Heart attacks in parents a warning for children

It is well known that heart disease can run in families. People with close relatives who have suffered heart attacks in middle age are more at risk of the same happening to them.

Heart specialists in Italy have demonstrated that narrowing of blood vessels — which can lead to heart attacks — can start at an early age in the children of people who have suffered heart attacks when in their 40s and 50s.

Studies of groups of teenagers showed significant differences between the blood vessels of the children of heart attack victims and those with no such background.

Although nothing can be done to change a bad family history of heart disease, much can be done to reduce the risk of it affecting future generations. If one of your parents had a heart attack in middle age you should be particularly careful to avoid risk factors for heart attacks. That means not smoking; avoiding getting overweight; taking regular exercise; and having regular checks on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

 
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Last Reviewed: 27 February 2002