While there are many contributing factors to heart disease that can be modified, such as diet and activity level, there are some that can’t. Your family’s genetic history also plays a role in whether you will develop heart disease. A history of heart disease in your family, whether it be high blood pressure or arrhythmia, increases your chances of developing it as well.
In general, the more immediate members of your family who has heart disease, the greater your chance of developing it. So you would be more likely to develop heart disease if your parents or sibling had some form of heart disease than if just your grandparents or another relative did.
Determining Risk
It’s not a bad idea to put together a chart, or “medical family tree,” that can help you determine your chances for developing heart disease. You can draw a diagram, or fill out an actual family tree. The following is an example of a medical family chart:
Relative Cause of Death Symptoms / Disease
Mother n/a n/a
Father Heart attack Chest pain, high blood pressure
Paternal grandmother Stroke
Paternal grandfather Heart attack Coronary Artery Disease
Your chart, or family medical tree, should include your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, great-grandparents, etc. List their cause of death, if applicable, and any diseases or symptoms they had prior to their death. You can find out causes of death or diseases any relatives may have had by talking with other family members or accessing obituaries or other public files.
Assessing Your Family Tree
Once you have filled out your family’s medical history, you can help determine your risk for developing heart disease. If many members of your family have been afflicted with or died as a result of heart disease, you can then modify your lifestyle in order to minimize your risks for developing heart disease yourself.
Minimizing Risk
Just because you may have a history of heart disease in your family does not mean you are doomed to live a life of heart disease. There are many factors that contribute to the development of heart disease that you do have a direct affect on. They include:
Diet. A diet that is high in fat and cholesterol can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, two large factors in the development of heart disease. Limit high-fat, high cholesterol foods and aim for a diet rich in fiber, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables.
Exercise. A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to weight gain and obesity, a contributing factor in the onset of many forms of heart disease. Excess weight causes the heart to constantly work harder than normal to pump blood throughout the body. Regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight.
Smoking. If you smoke, quit. Smoking has been linked to the development of heart disease; in fact, a smoker is four times more likely than a nonsmoker to develop heart disease.
Alcohol consumption. A high level of alcohol consumption has been linked to dilated congestive cardiomyopathy as well, as certain toxins found in alcohol are linked to the disease. Aim for no more than two drinks a day as an absolute maximum.
While genetics plays a role in the development of heart disease, it is not the only factor. Making a family medical chart can help you determine your own likelihood of developing heart disease. From there, you can make the necessary lifestyle modifications needed to live a healthy life.