Spouse concordance of coronary risk factors and the effect of marriage duration

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Familial aggregation of coronary risk factors is well known, which are hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. However inter-spouse relation of the risk factors has remained controversial. As spouses are not blood-related, any risk factor relation that exist probably may not reflect genetic factors, but the environmental factors to which the couple is exposed. Moreover, the effect of assortative marriage should be considered. This study is designed to identify inter-spouse relation of coronary risk factors and to document the effects of marriage duration to spouse concordance. METHODS: From May 1995 to March. 1999, we enrolled 1,859 couples who had visited the Health Promotion Center at Seoul National University Hospital. We analysed inter-spouse correlation of body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, serum lipid factors, uric acid, smoking, alcohol drinking, and stress known as coronary risk factors. The correlation coefficients were compared according to marriage duration. RESULTS: There was statistically significant spouse concordance for all risk factors with the exception of smoking. The correlation coefficients of blood pressure, total cholesterol, and triglyceride increased with marriage duration but troughed at 30-39 years of marriage. Those of body mass index and glucose peaked at early and late marriage duration. Those of HDL-cholesterol and uric acid was relatively fixed throughout marriage. CONCLUSION: The presence of significant inter-spouse correlation for most of the coronary risk factors reflect the influence of assortative marriage and environmental factors on spouse concordance. If a spouse has many cardiovascular risk factors, partner should be evaluated for risk factors.