Diabetes Care 30:1162-1167, 2007 DOI: 10.2337/dc06-2033 © 2007 by the American Diabetes Association
Clustering of Risk Factors in Parents of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Nephropathy
1 Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Biomedicum Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Address correspondence and reprint requests to Per-Henrik Groop, MD, DMSc, Folkhälsan Research Center, Biomedicum Helsinki, POB 63, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: per-henrik.groop{at}helsinki.fi
OBJECTIVETo assess the impact of parental risk factors for diabetic nephropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSThis cross-sectional study included 2,355 type 1 diabetic patients from the FinnDiane (Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy) study. Diabetic nephropathy was defined as macroalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion rate >200 µg/min or >300 mg/24 h) or end-stage renal disease. Information was available from 4,676 parents. Parental scores were calculated based on the number of various traits in the parents. RESULTSPatients with diabetic nephropathy, compared with those without diabetic nephropathy, had a higher prevalence of maternal (41 vs. 35%, P = 0.046) and parental (62 vs. 55%, P = 0.044) hypertension, maternal stroke (7.6 vs. 5.1%, P = 0.044), and maternal (1.4 vs. 0.7%, P = 0.058) and parental (4.3 vs. 2.9%, P = 0.030) type 1 diabetes. If both, compared with none, of the parents had hypertension, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for diabetic nephropathy in offspring was 1.56 (95% CI 1.132.15). The adjusted OR for diabetic nephropathy was 2.13 (1.363.33) for the parental hypertensiondiabetes score (34 vs. 0 points) and 2.13 (1.373.33) for the parental hypertensioncardiovascular disease (CVD)diabetes score (46 vs. 0 points). Fathers of patients with diabetic nephropathy, compared with those without diabetic nephropathy, had reduced overall survival (log-rank P = 0.04) and reduced cardiovascular survival (log-rank P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONSA cluster of parental hypertension, CVD, and diabetes is associated with diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes, as is paternal mortality.
Abbreviations: CVD, cardiovascular disease FinnDiane, Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy UAER, urinary albumin excretion rate
Diabetic nephropathy occurs in one-third of patients with type 1 diabetes, with an incidence peak after 1520 years of diabetes (1). Diabetic nephropathy clusters in families and in specific ethnic groups (24), indicating a genetic predisposition. The genetic risk factors are, however, still largely unknown. Hypertension is associated with albuminuria (5) and is considered a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy. Notably, an association between parental hypertension and diabetic nephropathy in offspring has been reported in several studies (69), suggesting that genetic predisposition to hypertension is linked to an increased risk for diabetic nephropathy. However, not all studies support this finding (10,11). Patients with type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy have a several-fold increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared with patients without diabetic nephropathy (12). Hence, genetic factors that contribute to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) may explain some of the risk for diabetic nephropathy in the diabetic patient. A parental history of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has accordingly been associated with a higher prevalence of nephropathy in diabetic offspring (1315) and an increase in CVD among patients with diabetic nephropathy (13). Many studies, however, show contradictory results (16,17). Parents of patients with type 1 diabetes and nephropathy have reduced survival rates compared with parents of patients with normal urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) (13,15,18). The early mortality among parents to patients with nephropathy seems to be due to an excess of cardiovascular deaths. Insulin resistance, a key feature of type 2 diabetes, is a risk factor for albuminuria in type 1 diabetes (19). Consequently, a familial history of insulin resistance (14,20) and of type 2 diabetes has been associated with diabetic nephropathy in the type 1 diabetic offspring in some (8,21) but not all (1315) studies. Furthermore, whether a parental history of type 1 diabetes affects the development of diabetic nephropathy in the type 1 diabetic offspring is unclear. In addition, whether different familial risk factors for diabetic nephropathy in the offspring act in concert or on their own is not known. Finally, previous studies have not been large enough to study maternal and paternal effects separately. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between a parental (maternal and paternal) history of hypertension, CVD, diabetes, and diabetic nephropathy in offspring, in a large type 1 diabetic cohort, and to assess whether clustering of such traits in families increases the likelihood of diabetic nephropathy. We also aimed to investigate whether parents to patients with diabetic nephropathy have an increased total or CVD mortality.
