Assessing Risk of Developing Heart Artery Disease

• Major risk factors
• Are additional tests helpful as a checkup if one has not had a heart attack or angina?
• CT calcium scores- can be helpful as part of a routine checkup.
• Questions that can arise after a family member has an unexpected heart attack.
• Heart artery disease in families

Impact of Family History of Heart Artery Disease

Heart artery disease is one of the most common serious conditions that affects the health of the population. It is not surprising that many individuals report that close relations have had heart artery problems and this can be a source of concern.

The tendency to heart artery disease can be inherited. However, in most instances one can identify other non-inherited factors that were the probable cause of problems in affected family members.

At times the tendency for family members to have heart artery disease relates to smoking and other factors that can lead to becoming overweight. Lack of exercise and a poor diet contributes to weight gain.

At times the occurrence of heart disease in family members is not due to environmental factors such as smoking, a poor diet or lack of exercise. In these instances there may well be genetic tendency to develop early heart artery disease.

There can be a genetic tendency to develop very high cholesterol levels and this can lead to development of heart artery disease at a younger age. High cholesterol levels in combination with other environmental risk factors is more harmful.

Some families do have an inherited tendency to develop heart artery disease that is not due to high cholesterol levels or to diabetes.

Development of heart artery disease early in a family member that had not smoked and did not have diabetes can be an indicator of a genetic tendency to heart artery disease.

One strict definition states that a genetic tendency to heart artery disease may be present if a first degree male relative develops heart artery disease before the age of 45 years and a first degree female relative develops heart artery disease before the age of 55 years. A less strict definition might use 55 years and 65 years as the cut-off values in first degree male and female relatives, respectively.

All persons should:

• eat a healthy low fat diet rich in vegetables and fruits
• exercise regularly
• attempt to maintain a healthy body weight
• not smoke
• have blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked, particularly in their thirties, or earlier if there is any concern.

Obtaining a 'heart artery calcium scan' might be helpful if there is an unexplained family history of early heart artery disease.

Hitesh Patel, Cardiologist
April, 2007