PARENTS OF LARGE FAMILIES MAY BE AT GREATER RISK OF HEART DISEASE

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PARENTS OF LARGE FAMILIES MAY BE AT GREATER RISK OF HEART DISEASE
06 May 2007 - University of Bristol

Mothers and fathers of large families may have a higher risk of heart disease, according to new research by the University of Bristol. Dr Debbie Lawlor and colleagues in the Department of Social Medicine, analysed data from two UK Department of Health and British Heart Foundation sponsored studies of 4,286 women and 4,252 men aged 60 to 79.

They found that coronary heart disease risk was lowest for women and men who had two children compared to those whose families were larger. Among women with more than two children, risk for CHD increased by 30 percent with each additional child. For men with more than two children, the risk increased by 12 percent for each additional child.

Obesity was more common among parents of large families. Mothers with more than two children were also more likely to have evidence of insulin resistance with low levels of high density lipoprotein (the 'good' cholesterol), raised triglycerides, raised blood sugar and diabetes. These risk factors increased with the number of children in the family.

Adjusting for obesity and other risk factors weakened the association between number of children and CHD risk, particularly in the case of fathers. However, a link still remained among mothers.

Dr Lawlor said: "Parents of large families tend to be poorer and also have less favourable lifestyles which explains some of their increased CHD risk.

"However, different results for fathers and mothers suggest that multiple pregnancies also have a specific adverse metabolic effect on women resulting in insulin resistance, an important risk factor for CHD.

"These results reinforce the need to encourage mothers and fathers of several children to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle which may reduce their chances of developing obesity and CHD in later life.

"Careful screening and control of metabolic abnormalities during pregnancy should also be undertaken in women receiving antenatal care, particularly among women who have had a number of earlier pregnancies."

http://www.bris.ac.uk

About: University of Bristol
The University College of Bristol opened in 1876, after six years of discussions and controversy, in a bid to bring university culture to the provinces. It was the first college in the country to admit men and women on an equal footing.

The University’s Research and Enterprise Development (RED) division was launched in 2000 to stimulate and support an entrepreneurial culture and encourage the growth of technology-based business.

2003 saw the completion of the Dorothy Hodgkin building, named after the University’s fifth Chancellor. The £18 million building is dedicated to research in neuroendocrinology. 2003 also saw the opening of the University’s £5 million Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health.

Work on a new, state-of-the-art engineering building is due to be completed in early 2004. The £20 million BLADE project (Bristol Laboratory for Advanced Dynamics Engineering) will bring together the Engineering Faculty’s six departments to establish Europe’s most advanced dynamics engineering research facilities.

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