Familial Resemblance for Resting Blook Pressure with Particular Reference to Racial Differences: Preliminary Analyses from the HERITAGE Family Study

Document Type

Article

Authors

Chi Gu, Washington University School of Medicine
Ingrid Borecki, Washington University School of Medicine
Jacques Gagnon, Laval University
Claude Bouchard, Laval University
Arthur S. Leon, University of Minnesota
James S. Skinner, Indiana University
Jack H. Wilmore, University of Texas
D.C. Rao, Washington University School of Medicine

Abstract

Resting blood pressure in both white and black families participating in the HERITAGE Family Study was analyzed using a simple familial correlation model to assess familial influences. The two samples of black and white families were analyzed separately and together, providing an opportunity to test for heterogeneity in the familial resemblance. Maximal heritability was 46% for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 31% for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the pooled sample. Noticeably higher heritabilities were found in the black sample (68% for SBP and 56% for DBP) than in the white sample (43% for SBP and 24% for DBP). The patterns of familial correlations were similar in blacks and whites, with the exception that spouse resemblance was significant in white families but not in black families. These results along with the finding that the magnitude of the familial correlations was higher in the black sample than in the white sample suggest that the effects of host and familial environmental factors differ between the races.

Recommended Citation

Gu, Chi; Borecki, Ingrid; Gagnon, Jacques; Bouchard, Claude; Leon, Arthur S.; Skinner, James S.; Wilmore, Jack H.; and Rao, D.C. (1998) "Familial Resemblance for Resting Blook Pressure with Particular Reference to Racial Differences: Preliminary Analyses from the HERITAGE Family Study," Human Biology: Vol. 70: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol70/iss1/6