Path analysis of familial resemblance in blood pressure in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia. 2003

Tatjana Skarić-Jurić
Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, Croatia.

The familial resemblance in blood pressure in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia, has been analyzed using the Path-analytic approach. The sample consisted of 1,126 examinees (526 males and 600 females, aged 17 to 87), inhabitants of the Middle Dalmatia's islands of Brac, Hvar, Korcula and the Peljesac peninsula. The Path analysis was performed with the assumption that each family member (father, mother, offspring 1 and 2) has a latent variable (C) that influences both the blood pressure values (P) and the morphological dimensions significantly correlated with blood pressure (Q). According to the estimates revealed from the most parsimonious models, the diastolic blood pressure has a more pronounced genetic component (h2 = 30-32%) than the systolic blood pressure (h2 = 15%). In contrast to the low intergenerational influences, the members of the same generation showed pronounced effects of shared environment. Common (non-transmitted) offsprings' environment (B) explains 44% of variance of the individual offspring's environment (C) in systolic and 33-35% in diastolic blood pressure. The correlation of father's and mother's environment (u2) was high in the case of diastolic blood pressure (33-44%) but for the systolic blood pressure it was not significantly different from zero. According to the presented results in insular/peninsular population of Middle Dalmatia, family resemblance of systolic and diastolic blood pressure differs. The resemblance is higher in diastolic blood pressure with stronger additive genetic component and stronger environmental and/or genetic component related with morphology. The sources of high heritability of diastolic blood pressure in Middle Dalmatia as well as the sources of high prevalence of hypertension in the same population are the phenomena that might be connected and thus deserve to be further explored in incoming analyses.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006973 Hypertension Persistently high systemic arterial BLOOD PRESSURE. Based on multiple readings (BLOOD PRESSURE DETERMINATION), hypertension is currently defined as when SYSTOLIC PRESSURE is consistently greater than 140 mm Hg or when DIASTOLIC PRESSURE is consistently 90 mm Hg or more. Blood Pressure, High,Blood Pressures, High,High Blood Pressure,High Blood Pressures
D010375 Pedigree The record of descent or ancestry, particularly of a particular condition or trait, indicating individual family members, their relationships, and their status with respect to the trait or condition. Family Tree,Genealogical Tree,Genealogic Tree,Genetic Identity,Identity, Genetic,Family Trees,Genealogic Trees,Genealogical Trees,Genetic Identities,Identities, Genetic,Tree, Family,Tree, Genealogic,Tree, Genealogical,Trees, Family,Trees, Genealogic,Trees, Genealogical
D001794 Blood Pressure PRESSURE of the BLOOD on the ARTERIES and other BLOOD VESSELS. Systolic Pressure,Diastolic Pressure,Pulse Pressure,Pressure, Blood,Pressure, Diastolic,Pressure, Pulse,Pressure, Systolic,Pressures, Systolic
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D017523 Croatia Created 7 April 1992 as a result of the division of Yugoslavia.
D020022 Genetic Predisposition to Disease A latent susceptibility to disease at the genetic level, which may be activated under certain conditions. Genetic Predisposition,Genetic Susceptibility,Predisposition, Genetic,Susceptibility, Genetic,Genetic Predispositions,Genetic Susceptibilities,Predispositions, Genetic,Susceptibilities, Genetic

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