Heart disease is not exactly the same in the two sexes. Women develop the condition later in life; their symptoms are often different from men's or more subtle, and they are affected more by certain risk factors, such as high levels of triglycerides (a fat in the blood). But women and men also share many risk factors for heart disease, and one of the most important is family history.
It's no secret that heart disease can run in families, showing up in grandparents and parents, children and grandchildren. Heredity is certainly a factor, but families pass on more than DNA. Family members live together, eat together and can influence one another's attitudes toward smoking, exercise, weight, diet, portion sizes and other factors that have an impact on heart health and disease.
The influence of family lifestyles is one reason why -- even in this era of high-tech genetic mapping and testing -- a simple medical family tree is still an important tool. It can provide insight into your own risk for heart disease and suggest the legacy you're leaving your children and grandchildren. Understanding that heart disease is a family matter also means understanding that families that change together are more likely to live longer, and be healthier, together.
Growing the Family TreeYou don't need special skills or tools to create a medical family tree -- just paper and pencil and some memories and conversations can get you started. You can keep a list of the medical information, but arranging the items as a classic family tree or genealogical chart can reveal connections you might otherwise miss. Several health agencies and organizations have links on their Web sites to downloadable family-tree forms and instructions; books and computer programs are also available.Start with your own health. List high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, diabetes, blood clots, peripheral artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, heart surgery, and other problems with your heart or blood vessels. Note when these problems first occurred or when you first became aware of them, because it makes a difference whether they appeared before age 50 or after age 70.Branch out. The medical histories of your first-degree relatives come next. Start with the people who share half your genes -- your parents, brothers and sisters, and children. For each family member, list date of birth, general health, medical conditions, and -- if appropriate -- age at death and cause of death. If you were adopted, the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (Washington, D.C.) has information that may be helpful in securing medical histories of your birth parents. Broadening your search to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, half-brothers and half-sisters, and cousins can reveal interesting patterns.
Get medical information about relatives. You'll probably need to do some sleuthing, especially if your parents have died or you've lost touch with other relatives. One strategy is to ask questions at family reunions, although you'll need to ask delicately, because such questions can raise guilt and anxiety for some family members. Perhaps there's a "matriarch" -- an older woman who knows a great deal about the extended family and is more than happy to share her knowledge.Next: What to do with your family history >
Source: Health & Wellness
