Q: I'm a 55-year-old woman and I live a healthy lifestyle, but my maternal grandmother died at 43 of a stroke and my mother had a heart attack at 51. What percentage does the family history play, as opposed to my lifestyle, in my chances of having heart disease?
A: The fact is, everyone inherits a lot from their family—looks, mannerisms, generations-old meatloaf recipes, smoking habits. And to some extent, your relatives are as responsible for passing down your health destiny as they are for passing down the rights to the antique clock in the corner. But you play more of a role than you think. At your age, about 80 percent of how long and how well you live is up to you—determined by your lifestyle choices and behaviors. The remaining 20 percent is left up to Papa Hank, Nana Rose, and the rest of the branches on your familial tree.
Even better: If you take control of six important areas of your health, then you have less than a 10-percent chance of developing premature arterial disease that lead to heart attack and stroke than your relatives did/do at your age. The six factors:
- Having a normal blood pressure (shoot for 115/75)
- Having a normal or high HDL (healthy) cholesterol (shoot for over 60)
- Managing stress
- Avoiding smoking and second-hand smoke and wood burning smoke
- Having a normal CRP level (that's a number that measures arterial inflammation). Do this most importantly by preventing periodontal (gum) disease
- Doing a little physical activity every day, no excuses; 30 minutes of walking with a friend counts
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