Younger Brother had major heart attack, my risk ??

I am 50 my Bro is 47. 2 yrs ago he had a major heart attack and had 2 stents placed. He is now back in the hospital awaiting open heart surgery. Now he was a heavy smoker and I quit 13 yrs ago and never smoked heavy anyway.

I have marginal hi chlosteral  and have been on Pravastatin for 10 yrs. Blood pressure is good. HDL is 55 LDL is 125, Slightly overweight ( 190 ) at 5 ft 9"

muscular build. I have never had any chest discomfort pain or pressure or shortness of breath. Even when biking,running, shoveling snow etc.

Dr told my Bro it could be heridtary. I have had eco,ekg,I go for check up every 6 months but never had an angiogram or the heart dye or anything.

What is my risk factor and what is the best thing I can do ?? This Dr told my Bro even if he had had a stress test the week before they probably wouldnt have seen it ??

I am nervous to say the least....

Dear cvc,

Hello and great question. If a brother or sister of yours has heart disease, your risk of getting it rises as much as 45 percent, according to a study I have read. The research, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, means your parents' heart histories aren't the only ones that could serve as a predictor of your getting the disease.

Please remember that some of the risk factors can be modified, treated or controlled, and some can't. It feels to me like you are living heart healthy which is a good thing. You can't control your family history. Therefore, it's even more important to treat and control any other risk factors you have.

What are the major risk factors you can modify, treat or control by changing your lifestyle or taking medicine?

Tobacco smoke — Smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2–4 times that of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking is a powerful independent risk factor for sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary heart disease; smokers have about twice the risk of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease. People who smoke cigars or pipes seem to have a higher risk of death from coronary heart disease (and possibly stroke) but their risk isn't as great as cigarette smokers'. Exposure to other people's smoke increases the risk of heart disease even for nonsmokers.

High blood cholesterol — As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of coronary heart disease. When other risk factors (such as high blood pressure and tobacco smoke) are present, this risk increases even more. A person's cholesterol level is also affected by age, sex, heredity and diet.

High blood pressure — High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times.

Physical inactivity — An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure in some people.

Obesity and overweight — People who have excess body fat — especially if a lot of it is at the waist — are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. Many obese and overweight people may have difficulty losing weight. But by losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk.

Diabetes mellitus — Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, but the risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled. about three-quarters of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, it's extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.
What other factors contribute to heart disease risk?

Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life, their health behaviors and socioeconomic status. These factors may affect established risk factors. For example, people under stress may overeat, start smoking or smoke more than they otherwise would.
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, and produce irregular heartbeats. It contributes to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents.

The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (an average of one drink for women or two drinks for men per day) is lower than in nondrinkers. One drink is defined as 1-1/2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine or 12 fl oz of beer. It's not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount they drink. (Reference: American Heart Association)
I hope you will do your best to avoid anticipatory anxiety and not let your fears interfere in your daily living. Keep on doing all you can to control the factors above and continue seeing your physician as you have been.

Blessings,

Kitt