The Child as Proband for Future Parental Cardiometabolic Disease: The 26-Year Prospective Princeton Lipid Research Clinics Follow-Up Study

Abstract

To evaluate children's cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors as predictors of parents' subsequent CVD, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and high blood pressure (HBP). We conducted a 26-year prospective follow-up of 852 5- to 19-year-old black and white schoolchildren (mean age, 12 years; Lipid Research Clinics, 1973-8), and parents (mean age, 40 years) from 519 families in Princeton Schools, Cincinnati, Ohio. Schoolchildren were reassessed in the Princeton Follow-up study 1999-2003 at mean age 39 years; CVD, T2DM, and HBP history of their 1038 parents were reassessed by mean age 66 years. We assessed relationships of childhood risk factors with parental CVD, T2DM, and HBP. Child-probands identified with triglyceride (TG) levels, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI), and glucose level greater than and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels less than established cutoff points. Pediatric HBP (P=.006) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=.018) were predictive of parental CVD at age ≤50 years. Pediatric HBP (P=.02) and high TG (P=.03) were predictive of parental CVD at age ≤60 years. Pediatric high TG (P=.009) and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=.04) were predictive of parental CVD by age 66 years. Pediatric high BMI (P=.0006) were predictive of parental T2DM. Pediatric high BMI (P=.003) and black race (P=.004) were predictive of parental HBP. Pediatric risk factors identify families with parents at increased risk for CVD, T2DM, and HBP, emphasizing the usefulness of the child as proband.