibling correlation coefficients were 0.16 for mean CCA IMT and 0.16 for mean ICA IMT.
Heritable factors accounted for 38% of the total variance in CCA IMT, whereas measured environmental covariates explained 27%.

Structured PICO

Population

1,886 individuals (906 men, mean age 56.7 years; 980 women, mean age 57.4 years) from 586 extended families (1630 sib pairs) in the Framingham Offspring cohort

Outcome

Heritability of mean and maximum intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) and internal carotid artery (ICA)surrogate

A substantial proportion of the variability in carotid IMT is explained by genetic factors, supporting its use as a heritable trait in genetic studies of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Discussion

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Implication

Substantial carotid IMT heritability supports its use as endophenotype in genetic atherosclerosis studies; leaves open clinical risk stratification utility.

Cite This Study

Fox et al. (2003) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7e7c2cbf2fd941fe8f530a https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.0000048214.56981.6f

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Implication

Substantial carotid IMT heritability supports its use as endophenotype in genetic atherosclerosis studies; leaves open clinical risk stratification utility.

Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Atherosclerosis Phenotypes in Men and Women

Key Points

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Atherosclerosis Phenotypes in Men and Women

Key Points

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider