- 25% of males and females have some form of CVD
(AHA Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics) - The American Heart Association recommends the assessment of
cardiovascular risk as early as age 20
(AHA Guidelines for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke: 2002 Update)
Do you know if your family health history puts you at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease? Don't miss the clues by not asking the right questions. Look into your family history with these tips.
Does anyone in your family have a history of hypertension (high blood pressure)?
High blood pressure, the most important risk factor for stroke, is defined in adults as a systolic pressure (the number on top) of 140 mm Hg or higher and/or a diastolic pressure (the number on the bottom) of 90 mm Hg or higher for an extended time. It is well documented that high blood pressure tends to run in families.
Is there a tendency towards obesity in your family?
Excess weight puts a strain on the entire circulatory system. It also increases the likelihood for developing other stroke risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. You may not be overweight just now, but look to your parents and siblings as potential indicators of weight problems later in life.
Is there a history of diabetes in your family?
Diabetes, an independent risk factor for stroke, is strongly correlated with a number of other personal risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and being overweight. In fact, cardiovascular disease is a major complication and the leading cause of premature death among people with diabetes-at least 65 percent of people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.1 You are at higher risk for diabetes if it runs in your family.2 (1 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Diabetes Surveillance Report, 1999. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, 1999.) (2 - http://familydoctor.org, by the American Academy of Family Physicians.)
Does your family culture lend itself to a diet of high-fat and/or salty foods?
Even if high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes don't run in your family, regularly eating a diet that is in excess of your caloric needs, or high in fat or sodium can increase your chance of developing one of these conditions, which will increase your risk of stroke.
Are you of African-American descent?
African Americans have two to three times the stroke risk of most other racial groups. This may be due to diet or a greater incidence and severity of high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which can be related back to genetics and/or familial culture. In fact, research shows that African-Americans whose parents suffered a stroke have increased blood pressure, which may increase their risk for having a stroke themselves.
Do people in your family smoke?
Non-smokers who live with smokers have an average a 30% increase in risk of death from heart attack and are also more likely to suffer a stroke. Also, children of smokers are more likely to smoke themselves, which doubles the risk of stroke.
Has anyone in your family ever had a cardiovascular event - heart attack, stroke?
A National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) study - the Family Heart Study - showed that individuals with a familial history of stroke were more likely to have a stroke than those people without a positive history of stroke in their family. (Liao D, Myers R, Hunt S, et al. Familial history of stroke and stroke risk. Stroke 1997;28:1908-1912)
Click here to take our Risk Assessment Quiz
