Ask the Doctors: Am I Predisposed to Heart Disease?

By Dr. Lou Ignarro • March 11, 2014 • Your Questions Answered

Heart disease runs in my family. Am I genetically predisposed to developing cardiovascular disease, or are there steps I can take to avoid it?
With an estimated 23.3 million people dying annually from heart disease worldwide by 2030, heart health is an important focus for everyone. If you have multiple people in your family who have suffered from heart disease, it might feel like you’re destined for the same fate. But while genetics do play a role, lifestyle matters much more. In most cases, you get to decide what your genes are going to do. Even if you have a predisposition for dysfunction of the cardiovascular system, good lifestyle habits will usually keep your risk to a minimum.
First, think about your family members who have unfortunately developed cardiovascular disease. Were they overweight? Did they smoke? Did they eat high-fat foods or get less than the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise per week? Did they lead stressful lives? If the answer is yes to any of those questions, there were lifestyle factors contributing to the development of your family members’ heart disease—and that means you can make different decisions to likely lead to a different outcome.
The first step you can take is managing your weight. If many of your family members are overweight, your genes may be wired so that it’s more difficult to maintain a healthy weight. In fact, new research from the University of California, Irvine points to evidence that some humans may produce heavier offspring (due to exposure to certain common chemicals and other factors), and that the effects might be permanent in later generations. Certain people have to work harder than others to keep off weight.
That doesn’t mean you can’t stay at a healthy weight; it just means you need to be more intentional about weight loss or maintenance. And two of the things that help you reach a healthy weight—exercise and a balanced diet—also happen to be two important strategies that help keep the heart healthy. Managing your stress levels and getting plenty of sleep and rest are other ways you can reduce your risk of heart disease. I also recommend supplementing with specific nutrients for heart support to complement a healthy diet.
The point is, knowing that you may have a genetic predisposition is important. But it’s more critical to focus on how your genetics are influenced by the lifestyle habits you practice.