Several genetic factors are associated with heart disease. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, heart disease is the leading cause of death among American men and women, and heart disease is a major cause of disability. The American Heart Association, or AHA, states that heredity--the passing of traits from one generation to the next--is a significant risk factor for heart disease.
Atherosclerosis and Homocysteine
Plaque formation, also known as atherosclerosis, is a genetic factor associated with heart disease. According to the Merck Manuals, there are numerous risk factors for atherosclerosis, including tobacco consumption, elevated blood cholesterol levels, hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, sedentary living and a poor diet. Some of these factors are lifestyle-related, while others are caused by genetic factors. According to Merck Manuals, several hereditary disorders can cause high levels of cholesterol or other fats in the blood, and that a person with these hereditary disorders often develops atherosclerosis and dies of coronary artery disease at an early age. The Merck Manuals also notes that a hereditary disorder can increase a person's level of homocysteine--an amino acid in the blood that, when elevated, signals the presence of cardiovascular disease. The AHA states that too much homocysteine in the blood is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
Ethnicity
A person's ethnicity is a genetic factor associated with heart disease. The AHA states that African-Americans have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure than Caucasians, which increases their risk of heart disease and stroke. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, African-American adults are 40 percent more likely to have elevated blood pressure and are 10 percent less likely--relative to non-Hispanic whites--to have their blood pressure under control. The AHA also notes that African-Americans have higher rates of obesity and diabetes--both factors associated with heart disease and stroke.
Lower rates of heart disease are seen in various ethnic groups, including the Japanese. According to a 2004 study by Toru Kita published in the "European Heart Journal," lower rates of coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular problems in the Japanese population, relative to Western populations, suggests the possibility of genetic differences in the development of heart disease. However, Kita notes that lifestyle changes among Japanese citizens over the past several decades have been accompanied by an increase in hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and ischemic heart disease.
Congenital Heart Defects
Congenital heart defects are a genetic factor associated with heart disease. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute--a division of the NIH--congenital heart defects are structural heart abnormalities present at birth, and congenital heart defects alter the normal flow of blood through a person's heart. Some of the most common types of congenital heart defects include defects of the heart's interior walls, valves and arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or other body parts. The AHA states that congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect and the leading cause of death from birth defects during the first year of life, and that almost two times as many American children die from congenital heart disease each year than all forms of childhood cancers combined. According to the AHA, a person with a congenital heart defect is slightly more likely to have a child with a congenital heart defect than a member of the general public.
