Low parental income in childhood linked to heart artery disease

This observational cohort study included 15,640 participants aged 50 to 64 from the Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study. Researchers retrieved parents’ disposable income from national records for when participants were aged 10 to 12. They used detailed X-ray scans to assess coronary atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty material in arteries supplying the heart.

Participants in the lowest parental income fifth had higher odds of moderate-to-severe artery disease than those in the highest fifth. The association persisted after researchers accounted for adult lifestyle, social and economic circumstances, and established cardiovascular risk factors. These adult factors only partly explained the association. Researchers found a similar link when they assessed calcium deposits in the heart’s arteries.