The study, reported in the Journal of Pediatrics, included 852 school students who, at an average age of 12, had their cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides and weight measured. They were reassessed 26 years later — as were their parents, who were 66 years old, on average.
In nearly half of the families — 47 percent — a parent had suffered a heart attack, stroke or needed a procedure to clear blocked heart arteries by the end of the study period. In 37 percent, a parent had developed diabetes.
Overall, Glueck’s team found, parents were about twice as likely to suffer early heart disease or stroke (age 60 or younger) when their child had had high blood pressure at age 12.
Parents’ odds of cardiovascular problems at any age were also higher when their child had had high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol or triglycerides.
And when children were overweight, their parents’ odds of developing diabetes or high blood pressure doubled.
In an earlier study, Glueck’s team had found that childhood test results also predicted the kids’ own risks of developing heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure by their late-30s.
All of that suggests that childhood screenings can help predict future risks — in kids and parents. But there is no hard evidence that screening children actually cuts their odds of diabetes or cardiovascular disease in the long run.
