Family history of hypertension is not an independent genetic factor predisposing to ischemic stroke subtypes

Objectives The effect of family history of hypertension (FHxHT), as a genetic factor predisposing to some ischemic stroke subtypes and independently of hypertension as risk factor, has never been studied. Methods A positive FHxHT was searched in 472 patients (312 men, 160 women; mean [S.D.] age, 67.9 [11.4] years) consecutively admitted for a first-ever ischemic stroke (348) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (124) due to small vessel disease (SVD, 180), large vessel disease (156), or cardioembolism (136). In this population and in three age bands, the genetically transmitted vascular risk factors, age, gender and the ischemic stroke subtypes were compared between those with and without a positive FHxHT. Results None of the risk factors was associated with a positive FHxHT, except for hypertension in the whole population (68.9% vs. 48.7%; p = 0.001) and in the <65 year-old patients (72.5% vs. 39.5%; p < 0.001). Regarding the stroke subtypes, a positive FHxHT was only associated with SVD in the subgroup of <65 year-old patients (odd ratios (OR), 2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01 to 4.25; p = 0.045). However, this finding disappeared in a logistic regression analysis, which only retained hypertension as independently associated with SVD. Conclusions FHxHT is not an independent genetic factor predisposing to some aetiological stroke subtypes.