Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Besides familiar factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet, stress or lack of exercise, many experts believe that genetic factors can also affect the risk of the disease.
According to Dr. Sanjay Bhat, an interventional cardiologist at Aster CMI Hospital (India), some heart diseases can be hereditary, meaning they can appear in the family due to genes passed down from generation to generation. If parents or siblings have had heart disease when they were young, the risk of other family members may be higher. Some conditions such as family hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure or some cardiomyopathy are believed to be related to gene factors.
However, experts emphasize that genes are not the only factor determining the risk of heart disease. Lifestyle and living environment still play a very important role. The risk of heart disease can increase when genetic factors combine with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, unbalanced eating, lack of exercise or prolonged stress.
Some health conditions can also increase the risk of heart disease, especially when there are genetic factors. For example, obesity and metabolic syndrome may be related to genetic factors, but sedentary lifestyles and a high-energy diet can make this condition more serious. Type 2 diabetes also has genetic factors, and when blood sugar levels rise for a long time, blood vessels may be damaged, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease.
To assess the risk of hereditary heart disease, doctors often start by learning about family medical history, especially cases of heart disease in young age. Some tests such as blood tests to measure cholesterol and blood sugar, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms or stress tests can be performed to assess cardiovascular health. In some special cases, doctors may also prescribe gene tests.
Experts recommend that everyone should have regular health check-ups after the age of 30, or earlier if their family has a history of heart disease. Early detection of risk factors will help prevent and control the disease more effectively. In addition, maintaining a healthy lifestyle such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, limiting smoking and controlling stress are still important measures to protect cardiovascular health, even if there are genetic factors.
