Family history and Cardiovascular Disease 

Hi Friends, 

Many a time, the sons or daughters of patients of mine ask me, “Doctor, my father had a heart attack at this age of 55 years. So, will I be at a risk of getting a heart attack?”  This is a very relevant question. 

Others have asked, “My mother and father have high blood pressure, is there a chance for me to get high BP?” 

Still another disease about which questions arise is Diabetes mellitus. “Will I get Diabetes as my two brothers and one sister are diabetic?” 

The answer to all this cannot be a definite Yes or No.  There are two types of diseases in families. Some Cardiac diseases are Genetic where there are mutations or changes occurring in our genes and some diseases are Familial, as they are seen more in family members especially the First-Degree Relatives - Parents, Children & Siblings. 

Let us discuss in brief the three or four main diseases which are seen in families and are hereditary. 

The first is Coronary Artery Disease, which most of you know all about. It causes blocks in the arteries supplying the heart leading to a sudden heart attack which is called Myocardial Infarction by the Cardiologist. It is seen that the tendency to develop the disease is transmitted through the genes of the parents to the children. This also does not mean that all the children will surely get the disease. 

If a male member of the family, like the father or a brother develops CAD before the age of 55 or if a female member like mother or sister develops CAD before the age of 65, the chances of another member getting the disease is 2 to 3 times more. 

Also, Dyslipidaemia or Hypercholesterolemia is a disease which can run in families and if one member of the family has a high blood Cholesterol level, the chances of other members having high levels are more. Hence it is advisable for all members to be tested for Cholesterol levels 

The other disease which is common in families is High Blood Pressure. If one parent or both are hypertensive, the chances of the children having high BP is more than in the general population. But it is not mandatory that all children should develop high BP in adulthood. 

The same is true of Diabetes mellitus. This is also a disease which is Genetically determined and runs in families. 

There are some rare Cardiovascular diseases which run in families. Here too, Genes are involved. E.g. are Cardiomyopathies or Heart Muscle Diseases, Marfan’s syndrome, certain Arrhythmias and some rarer disease. 

So, the next question is What can we do about these Familial Diseases.? Can we prevent them? We may not be able to 

The first is that when we go to a Physician or Cardiologist for any consultation, we should disclose any family history of Heart Attacks, Diabetes, High BP, High Cholesterol or Stroke in any of our First-degree relatives or close relatives. This helps the doctor to decide what investigations to be done for you. 

The second, but most important point is that once we know that a family member has one of these diseases, we should take careful measures to change our Lifestyle. Lifestyle changes are well known, but I will briefly enumerate them here. 

It is very important to have an Ideal Body Weight. 

Regular Exercise at least 30 minutes daily for 5 - 6 days a week is a must 

The diet should be adjusted to avoid excess Salt Sugars and Fat. It is important to include more fruits and vegetables in one’s diet. Nuts are also good to a certain extent. 

As far as possible, one should endeavour to reduce stress in one’s life. This can be accomplished by methods like, Yoga, Meditations, Breathing exercises and other methods. 

Healthy Eating and Healthy Living are the hallmarks of Lifestyle changes to be made. 

The third point which is very important is that one should understand that some of these diseases do not produce symptoms at the early stages - High BP, High Cholesterol, Diabetes mellitus. Hence those with a strong family history of these diseases should have a regular detailed checkup at least once a year from the age of 35. It is noted that in some individuals with a family history of High BP, an increase in blood pressure is seen even as early as age 25. This especially is noticed in certain professions causing high stress and these individuals should be aware of this possibility and have a checkup at least once in two or three years after the age of 25. Nowadays, more such diseases are noted in the professions where sedentary jobs are involved like the IT professionals who sit for long hours in front of the computer screen with little exercise and irregular hours for their meals. 

Friends, this small presentation is only to make the younger generation aware of the importance of Cardiovascular diseases that are commonly seen in families.

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