Heritability of impaired balance: a nationwide cohort study in twins.
Osteoporos Int
; 20(4): 577-83, 2009 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18802660
ABSTRACT
SUMMARY:
In this large population-based twin study, a self-estimated impaired balance, an important risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, had a modest heritability of 0.27. Individual-specific environmental influences seem to be the dominating cause for impaired balance.INTRODUCTION:
The principal causal components of an osteoporotic fracture are falls and weakened bone strength. While bone strength has a strong genetic origin, the heritable influences on impaired balance that contribute to the risk of injurious falls at older age are uncertain.METHODS:
To evaluate the heritability and environmental influence on self-reported impaired balance in older men and women, we used data from a sample of 22,998 Swedish twins, 55 to 99 years of age.RESULTS:
An impaired balance was reported by 2,890 (12.3%) of the twins. The tetrachoric correlation for impaired balance was only slightly lower for like-sex dizygotic twins (0.31) compared to monozygotic twins (0.36). These correlations indicate a modest familial (genetic and shared environmental) influence. Model fitting results indicate that the age- and sex-adjusted heritability for impaired balance was 0.27 (95%CI = 0.01-0.45). Individual-specific environmental influences differed only slightly by sex and age.CONCLUSION:
These results imply that a self-reported impaired balance, an independent risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, has a modestly heritable etiology in older subjects. Our observation can partly explain the previously observed modest heritability for osteoporotic fractures even though there is a high heritability for bone mineral density.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transtornos de Sensação
/
Doenças em Gêmeos
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Equilíbrio Postural
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged
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Aged80
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article