Heart disease isn't destiny: What family history really means

It’s easy to assume that if heart disease is in your family tree, it's only a matter of time before it affects you too. But according to Dr. Shaheer Zulfiqar, a cardiologist with Intermountain Health, that's not how he wants patients to think about family history.

"I encourage my patients to not look at family history as inevitability," says Dr. Zulfiqar. "

A family history of heart disease can increase your risk, but it doesn't guarantee your future. In many ways, it gives you something powerful: information you can use to take action earlier.

Family history is one piece of the heart health puzzle

If close relatives have experienced heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, it's true that your risk may be higher than someone without those factors. Family history becomes especially important when a parent or sibling develops heart disease at a younger age, but any pattern of cardiovascular disease in close relatives is worth discussing with your doctor.

But higher risk is not the same thing as certainty.

Today's screening tools, treatments, and prevention strategies give people more opportunities than ever to influence their long-term heart health. That's why Dr. Zulfiqar encourages patients to view family history as a reason to become more aware of their health and more proactive about prevention.

Think of it as an early warning system. Knowing you may be at increased risk gives you an opportunity to pay closer attention, make healthy changes, and address potential problems before they develop into something more serious.

Heart health starts with knowing your numbers

Many heart disease risk factors develop over time. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes often don't cause noticeable symptoms in their early stages. And that's why routine checkups are so important.

Regular screenings can also help identify problems long before they lead to a heart attack or stroke. For adults entering their 30s and beyond, especially those with a family history of heart disease, annual visits with a primary care provider are an important part of prevention.

In many cases, these conditions can be managed with lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of both before they cause lasting damage.

"Know your numbers, know your cholesterol, know your blood pressure, know your diabetes," says Dr. Zulfiqar. “Because the more we are aware about these things, the sooner we can implement changes to decrease somebody's risk.”

Many heart disease risk factors are within your control

Many of the biggest risk factors for heart disease can be improved through everyday habits. Dr. Zulfiqar believes some of the most effective changes are also the simplest:

• Move your body every day. Regular physical activity helps improve blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and overall heart health. Walking, biking, swimming, strength training, and even short movement breaks all count.
• Eat in a way your heart can use. Focus on foods you can stick with most of the time, not extreme diets. Dr. Zulfiqar recommends cutting back on added sugars and choosing healthier proteins, like white meats, more often.
• Quit smoking or take the first step toward quitting. If you smoke, stopping is one of the most powerful things you can do for your heart. You don’t have to do it alone – your doctor can help you find tools and support that work.
• Manage the conditions you already know about. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can all raise your risk for heart disease. Getting them under control through lifestyle changes, medication, or both can make a meaningful difference.

Don't ignore new heart disease symptoms

Even with prevention, it's important to pay attention to changes in your health. Heart disease doesn't always come with dramatic symptoms.

"The heart is a tricky organ because it's fine until it's not," says Dr. Zulfiqar.

In many cases, warning signs can be subtle:

• New chest discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Unexplained fatigue
• New or unexplained symptoms that don't feel normal for you

While these symptoms don't always mean heart disease, they're worth discussing, especially if they're new or worsening.

Too often, people dismiss symptoms because they're busy, stressed, or worried about overreacting. But talking to a healthcare provider can help identify problems early, when treatment is often simpler and more effective.

Dr. Zulfiqar offers a simple perspective: "It's okay to be wrong," he says. "It's not okay to have a serious event."

Make consistent choices over time to keep your heart healthy

When people hear they may be at higher risk for heart disease, they sometimes feel overwhelmed, but you don’t need to make dramatic changes to protect your heart.

It happens through small choices repeated consistently over time.

• Choosing a daily walk
• Scheduling an annual physical
• Learning your cholesterol numbers
• Making healthier food choices most of the time
• Talking to your doctor when something doesn't feel right

"It doesn't have to be huge changes in lifestyle," says Dr. Zulfiqar. "The small changes that you make will grow over time to bigger changes."

Your family history is a starting point, not a final answer 

A family history of heart disease is worth paying attention to, but it shouldn't make you feel powerless. Instead, it can give you a head start. The earlier you understand your risk, the more opportunities you have to change your future.

At Intermountain Health, prevention is one of the most powerful tools in heart care. Our primary care providers and heart specialists can help you understand your personal risk factors, create a plan that fits your life, and deliver comprehensive heart and vascular care to help you live with more confidence and vitality.

Because while you can't change your family history, you can influence what happens next.

Learn more about heart health programs, find a primary care provider or cardiologist, and take the first step toward better heart health at IntermountainHealth.org.