A new study involving over 1,500 British adolescents has found a link between family history of cardiometabolic diseases and early heart damage in young people. The research was conducted by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in the United States, the Universities of Bristol and Exeter in the United Kingdom, and the University of Eastern Finland. Findings were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Researchers followed 1,595 participants from birth as part of the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s cohort. Heart measurements were taken repeatedly from age 17 to 24. About one-third had a family history of conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.
The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy—an indicator of excessive heart enlargement—increased across all participants from 2.4% at age 17 to 6.5% at age 24. For those with a family history, this rate rose four-fold by age 24 compared to a two-fold increase among those without such a background.
Prior studies in adults have shown that parental early-onset myocardial infarction can raise their children's risk for similar events later in life even if they lack other risk factors like obesity or smoking. However, this is reportedly the first large-scale study to examine links between parental cardiometabolic disease and adolescent heart damage using repeated echocardiography assessments.
Participants' blood samples were analyzed for insulin, glucose, cholesterol types, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein levels. Other factors considered included blood pressure, heart rate, socioeconomic status, smoking habits, physical activity (measured by accelerometer), sedentary behavior, fat mass and lean mass.
The study found that having a family history increased the odds of worsening structural and functional heart changes by twenty percent over time. Researchers estimated that out of sixty adolescents with such a background, one might develop left ventricular hypertrophy directly related to parental health history. Elevated glucose levels explained about ten percent of this relationship.
"These findings highlight just how important family history is when it comes to heart disease. We already know that helping children develop healthy habits early, like being active and eating well, can protect their hearts for life. In addition, by managing blood pressure, cholesterol and other risk factors, and by adopting healthier lifestyles, future parents aren't just improving their own health, they're giving their children a better chance at a healthy heart," said Dr. Douglas Corsi from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and University of Eastern Finland.
"The current findings extend our recent results, where we showed that high blood glucose and insulin resistance increase the risk of premature heart damage in youth. Adolescence is a critical window in the evolution of cardiometabolic diseases, and the faster cardiac damage progression among those with a family history of cardiometabolic diseases raises significant concerns, necessitating a special focus. There is a critical twenty-year window between mid-twenties and mid-forties to prevent premature heart attacks in midlife. Health policies could encourage the general population to examine their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, at least once every five to ten years starting in late adolescence," said Andrew Agbaje from University of Eastern Finland.
Agbaje’s research group received funding support from several foundations including Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation; Finnish Cultural Foundation Central Fund; Finnish Cultural Foundation North Savo Regional Fund; Orion Research Foundation; Aarne Koskelo Foundation; Antti and Tyyne Soininen Foundation; Paulo Foundation; Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation; Paavo Nurmi Foundation; Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; Ida Montin Foundation; Eino Räsänen Fund; Matti and Vappu Maukonen Fund; Foundation for Pediatric Research; Alfred Kordelin Foundation; Novo Nordisk Foundation.
