QUESTION: With both a father and a younger brother who have suffered heart attacks, I am now worried that I may have inherited bad genes that will soon make me a victim as well.
Is this possible, and what can I do about my problem?
ANSWER: I wish I could reduce some of the anxiety and stress that comes through in your letter.
That would be an important first step in the list of "things to do".
The news may not be as bad as it appears.
It is true that heart disease is known to cluster in certain families, particularly where the disease occurs before the age of 55.
But the results are not all in as yet as to whether or not that represents a true inherited gene, or whether common environmental risk factors play an important part.
However, in families where there are two or more relatives with coronary heart disease, your statistical risk is 3 to 6 times higher than the general population.
That means you must pay careful attention to those risk factors that you can modify or diminish. Those include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, over weight, high blood sugar, and smoking.
While there is nothing you can do about your age and sex or your family ties, you are a candidate for a thorough medical examination, to determine the exact value and nature of these possible risk factors.
You must then dedicate the effort necessary to bring them into line, and don't be satisfied with high normal.
The closer you come to attaining absolute normal, the less are your chances of suffering a heart attack.
It's not your family history that provokes the disease, it's the effects of these major risk factors that does the job.
While scientists debate the role of inheritance (about which you can do nothing), you have an important role in influencing your own health.
Good luck.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
