Does heart disease run in your family? Here are some ways to prevent a heart attack

The term "heart disease" refers to a wide range of heart disorders. You are more likely to experience a heart attack yourself if heart attacks run in your family. This is due to the possibility of hereditary heart attack risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.9 million deaths per year.

As per the World Health Organisation, the incidence of heart disease is steadily rising. People with pre-existing heart diseases and comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes need to be more cautious. 

Heart failure, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, issues with the heart valves, and coronary artery disease are a few of the most prevalent heart-related disorders. (Also Read: 5 essential ways to stay active during winters in spite of pollution)

There are several more risk factors in addition to genetics that can contribute to heart-related illnesses. Smoking, high blood pressure, an unhealthy diet, insufficient exercise, stress, obesity, and poor personal cleanliness are a few of them. You can prevent heart illnesses by taking care of these risk factors.

It's critical to address any hereditary risk factors in order to lower your risk of suffering a heart attack. Making lifestyle adjustments like eating a balanced diet, exercising frequently, and giving up smoking may be part of this. It can also entail taking medicine to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

It is crucial to discuss your risk and the activities you may take to lower it with your doctor if you have a family history of heart attacks. In order to control your risk factors and avoid a heart attack, your doctor can assist you in creating a specific strategy.

Your doctor could advise that you have specific tests to evaluate your heart health if you have a high risk of having a heart attack. One of these examinations could be a stress test, which gauges how effectively your heart works when you exercise, or coronary angiography, which makes use of X-rays to see the blood veins in your heart.