Family History, Heart Disease and Stroke

Is 心脏病 or 中风 in your family? If so, your risk may be higher.

Did your father have a 中风? Did your mother have a 心脏病? Did any of your grandparents have 心脏病?

Those might seem like random questions, but they’re very important when it comes to understanding your risk for these diseases. Knowing your family’s health history can help you avoid both 心脏病 and 中风 – the No. 1和No. 5 causes of death in the United States.

Both the risk of 心脏病 itself, as well as some of the risk factors for 心脏病 are strongly linked to family history.

How much family history do you need to know?

You should share your family history with your health care professional as soon as possible.

If you don’t know the full history, start with your immediate family. Find out if your brothers, 姐妹, parents or grandparents had 心脏病 or a 中风 and how old they were when these developed.

If I have a family history, what can I do about it?

Our genetics are powerful influencers of our health — you can’t counteract them. 然而, if you have a family history of 心脏病, you can help offset them by having as healthy of a lifestyle as possible. That means lowering your risk by changing health behaviors that can increase your chances of having 心脏病 or a 中风. This includes getting routine checkups with your health care team.

If you want to start living a healthier life, look no further than Life’s Essential 8™. Life’s Essential 8 was designed by the American Heart Association with the goal of improved health by educating the public on how best to live. These measures have one unique thing in common: any person can make these changes. The steps are not expensive to take and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference.

从一两个开始. 这个简单的, 八步列表 has been developed to deliver on the hope we all have – to live a longer, healthier life.