Transgenerational effects of parental cardiovascular disease and risk factors on offspring mortality: Family-linkage data from the HUNT Study, Norway

Abstract

Background Cardiovascular risk factors are known to be associated between parents and offspring. However, whether these associations are reflected in increased offspring mortality has not been extensively studied. Design This was a family study of 32,536 father-offspring and 39,614 mother-offspring pairs who participated in the HUNT Study, Norway. Methods Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for offspring total and cardiovascular mortality associated with parental levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors were estimated using Cox regression. Results and conclusions Fathers' and mothers' reporting of cardiovascular disease (HRs: 1.18; 95% CI 1.04-1.32 and 1.20; 1.07-1.35, respectively), diabetes (HRs: 1.22; 95% CI 1.00-1.49 and 1.21; 1.05-1.40, respectively), and current smoking (HRs: 1.21; 95% CI 1.08-1.36 and 1.30; 1.15-1.47, respectively) was associated with total mortality in offspring. An inverse association was found with maternal height (HR: 0.95; 95% CI 0.91-0.99), and a suggestive inverse association with paternal height (HR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.93-1.03). Relations with offspring cardiovascular mortality were less clear and consistent. Offspring whose parents both had a risk factor did not seem to have higher mortality than would be expected from the independent effects of each parent.