IS A FAMILY HISTORY OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE AN INDEPENDENT CORONARY RISK FACTOR

The importance of a positive family history as a primary risk factor for coronary heart disease was examined in a case history study. Of 792 consecutive male patients aged under 60 yr who survived a 1st episode of unstable angina or myocardial infarction, 326 had a negative family history, 298 had a positive history and in 168 a family history could not be established with certainty. There was no significant difference in the distribution of the 3 primary coronary risk factors-cigarette smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.sbd.between those with and those without a positive family history. The 133 subjects with a positive family history of premature coronary heart disease (occurrence in near relatives under 60 yr) were significantly younger than those with a negative family history. There is little evidence to confirm a positive family history as an important independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, although there may be familial aggregation of subjects with a high susceptibility to the effects of the 3 primary risk factors, cigarette smoking, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.