All patients are part of the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) study, which is a nationwide multicenter study that seeks to determine genetic and clinical risk factors for micro- and macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetes. For this study, 2,355 patients with information for either available parent and classifiable diabetic renal status by May 2005 were selected from the FinnDiane database. The study design is cross-sectional (all data and samples collected at a baseline visit) and includes patients from 70 centers in Finland. Of the patients, 51% were male, mean (±SD) age was 41 ± 11 years, and duration of diabetes was 28 ± 9 years. Information was available from 2,353 mothers and 2,323 fathers (4,676 parents total). The local ethics committees approved the study, and it was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient.
Data on medication, cardiovascular status, and diabetes complications of the patients with type 1 diabetes were registered from a standardized questionnaire that was completed by the patient's attending physician. Type 1 diabetes was defined as an onset of diabetes at Anthropometric data (weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences) and blood pressure were collected by a trained nurse. Blood pressure was measured twice in the sitting position and a mean value calculated.
Assays
Parental information Data on mortality were available from all of the 4,676 parents and, of them, 1,635 (35%) had died. Age at death was 69 ± 13 years for mothers and 64 ± 13 years for fathers.
Parental risk score
Validation of parental data
Statistical analysis
We investigated parental factors associated with diabetic nephropathy in offspring in 4,676 parents of 2,355 type 1 diabetic patients, 780 with diabetic nephropathy (59% men) and 1,575 without diabetic nephropathy (48% men, P < 0.001). Patients with diabetic nephropathy, compared with patients without diabetic nephropathy, were older (42 ± 9 vs. 41 ± 12 years, P = 0.002), had an earlier onset of diabetes (12 ± 7 vs. 14 ± 8 years, P < 0.001), had a longer duration of diabetes (30 ± 8 vs. 27 ± 10 years, P < 0.001), had a similar BMI (25.2 ± 3.9 vs. 25.1 ± 3.3 kg/m2, P = 0.594), had a higher systolic (147 ± 21 vs. 133 ± 16 mmHg, P < 0.001) diastolic (84 ± 11 vs. 79 ± 9 mmHg, P < 0.001) blood pressure, had a higher UAER (499 [range 1711,274] vs. 11 [629], P < 0.001), had a higher A1C (8.9 ± 1.5 vs. 8.3 ± 1.3%, P < 0.001), had a lower estimated glucose disposal rate (4.0 ± 1.6 vs. 6.5 ± 2.4 mg · kg1 · min1, P < 0.001), and had a lower estimated creatinine clearance (60 ± 34 vs. 101 ± 28 ml/min per 1.73 m2, P < 0.001). Patients with diabetic nephropathy also had more coronary heart disease (15 vs. 4%, P < 0.001), strokes (7 vs. 1%, P < 0.001), and amputations (11 vs. 1%, P < 0.001). In patients with diabetic nephropathy, both mothers (67 ± 10 vs. 65 ± 12 years, P = 0.001) and fathers (66 ± 1 vs. 64 ± 1 years, P = 0.005) were older than those without diabetic nephropathy.
Parental history of hypertension, CVD, and diabetes The prevalence of parental hypertension, CVD, diabetes, and mortality is presented in Table 1, which also shows that parental, maternal, and paternal hypertension, as well as parental type 1 diabetes and parental mortality, were associated with diabetic nephropathy in a univariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age. Data were further analyzed using two multivariate models, one for parental data and one for maternal and paternal data, adjusted for duration of diabetes, A1C, and sex. In these models, parental hypertension and type 1 diabetes, especially in the mothers, were associated with diabetic nephropathy.
