Contribution of major cardiovascular risk factors to familial premature coronary artery disease: the GENECARD project.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors in familial premature coronary artery disease (P-CAD), affecting two or more siblings within one sibship.

Background: Premature CAD has a genetic component. It remains to be established whether familial P-CAD is due to genes acting independently from major cardiovascular risk factors.