Family Health History and Heart Disease

Key points

  • If you have a family health history of heart disease, you are more likely to develop heart disease yourself.
  • Collect your family health history of heart disease and share this information with your healthcare provider and family members.
  • Your healthcare provider can help you take steps to lower your chances of having heart disease.
a heart structure

Overview

Different types of heart disease and related conditions, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, can run in families. Knowing your family health history of heart disease and related conditions is one of the first steps you can take to prevent heart disease and heart attacks in the future.

People at increased risk

Tell your healthcare provider if your parents, sisters, brothers, children, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, or nephews have or have had

Based on this information, your healthcare provider may suggest steps to prevent or treat heart disease. If you have been diagnosed with heart disease or related conditions, it is important to tell your family members.

Collecting your family health history

  • Include your parents, sisters, brothers, children, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews
  • Make sure you include both your mother's and father's sides of the family
  • Note which relatives have had heart disease, related conditions or procedures, and the age at which they were diagnosed or treated
  • List the age and cause of death for relatives who have died
  • Share your family health history with your healthcare provider and family members
  • Update your family health history regularly and alert your healthcare provider to any new diagnosis, condition, or procedure

If you are concerned about your personal or family health history of heart disease, talk to your healthcare provider. If you need help getting started, you can use the My Family Health Portrait tool to collect and share your family health history information. If you or your family members have very high cholesterol levels or have had heart attacks or heart disease at a young age, you might have a family history of familial hypercholesterolemia.

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Act On Your Family History Of Heart Attacks: Do you have a family history of early heart attacks? If your father, mother, brother, or sister had a heart attack before age 50 - your risk of a heart disease, heart attack or stroke is increased. Are you heart healthy? Many with a family history of early heart attacks also are overweight/ have obesity, are not physically active, not choosing healthy foods and drinks, have high cholesterol, have high blood pressure, have diabetes. Take steps to prevent heart disease. Talk to your healthcare provider about Your family history of early heart attacks. Improve your heart health through healthy living habits and treating or preventing medical conditions.
Act on your family history of a heart attacks.
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Content Source:
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)