Clustering of parental history of hypertension, CVD, diabetes, and mortality
Based on parental hypertensionCVD score, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in the offspring was 28% in patients with a parental score of 0 points, 30% with a parental score of 1 point, 36% with a parental score of 2 points, and 42% with a parental score of 3 or 4 points (P < 0.001 for trend). According to the parental hypertensiondiabetes score, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in the offspring was 29% (0 points), 32% (1 point), 35% (2 points), and 50% (3 or 4 points) (P < 0.001 for trend). According to the parental hypertensionCVDdiabetes score, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in offspring was 27% (0 points), 31% (1 point), 33% (23 points), and 50% (46 points) (P < 0.001 for trend). The ORs for the association of the different parental scores with diabetic nephropathy are presented in Table 2. After adjustment for duration of diabetes, sex, and A1C, the parental hypertensionCVD score was no longer associated with diabetic nephropathy. Parental mortality and paternal mortality were more prevalent in patients with than without diabetic nephropathy. No difference was observed in maternal mortality or parental, maternal, and paternal CVD mortality (Table 1). For fathers to patients with diabetic nephropathy, Kaplan-Meier curves showed reduced overall survival (log-rank P = 0.04) and reduced cardiovascular survival (log-rank P = 0.03). No difference was observed in parental (P = 0.11) or maternal (P = 0.81) overall survival or in parental (P = 0.08) or maternal (P = 0.66) survival from cardiovascular death.
This study confirms previous observations that familial factors play a role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. The association with individual traits studied (familial hypertension, CVD, and diabetes) appeared weaker than previously reported. A marked familial clustering of hypertension, CVD, and diabetes was, however, associated with diabetic nephropathy in offspring with type 1 diabetes. The question why only a proportion of patients with type 1 diabetes develop diabetic nephropathy is still unresolved. Diabetic nephropathy undoubtedly clusters in families, but also a number of closely related traits seem to occur more frequently in families of offspring with diabetic nephropathy (6,9,13,14). This suggests that hereditary factors play a role. However, despite several attempts to define the traits that have an impact on diabetic nephropathy, there is still no consensus. The reason may be that most studies have been either underpowered or have included an ethnic admixture. Therefore, the present study was performed in a large homogeneous population that enabled us to study maternal and paternal risk traits separately. This is important because disease transmission from mothers to offspring and from fathers to offspring may differ (27). Notably, because genes of diabetes and its complications may show variability across populations, findings in one global region may not necessarily apply to other regions. Hypertension in the parents, especially in the mothers, was associated with diabetic nephropathy when the traits were assessed individually. Notably, although paternal hypertension was only weakly associated with diabetic nephropathy, the risk increased if both parents were hypertensive. This suggests that although maternal hypertension may be more strongly linked to diabetic nephropathy, paternal hypertension also plays a role. Very few studies have addressed this issue, but Hadjadj et al. (20) observed higher blood pressure in mothers of patients with diabetic nephropathy, although there was no difference in the prevalence of hypertension. Maternal stroke showed a weak relationship with diabetic nephropathy, but it is of note that the prevalence of stroke was rather low, as was the sensitivity of the questionnaire to detect a history of stroke. The finding is, however, in agreement with data on hypertension, a strong risk factor for stroke (28). We have previously reported a link between parental type 2 diabetes and development of diabetic nephropathy in offspring with type 1 diabetes (21). This is in line with findings from the EURODIAB study, in which the finding was isolated to female patients (8). In the present study, we found no difference in the prevalence of parental type 2 diabetes despite substantial power. However, there was a tendency toward an increasing risk of diabetic nephropathy as the load of parental diabetes increased (diabetes in neither, one, or both parents). Furthermore, the combination of both parental diabetes and parental hypertension, compared with each alone, was clearly associated with an increased risk of diabetic nephropathy in the offspring. It is possible that the lack of a difference in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the present study can be due to a selection bias caused by the increased cardiovascular mortality observed in fathers of diabetic nephropathy patients. Furthermore, the use of patient-reported data, instead of parent-reported data or direct assessment of parental glucose metabolism, may dilute our results. Nevertheless, if the true association would be as strong as we previously reported in our smaller dataset (21), it would probably have been observed with the present sample size and methodology. Therefore, the link between parental diabetes and diabetic nephropathy is probably not as strong as we previously reported, which may explain some of the negative findings in smaller studies (13,14,17,20). However, the link between the cluster of parental hypertension, diabetes, and CVD on one hand and diabetic nephropathy