Positive parental history of coronary artery disease (CAD) (myocardial infarction, angina, angioplasty, bypass surgery) reported by 371 of 1,930 black and white adults aged 18 to 31 years in 1988 to 1991 in the Bogalusa Heart Study was verified by interviewing parents or next-of-kin. Error rates in reporting information concerning parental CAD and risk factors in offspring with a positive and negative parental history of CAD were examined. The 371 subjects who reported a positive parental history represented 304 families. Parental CAD could not be verified in 43 (14.1%) instances, and false-positive reports occurred in 45 (14.8%) cases. Among 216 families with confirmed CAD histories, the father had CAD in 175 (81.0%) cases and the mother in 70 (32.4%) cases. Both parents had CAD in 29 (13.4%) families. Of the parents with CAD, 46% of the fathers and 25% of the mothers died. The mean age at clinical onset of CAD was 51 years. Offspring with a confirmed positive parental history (n = 271) had significantly higher (P < 0.05) adjusted serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, plasma insulin and glucose, body mass index, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds than subjects with a negative parental history (n = 1,253). Those with an unconfirmed positive parental history (n = 51) had higher mean plasma insulin and serum high-density lipoprotein levels than those with a negative parental history; low-density lipoprotein levels were similar. Family history of CAD remains a useful indicator for screening adults at risk of developing CAD. An unverified family history may underestimate the importance of particular risk factors in epidemiologic studies.