Transmission of increased familial mortality risk

Joop Garssen, Statistics Netherlands
Ingeborg Deerenberg, Statistics Netherlands

Research issue: To what extent are persons whose parents died at a relatively early age running a significantly increased risk to die prematurely themselves? Which causes of death contribute to such an increased risk, and how large are their effects? Background: On the basis of epidemiological data, increased familial risk has been demonstrated for a variety of diseases. The extent of these effects however has, to the knowledge of the authors, never been demonstrated and quantified on the basis of linked (cause of) death records of parents and children. Methodology and data: 1. About 70 thousand persons who died in the period 1995-2001 at the age of 20-54 years will be selected from computerized death records. This number includes all children who are native born of native parents. Foreigners are excluded as death records of their parents are not normally available. Data selected from the records are: sex, date of birth, date of death, cause of death, postal code and personal identification number (PIN).