on the other may indicate that a familial predisposition to all of these conditions may be more important than the diabetic state in isolation. In other words, the common denominator may be, for instance, insulin resistance instead of diabetes, the latter being only one of several consequences of the former. A novel finding was the higher prevalence of parental type 1 diabetes among patients with diabetic nephropathy compared with those without (4.3 vs. 2.9%). This is in contrast to a small Swedish study with a rather high prevalence of type 1 diabetes in the parents but with no association to diabetic nephropathy (29). Notably, the association between type 1 diabetes in the parents and diabetic nephropathy in the offspring in the present study was confined to the mothers. Parental CVD has been associated with diabetic nephropathy in a few small studies in which CVD was defined as a combined end point including morbidity and mortality (13,14), although most studies have failed to replicate this finding (9,16,17). When data for CVD were analyzed individually, the present study did not show an association between parental CVD and diabetic nephropathy. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the questionnaire for parental CVD was lower than that for hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, we cannot rule out that use of more sensitive measures could detect an association between parental CVD and diabetic nephropathy. Such a view is supported by the fact that the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy increased from 30, to 34, to 42% if none, one, or both of the parents had CVD, respectively. The present study is the first to have sufficient power to assess maternal and paternal survival separately. Using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, we observed an association between paternal but not maternal mortality and diabetic nephropathy. This is partly in accordance with studies that showed an increase in parental overall and CVD mortality among patients with diabetic nephropathy (15,18,21). Other studies that were not based on survival analysis did not show a difference in the prevalence of parental mortality (8,16,17). Importantly, the new observation is that reduced survival among parents to patients with diabetic nephropathy seems to result from an increase in overall and CVD mortality in the fathers. Nevertheless, the present study has some limitations. The parental information was received from the diabetic patients and not from the parents directly or from their medical records. We were, however, able to validate the parental data in as many as 45% of the parents still alive, and the overall sensitivity of the data was as high as 83%, with a specificity of 98%. Another important aspect was that the parental data were not complete but did exceed 80% in all cases. Finally, the use of sensitive measures, such as 24-h blood pressure monitoring, oral glucose tolerance tests, and angiographies could enable detection of occult disease, but this should be counteracted by the large number of subjects assessed in the present study. Altogether, the associations we find in this study are not as pronounced as those in some earlier, smaller studies that showed associations between diabetic nephropathy and different familial risk factors. The discrepancy might reflect an improvement in the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes with regard to both glycemic control and blood pressure, notably the increased use of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers. This could possibly postpone the development of diabetic nephropathy and lead to a misclassification of nephropathy status. Interestingly, in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, a more prominent familial clustering of diabetes complications was observed in the conventionally treated patients (A1C 9.2%) than in the intensively treated patients (A1C 7.3%), which would support a role for improved treatment (30). Notably, the mean A1C value of 8.5% in our population was rather high; therefore, that glycemic control alone would explain the observed discrepancy is unlikely. In conclusion, diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes is associated with a cluster of parental hypertension, CVD, and diabetes, as well as with paternal CVD mortality. Although maternal or paternal transmission of these traits may have different impact on the risk of diabetic nephropathy in the offspring with type 1 diabetes, it seems that the more the traits cluster in the families, the higher the risk for diabetic nephropathy.
This study was supported by grants from the Folkhälsan Research Foundation, Samfundet Folkhälsan, Wilhelm and Else Stockmann Foundation, Liv och Halsa Foundation, Finnish Medical Society (Finska Läkaresällskapet), Perklén Foundation, and European Commission (QLG2-CT-2001-01669). The skilled technical assistance of laboratory technicians Tarja Vesisenaho, Sinikka Lindh, Anna Sandelin, Hannele Hilden, Helina Perttunen-Mio, and Virve Naatti is gratefully acknolwedged. We also acknowledge all the physicians and nurses at each center participating in the collection of patients (31 or online appendix [available at http://care.diabetesjournals.org]).
Published ahead of print at http://care.diabetesjournals.org on 2 March 2007. DOI: 10.2337/dc06-2033. Additional information for this article can be found in an online appendix at http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc06-2033. A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. Received for publication October 2, 2006. Accepted for publication February 7, 2007.
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