Contemplating family history and heart problems

Posted by brucealbert @brucealbert, Feb 20 9:06am

Family studies; heart related problems?
I am one of nine children, most of my siblings have shown to have heart health issues. Being the fifth child and third male I have had my share of surgeries and health issues, none heart related, unlike my brothers. I believe it may be diet related and physical fitness for my robust health at 71 years of age.
We all ate well and lived in a semi-rural area of south eastern Wisconsin. Our father, an import from Canada required a triple bypass at the age of 55, ending his career as a steam-fitter. ( hard labor tradesman). His diet was limited to low acid foods; an acid-reflux issue.
He was also a body builder and won some contests in the large factory of employment. He did have powders containing steroids to assist muscle growth , before the dangers of those supplements were known.
I also had factory employment requiring strength and intelligent skills. My job was chemical formulation; but essentially hard labor as well. I also suffered from acid reflux many years before surgical correction ended the malady.
I don't really have a question, just an observation of my family as seen from the "family related" health issues on my clinical charts over the years. The spinal fusion surgery and low carb diet after to loose extra weight, helped me to remain mobile into my retirement years. My brothers are not doing as well, they enjoy the "Western Diet" and "po-po" my higher fat-low carb lifestyle fueling my health.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

bitsygirl | @bitsygirl | Feb 20 3:50pm

I think there are both genetic and lifestyle factors, and I'm not sure anyone knows yet how to unravel it. My husband and I had the same good lifestyle for decades (and still do), but I exercised significantly more aerobically (say running 20-30 miles a week). My CAC a few years ago was in the 98th percentile, his is zero. I have high BP, his is normal. I know people with terrible lifestyles and diabetes and no heart problems. Go figure. It seems like lifestyle is very protective, but some people get a pass I'd guess because of "good" genetics. Some people practice a great lifestyle and still have coronary calcium. The genetic factor seems like big unknown to me.

gloaming | @gloaming | Feb 20 3:52pm

Good for you. Personally, despite some failures that I can never forget, nor share, I still like myself. I'm a typical human, nothing special (I have been telling myself that for years now, unlike in my 'I'm-always-the-smartest-person-in-the-room' youth. I like being me, and I like being happy. I have some health issues, mostly tachyarrhythmia, but it's under control. Like you, always active, robust, fit, and I am married and have grown kids. Life is good. And all of us can live tough lives if we choose to. I chose to be disciplined, mostly, and have never done drugs, smoked, or used alcohol heavily. In retirement, I have expanded my girth some, not dangerously, just enough that if I ever have to lie on a gurney for five weeks and essentially be unable to eat for some reason, I have a nice-sized buffer of adiposity.

It is sad when people you love don't know, or don't want to know, or don't care, to take care of their bodies better, or their finances, or their relationships. But I guess they get to choose their 'happiness' moments as much as you and I.

Janell, Volunteer Mentor | @jlharsh | Feb 20 5:01pm

Hi @brucealbert, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! You bring up an interesting topic. Thank you for creating this discussion about how family history may, or may not fit into heart problems.

Genetics is interesting to me because mine has impacted some of my care. I have read several places that genetics is responsible for 15% of disease. Epigenetics seems like a logical next step to think about, changes to how genes are expressed but do not affect actual genetic makeup-up (aka lifestyle, environment, etc.)

Mayo Clinic Center For Individualized Medicine has an Epigenetic Program:
Despite recent dramatic advances in care, there are still patients who exhaust all conventional treatment options. Scientists working to help these patients use genomics to examine the differences between each patient's typical DNA and the disease-causing, atypical DNA. However, to pinpoint new targets for therapy for these patients, researchers cannot stop there. They also must examine other factors that influence how genes are expressed. epigenetic mechanisms, as they cause changes in genes above and beyond changes in the DNA sequence. This is known as epigenetics, when changes in genes occur above and beyond the DNA sequence, at times contributing to cause and progression of diseases.

Here is a Mayo Clinic Preventative Cardiologist’s perspective that seems to align with your thinking:
- Expert explains how to improve heart health, even if your family has history of heart conditions: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/expert-explains-how-to-improve-heart-health-even-if-your-family-has-history-of-heart-conditions/

I am curious. You mention having a pretty good lifestyle yourself. Do you think seeing your dad’s heart health struggles impacted your own, or your siblings lifestyle decisions over the years?