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The paper gives the results of survey of 99 families of patients with prior myocardial infarction. There was a high coronary heart disease (CHD) affliction among the blood relatives of probands and its clear-cut relationship to the specific features of their family history. The patients with prior myocardial infarction and their blood relatives showed profound changes in coagulative and anticoagulative factors, which indicate their tendency to hypercoagulation. The specific features of family history, the pattern of changes in hemostatic parameters in blood and non-blood relatives, and evidence for the genetic determination of the hemostatic parameter activity suggest that the blood coagulative system is an important component for hereditary predisposition to CHD. An association of some hemostatic parameters was examined with CHD. The paper provides strong evidence for the fact that it is expedient to measure antithrombin III activity as a marker of genetic predisposition to CHD while surveying a group of individuals who have a family history of CHD.

Contribution of genetic and environmental factors in phenotypic variability of blood pressure level and skinfold thickness, and phenotypic correlation between these characters was calculated on the basis of familial correlations. It was shown that genetic determinant explains considerable portion of blood pressure level and skinfold thickness variability. Among common environmental effects, the factors affecting one generation are important with regard to variability of these characters. Maternal effect is expressed in the variability of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Correlation between blood pressure level and triceps skinfold thickness is determined by genetic factors, whereas that between blood pressure level and subscapular skinfold thickness is mediated by environmental factors. The results obtained may be applied in populational prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Contribution of genetic and environmental factors into phenotypic variability of blood pressure and body mass as well as into phenotypic correlation between these traits was defined. It was shown that additive genetic determinant is responsible for considerable level of blood pressure and body mass variability. Those common environmental factors are of importance which operate within the limits of one generation. Maternal effect of systolic and diastolic blood pressure variability is negligible. The correlation between systolic and diastolic blood pressure is determined both by environmental and genetic factors, whereas that between blood pressure and body mass is mediated by only environmental factors. The contribution of environmental factors into correlation between blood pressure and body mass lessens with age. The results obtained may be applied in development of population and individual programmes for preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Based on intrafamilial correlations, a component genetic analysis was used to evaluate the contribution made by genetic and environmental factors to variance in body weight and skin fold thickness in children who had various blood pressure. In children with initially elevated and normal blood pressures, the phenotypic variation in the body weight and adipopexia is largely determined by genetic factors, whereas in those with initially lower blood pressure, the phenotypic variation in the above parameters is greatly affected by environmental factors, mainly by those of occasional nature. The findings provide evidence for a differential approach to the primary prevention of hyper- and hypotension in children and adolescents.

Blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations were measured in proband children with different levels of arterial pressure and in their relatives in the populational familial study. Based on intrafamilial correlations the component analysis of the phenotypic dispersion of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations was performed. Qualitative and quantitative differences were shown to exist in genetic and environmental determinants of lipids and lipoproteins in the families of probands with low, high and normal levels of arterial pressure.

Results are reviewed of the studies concerning genetics of hypertension. Evidence is provided for its genetic determination of the disease and biochemical control of blood pressure by the renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system. Approaches to the therapy and prevention of hypertension are proposed on the basis of own clinical and population studies. The methods are discussed to study genetics of hypertension using genetic markers.

The method of calculating the threshold levels of blood plasma cholesterol and triglycerids was analysed. The threshold levels were used for a genetic analysis of the relatives of the probands with coronary heart disease combined with hyperlipoproteinemia. Among 25 relatives of probands suffering coronary heart disease combined with hyperlipoproteinemia the latter was found in 15, while among 25 relatives of probands suffering coronary heart disease and having normal lipid levels hyperlipoproteinemia was found only in 2. The presented data characterise the peculiarities of the diagnosis of familial (primary) hyperlipoproteinemia and support the importance of the hereditary factor in the regulation of lipid metabolsm in the families of coronary atherosclerosis patients.

Three groups of families with different initial levels of arterial pressure in proband children were examined. The relationship was established between the levels of arterial pressure in children and those in their relatives of the first degree of kinship. Based on intrafamilial correlations, the phenotypic dispersion of systolic and diastolic arterial pressure was analyzed. It has been shown that as compared to the genetic factors, the environmental factors play a greater role in arterial pressure variability.