A pedigree-based cohort to study the genetic risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases: study design, baseline characteristics and preliminary results

Hongchen Zheng; Ying Ye; Hui Huang; Chunlan Huang; Wenjing Gao; Mengying Wang; Wenyong Li; Ren Zhou; Jin Jiang; Siyue Wang; Canqing Yu; Jun Lv; Xiaoling Wu; Xiaoming Huang; Weihua Cao; Yansheng Yan; Kuicheng Zheng; Tao Wu; Liming Li

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1189993

A pedigree-based cohort to study the genetic risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases: study design, baseline characteristics and preliminary results

Front Public Health. 2023 Jul 13:11:1189993. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1189993. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hongchen Zheng^{1

2

3}, Ying Ye⁴, Hui Huang^{1

2}, Chunlan Huang⁵, Wenjing Gao^{1

2}, Mengying Wang^{1

2}, Wenyong Li^{1

2}, Ren Zhou^{1

2}, Jin Jiang^{1

2}, Siyue Wang^{1

2}, Canqing Yu^{1

2

6}, Jun Lv^{1

2

6}, Xiaoling Wu⁵, Xiaoming Huang⁵, Weihua Cao^{1

2}, Yansheng Yan⁴, Kuicheng Zheng⁷, Tao Wu^{1

2

8}, Liming Li^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
² Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Genetics, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China.
⁴ Department of Local Diseases Control and Prevention, Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou, China.
⁵ Department of Hygiene, Nanjing Country Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China.
⁶ Center for Public Health and Epidemic Preparedness and Response, Peking University, Beijing, China.
⁷ Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou, China.
⁸ Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Background: We initiated the Fujian Tulou Pedigree-based Cohort (FTPC) as the integration of extended pedigrees and prospective cohort to clarify the genetic and environmental risk factors of cardiometabolic diseases.

Methods: FTPC was carried out in Nanjing County, Fujian Province, China from August 2015 to December 2017 to recruit probands with the same surnames and then enroll their first-degree and more distant relatives. The participants were asked to complete questionnaire interview, physical examination, and blood collection. According to the local genealogical booklets and family registry, we reconstructed extended pedigrees to estimate the heritability of cardiometabolic traits. The follow-up of FTPC is scheduled every 5 years in the future.

Results: The baseline survey interviewed 2,727 individuals in two clans. A total of 1,563 adult subjects who completed all baseline examinations were used to reconstruct pedigrees and 452 extended pedigrees were finally identified, including one seven-generation pedigree, two five-generation pedigrees, 23 four-generation pedigrees, 186 three-generation pedigrees, and 240 two-generation pedigrees. The average age of the participants was 57.4 years, with 43.6% being males. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia in FTPC were 49.2, 10.0, and 45.2%, respectively. Based on the pedigree structure, the heritability of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fast blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein was estimated at 0.379, 0.306, 0.386, 0.452, 0.568, 0.852, and 0.387, respectively.

Conclusion: As an extended pedigree cohort in China, FTPC will provide an important source to study both genetic and environmental risk factors prospectively.

Keywords: baseline characteristic; cardiometabolic disease; cohort study; heritability; pedigree-based study.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Diabetes Mellitus*
Female
Humans
Hypertension*
Male
Middle Aged
Pedigree
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors