Your risk of heart disease or a heart attack increases if you have a parent or sibling who has had a heart attack or stroke. Research seems to show the risk is mainly seen when a male relative has had a heart attack before the age of 45 (or 55 if female). Medical experts reassure people who might fall into this risk category that they have the advantage of taking preventative measures to avoid potential problems.
History
A family history of diabetes, gout, high blood pressure or high cholesterol also increases the risk of heart disease, reports the American Heart Association. The AHA points out that studies have shown an association between a number of genes and heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. A person with a congenital heart defect is slightly more likely than normal to have a baby with a congenital heart defect. Researchers are continuing to look into genes that may be responsible for these defects.
Parents
Several large clinical trials have revealed the impact of premature cardiovascular disease in parents and the risk it poses on their offspring, according to the University of Virginia. The ongoing Physician's Health Study, which began in 1982, studied more than 22,000 men and the Women's Health Study looked at more than 39,000 women. Both studies showed a hereditary connection and also demonstrated an additional risk if both parents had heart disease, rather than just one parent.
Siblings
Middle-aged adults who have a sibling with heart disease have a 45 percent increased risk for the heart condition, according to the Framingham Heart Study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on December 28, 2005. Researchers involved in the study noted this is a higher risk than if a person's parents had heart disease. The study examined 2,475 participants over a period of 8 years and compared the occurrence of heart disease in people with and without siblings.
Prevention/Solution
These genetic factors usually affect more than one person in a family that has a history of heart disease, explain researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Inherited Heart Disease. The center encourages identifying inherited cardiovascular disease within families and trying to slow the progression of the disease with a regimen of preventative care.
Program
When visiting your doctor, you should give your physician a family history of cardiac problems. Preventative care may include electrocardiograms, MRI and counseling to determine a program to follow. The doctor will be better able assess your disease risk, recommend lifestyle changes and prescribe tests to detect any disease early for better treatment.
Grandparents
When looking at your family go beyond your parents and immediate family. There are people who are shocked to find out they have heart disease when their parents had no indications of problems. But medical history can go back to your grandparents who may also pass on the gene responsible for heart disease.
