Multivariate variance-components analysis of longitudinal blood pressure measurements from the Framingham Heart Study
2003

Analyzing Blood Pressure Changes Over Time

Sample size: 2885 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Kraft Peter, Bauman Lara, Yuan Jin Ying, Horvath Steve

Primary Institution: Harvard School of Public Health

Hypothesis

Different genes may influence blood pressure at different ages.

Conclusion

The study found that different sets of genes regulate blood pressure at different ages.

Supporting Evidence

  • Heritabilities for blood pressure at different ages ranged from 27% to 38%.
  • Tests indicated significant evidence that different genes affect blood pressure at different ages.
  • Linkage analyses replicated previous results on chromosome 17.

Takeaway

This study looked at how blood pressure changes as people get older and found that different genes affect blood pressure at different ages.

Methodology

The study used multivariate variance components analysis on longitudinal blood pressure data from the Framingham Heart Study.

Potential Biases

There is a concern that early withdrawal from the study may be correlated with elevated blood pressure.

Limitations

The analysis did not account for other known risk factors for high blood pressure, and missing data may introduce bias.

Participant Demographics

Participants were from the Framingham Heart Study, including 2885 subjects from 330 pedigrees.

Statistical Information

P-Value

2 × 10-3

Statistical Significance

p < 2 × 10-3

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2156-4-S1-S55

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