Relation of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors between Parents and Children

Abstract

Objectives To explore the relations of parent-child cardiometabolic risk factors and assess the influence of adiposity on these associations. Study design Associations of adiposity, blood pressure, lipids, fasting insulin and glucose, and a risk factor cluster score were evaluated in a cross-sectional study of 179 parents and their children (6–18 years, N=255). Insulin resistance was assessed by euglycemic clamp in parents and children aged 10 or older. Metabolic syndrome in parents was defined by ATPIII criteria. Cluster scores of the risk factors were created based on age-specific z-scores. Analyses included Pearson correlation and linear regression, adjusted for parent and child age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI), accounting for within-family correlation. Results We found positive parent-child correlations for measures of adiposity (BMI, BMI percentile, waist, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat; r=0.22–0.34, all p≤0.003), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r=0.20, p=0.002), total cholesterol (r=0.39, p<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.34, p<0.001), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.26, p<0.001) triglycerides (r=0.19, p=0.01) and insulin sensitivity (r=0.22, p=0.02) as well as cluster scores (r=0.15, p=0.02). After adjustment for BMI all parent-child correlations, except systolic blood pressure, remained significant. Conclusions Although adiposity is strongly correlated between parents and children, many cardiometabolic risk factors correlate independent of parent and child BMI. Adverse parental cardiometabolic profiles may identify at-risk children independent of the child’s adiposity status.

A population-based resource for intergenerational metabolomics analyses in pregnant women and their children: the Generation R Study

“…A large familial resemblance in metabolite concentrations has been suggested, which seems to be largely genetic (Draisma et al 2013;Kettunen et al 2016;Rueedi et al 2014). In cross-sectional studies, correlations of metabolites between parents and their offspring vary strongly, ranging from weak to relatively strong (Ellul et al 2019;Halvorsen et al 2015;Ohlund et al 2011). Partly in line with these previous studies, we observed that AA and NEFA concentrations were lower in childhood as compared to cord blood samples, whereas concentrations of PL and Carn were higher in childhood.…”

The Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Arterial Stiffness of Pediatric Mucopolysaccharidosis Patients Are Increased Compared to Both Pediatric and Adult Controls

“…The pediatric and adult controls were obtained from prior studies of insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk at the University of Minnesota that utilized identical carotid imaging protocols [29,30,31,32]. Clinical data (demographic information, anthropometrics, ethnicity, confirmation of diagnosis, and treatment status) from MPS patients were obtained from chart review.…”

Association of Parental Overweight and Cardiometabolic Diseases and Pediatric Adiposity and Lifestyle Factors with Cardiovascular Risk Factor Clustering in Adolescents

“…Parent–child dyad studies have suggested that obesity and certain cardiometabolic risk factors are shared across generations [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. A study investigating longitudinal cardiovascular risk found that obese children with an obese parent were 21.2% likely to be eligible for bariatric surgery in adulthood [ 12 ].…”