Just because it's the holiday season, that doesn't mean you can't do something to improve your health. Your family dinner table could have more to offer for heart health than just a selection of grains, fruits and vegetables. Those sitting around the table might be able to provide the most heart health benefits of all -- in the form of a family history.
What is a family medical history?
There is power in knowing your family's medical history. Though there is no way to predict with certainty what the future holds, there are definite risk factors that can be identified by looking at traits across generations.
The "red flags" in a family history that could indicate a high risk for heart disease include:
- Heart disease at a young age in one or more close relatives (male under 55 or female under 65).
- Heart disease in both your mother and father.
- Two or more close relatives on the same side of the family with the same or related conditions (for example, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arrhythmias).
- Sudden death in a relative who seemed healthy.
- Family history of symptoms and procedures suspicious for a hereditary arrhythmia syndrome: fainting episodes, seizures, relatives with pacemakers and/or defibrillators.
- A relative who has been diagnosed with a specific type of hereditary heart disease (some cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, aneurysms, and cholesterol disorders are hereditary).
- Two or more relatives on the same side of the family with a congenital heart defect.
Genetics can give your doctor important clues
If your family history indicates that you may be at risk for heart disease, a genetic counselor can work with your physician, and potentially a cardiologist, to emphasize primary prevention through lifestyle, diet, exercise, and possibly medication.
Patients known to be affected by a heart condition and their families can receive genetic testing and counseling services, and potentially genetic testing, that include detailed family histories, blood draws and analysis, results discussions with counselors, and referrals to appropriate health care providers for additional assessments and treatment.
It is important to remember that gene mutations that are identified through genetic testing don't spell a 100 percent chance of developing a given disease, but instead indicate increased risk.
Learning one's own family history has become a point of focus among heart disease experts because nearly one in three people in the United States has an increased risk for heart disease based on their family history but may not know it.
You need to know your family history. It's easy. All it takes is talking to family members. And it's the best way to really protect yourself as well as protect your future.
This article is based on information provided by The Ohio State University Medical Center Media Relations Office and was adapted for use on NetWellness with permission.