“Your family history — meaning your parents, siblings, and even your grandparents, aunts, and uncles — helps us understand the likelihood of you having or developing the same illness,” says Benita Philip, DO, a cardiologist on the Medical Staff of Penn Medicine Princeton Health. “The more detail you can provide about your family health history, the more thorough an understanding we can have about you.”
A Wide Range of Conditions
A family history of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, coronary artery disease (CAD), valve disease, aneurysm, arrhythmia (a-fib), and sudden cardiac death are just some of the conditions that should be reported to your doctor. Common conditions such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes also should be reported, since they all increase your likelihood of developing heart disease.
Talk to your doctor about your family medical history, and keep in mind that any details you provide beyond the basics are invaluable.
“Often, a patient will comment that a family member has or had heart disease. But if you know exactly what kind of condition it was, when it was diagnosed, and how it was treated, it would be more helpful to your doctor. The umbrella term of ‘heart disease’ can mean a multitude of problems, including heart blockages, electrical problems such as arrhythmias, valve problems, and much more,” says Dr. Philip, who is board certified in cardiovascular disease. “If a family member developed a heart-related condition such as CAD at a very young age, perhaps, we may be inclined to be more aggressive with preventative measures. If there is a history of a rare or uncommon condition, we want to keep that in mind in diagnosing a potential cause of your present symptoms.”
Regardless of what you know about your family medical history, it is important to have a complete physical examination with your primary care provider each year, so they can monitor your health and direct you to a specialist if needed. Completing any recommended testing, including annual blood work to check cholesterol and blood sugar levels should be part of that process.
What You Can DoWhile you cannot change your family history, there are things you can do to promote heart health. Focus on the following:
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