byAmerican Heart Association

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The American Heart Association says upcoming family holiday gatherings are a good time to talk about your family health history and how it can play an important role in heart disease.

Researchshows that as much as half of your risk for heart disease can come from your family genes. Experts from the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, say knowing your family health history is an important step to reducing your risk for a heart attack or stroke.

"The holidays are a great time for bringing loved ones together, and it's likely that in coming weeks, there will be lots of trips down memory lane and stories shared from past generations. As you're reminiscing, it's a good time to find out more about your family health history. Did Great-Grandma Agnes pass away from a heart attack? Did Uncle Bob survive a stroke?

"Knowing that you have a history of cardiovascular disease among your relatives is important, because it can mean you are at an increased risk of also having a heart attack or stroke," said Justin Lee, M.D., member of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association Bay Area division and Stanford cardiologist. "Once you recognize you may be at increased risk, you can take some important steps to stay healthy."

Lee said that having a family history of heart disease or stroke isn't a death sentence, but it should be a wake-up call. While you may be genetically predisposed to cardiovascular disease, there are a lot of factors that are within your control to lower your overall risk.

"Not smoking or vaping, making sure you are eating healthy and staying physically active are all good ways to keep heart disease or stroke at bay," Lee said. "Even then, you may find that high cholesterol or high blood pressure are in your genes and there's no way around it. That's when early diagnosis and proper lifestyle modifications and even medications, if necessary, are going to be especially important to you."

Lee also notes that genetics isn't the only way your family's health and health habits may impact your risk.

"Many times,family prevalenceof cardiovascular disease can be driven by the environment in which people live," Lee said. "If parents smoke, their children may also develop that habit early on. Unhealthy family eating habits can certainly be generationally shared. If the family spends most free time in front of a TV or engaging in other screen time rather than a more physical activity, like a walk after dinner, this could chart the course of a lifetime of sedentary behavior."

Astudypublished in the American Heart Association journalCirculation, found people with highgenetic risks for heart diseasecould significantly lower that risk if they adhered to the Association's prescription for ideal cardiovascular health, now known asLife's Essential 8.

Life's Essential 8 comprises five health behaviors and three health factors:

Along with following Life's Essential 8, Lee offered some other helpful tips for people with a family history of cardiovascular disease:

Journal information: Circulation