A new study has revealed that genetic heart disease is still preventable if a person exercises and stays away from smoking. Scientists say that even if your family has a long history of heart problems, healthy living can still cut the chances by almost half.
According to Sekar Kathiresan from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, DNA is not destiny, and you have control over your health. For example, many assume that if your father suffered from a heart attack, then you are destined to also possess that health problem, but this new study proves otherwise.
In this new study, researchers analyzed 55,000 cases from four studies conducted all over the world, including imaging that checks for plaque buildup in heart arteries.
All of the participants were checked for 50 genes linked to heart risks and were they are divided into five groups depending on the amount of those genes they have. They are also placed into three different groups that determined their lifestyles based on obesity, those who exercise at least once a week and possess a healthy diet as well as non-smokers.
Researchers say that the group that had the most favorable lifestyle possessed three or more of the lifestyle factors mentioned while the unfavorable lifestyle group only had one or none at all.
However, scientists say that when these factors are combined, the risk of heart disease depending on genetics and healthy living dramatically changes.
Kathiresan explained that when you have a high genetic risk and unfavorable lifestyle, you are 10 percent more likely to develop heart disease in 10 years than those with a healthy and favorable lifestyle with only five percent of risk.
Kathiresan concludes that while genetics plays a strong role in a person's risk of heart disease, many can overcome and mitigate this problem with healthy living.
This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.