Has your sister or brother had a heartattack, stroke, or other cardiovascularproblem? That family history mayboost your risk for such conditions atleast as much as having a parent withcardiovascular disease, according torecent research.
In one study, published in the Journalof the American Medical Association,researchers followed women and menage 30 and older whose sibling hadsuffered a cardiovascular disease(CVD) event. CVD events included heartattack, stroke, angina, coronary heartdisease, and CVD-related death. Eightyears later, these adults were muchlikelier to have suffered a CVD eventthan were study participants withoutCVD-affected siblings.
An earlier study explored the riskslinked to having a parent with prematureCVD. Participants includedwomen and men with an average ageof 44 years who were free of CVD atthe start of the study. Those whosefather had a CVD event before age 55or whose mother had one before age 65faced a 70% greater risk for CVD thanthose whose parents were unaffected.
Of course, you can’t changeyour family history. But telling your doctor about it will help you decidewhether or not to treat a conditionsuch as borderline high bloodpressure or cholesterol.
Your next step? Adopt the lifestylechanges urged by a panel of expertsincluding scientists from the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention,the National Institutes of Health,and the American Heart Association.Here are some of the strategies theyadvise for reducing CVD risk:
- Avoid smoking and inhalingsecondhand smoke.
- Get at least 30 minutes of moderateexercise, such as brisk walking, onmost—but preferably all—days ofthe week.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet that includesfruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat ornonfat dairy products, fish, poultry,lean meats, and beans. And limitsaturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fat.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Do you know your risk for heart disease?St. Mary’s A Woman’s Place and GreenBay HeartCare offer cardiovascularassessments. See the calendar for details.