Serum lipids and lipoproteins in children from families with early coronary heart disease.

Serum lipids and lipoproteins of 64 men under the age of 41 years who survived for more than 6 months after a myocardial infarction, and of their children were investigated. 26 fathers and all their 55 children had normal serum lipids and lipoprotein patterns. 38 fathers had normal serum lipid concentration and abnormal lipoprotein pattern; of these, 23 had hyper-β-lipoproteinaemia, 11 had increase in both β- and pre-β-lipoprotein, and 4 had increase in pre-β-lipoprotein only. 30 of the 85 children whose fathers had abnormal lipoproteins were found to have type II hyperlipoproteinaemia regardless of the class of hyperlipaemia found in the father. The greatest incidence of lipoprotein abnormality was found in children of fathers of hyper-β-lipoproteinaemia.