A new study finds that a strong family history is the cause of 80 percent of heart disease cases.
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Epidemiology have found a direct link between a person's family history and how healthy his or her heart is. According to the study, a person with a strong family history is at an 80 percent higher chance of having any heart diseases. Such was the case with Sherron Simmons who was healthy all her life but in 2007 discovered that 90 percent of her main artery was blocked.
"I knew heart disease ran in my family, but I thought my chances of getting heart disease were very slim; especially since I was never overweight and knew I was doing things to prevent it," Simmons said.
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Epidemiology Professor and Chair Donna Arnett, Ph.D. says that 80 percent of heart diseases in the U.S. occur in people with strong family histories.
The professor has listed 7 steps that keep away heart diseases:
* Getting active
* Controlling cholesterol
* Eating better
* Managing blood pressure
* Losing weight
* Reducing blood sugar
* Quit smoking
"It's not a man's disease or woman's disease; it's a person's disease," Arnett said. "The signs of a heart attack can be different than typical chest pain in the center of your chest. If you're experiencing something that makes you feel 'off,' whether it be extreme fatigue, shortness of breath or pain in the upper body, back or neck, go and have it checked out."