Atherosclerosis
Volume 205, Issue 2 , Pages 626-631, August 2009

Cardiovascular risk screening in school children predicts risk in parents

  • Peter Schwandt

      Affiliations

    • Arteriosklerose-Praeventions-Institut and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Arteriosklerose-Präventions-Institut, Wilbrechtstr.95, 81477 München, Germany. Tel.: +49 89 7904191; fax: +49 89 74994941.
  • ,
  • Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari

      Affiliations

    • Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
  • ,
  • Hannes B. Staehelin

      Affiliations

    • Geriatric University Clinic, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland
  • ,
  • Gerda-Maria Haas

      Affiliations

    • Arteriosklerose-Praeventions-Institut, Munich-Nuremberg, Germany

Received 30 December 2008; received in revised form 9 January 2009; accepted 14 January 2009. published online 17 February 2009.

Abstract 

Background

Since children have frequent contact with the health care system, while their young parents very often do not, screening children routinely might represent an important opportunity to target the young parents. We examined whether cardiovascular risk factors in children predicted the risk of their parents.

Methods

Five silent (hypertension, high triglycerides, high LDL-, high non-HDL-, and low HDL-cholesterol) and two clinical apparent (general and central adiposity) risk factors were compared in 2720 child–parent pairs from a well-defined sample of German elementary school children and parents.

Results

All clinical apparent and silent risk factors were significantly correlated between children and their parents, and most pronounced were those for three silent risk factors: HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol (correlation coefficient r=0.26–0.28). In multivariate models, adjusting for age and gender, child general and abdominal adiposity conferred a significant 2.9-fold and a 2.6-fold enhanced odds among parents of carrying the same risk factors. Similarly, abnormal LDL, HDL, or non-HDL among children conferred a significant 3.0-fold, 2.0-fold, or 2.9-fold increased odds among parents. The odds of parents appeared stronger if the child had the same sex only for clinical apparent risk factors, and most pronounced for general adiposity.

Conclusions

Cardiovascular risk screening in children may serve as a case finding strategy for early prevention in high risk families. The inclusion of silent risk factors in a screening program of school children may be warranted for the high prevalence among children and enhanced case-finding potential among parents.

Keywords: Children, Parents, Cardiovascular risk, Case finding

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 Presented on 01 Sept 2008 as an oral communication at the ESC Congress 2008 in Munich.

PII: S0021-9150(09)00070-7

doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2009.01.019

Atherosclerosis
Volume 205, Issue 2 , Pages 626-631, August 2009