Do Heart Problems Run in Your Family?

Not all medical conditions have a familial link, but many health risks can be predicted with a quick look at the health histories of close family members. Your risk for heart disease may not have anything to do with genetics, but, on the other hand, it might. Isn’t it better to know now rather than be taken off guard as you get older and start having symptoms?

At West Houston Heart Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Humayun Naqvi and his team provide preventative cardiology, which means we need to know your family history to accurately estimate your risk of developing heart problems as you age. 

General heart disease risk factors

There are many factors that can affect your risk for heart disease. Some have to do with your lifestyle habits, and others with any health conditions you may already have — many of which have a confirmed familial link. Here are some of the most common “modifiable” risk factors for heart disease, meaning you can change your level of risk with treatment and lifestyle changes:

• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Diabetes
• Obesity

You can stop smoking and remove or reduce its impact on your heart disease risk. There are treatments for obesity, high cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes that can also modify your risk by helping you lose weight, control your blood sugar levels, and rein in high cholesterol and hypertension.

Unmodifiable risk factors for heart disease are things you can’t change, like:

• Your age
• Your sex assigned at birth
• Your ethnicity
• Your familial history

The older you get, the higher your risk is for various heart conditions. Men are more likely to suffer from heart issues overall, while women’s risk increases after menopause. People who have South Asian, Black, or Indigenous heritage have a higher risk of heart disease than other ethnic groups. Finally, a family history of heart issues raises your risk for similar problems. 

Specific heart conditions with a genetic link

There are several heart problems that can be passed down through a family line, also known as inheritable cardiovascular conditions (ICC):

• Cardiomyopathy (damaged heart tissue in the right or left ventricle)
• Various types of arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
• Marfan syndrome (which includes a widened/weakened aorta)
• Familial hypercholesterolemia (extremely high LDL cholesterol levels)
• Certain cardiac tumors (which often obstruct blood flow)

You’re also at higher risk for heart disease if any of your family members have health conditions that are risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol.  

How you can reduce your risk for heart disease

You can reduce your risk of heart disease by knowing your family’s history when it comes to heart health conditions or other health conditions that increase risk of heart disease. Asking for regular heart check-ups, as well as screening for prediabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, is a good place to start.

You can also reduce your risk by following heart-healthy habits. If you smoke, stop now. Eat a heart-healthy diet and stay away from heavily processed foods and foods high in unhealthy fats. Get exercise every day, even if it’s just a few laps around the block.

You can protect your heart, but only if you have all the facts. Start gathering notes about your family members' heart health and any connected medical conditions today.

Interested in learning more about the potential link between your family’s medical history and your own risk of heart disease? Call us at 832-400-3957, or book your appointment online today.