When it comes to protecting your heart, lifestyle choices like diet and exercise are essential—but they’re only part of the picture. Your genetic makeup plays a powerful role in heart health, influencing your risk of developing serious cardiovascular conditions.
At Complete Cardiology, we specialize in both prevention and treatment—helping patients understand how genetics and heart disease are connected and what steps can be taken to reduce risk.
What Are Genetic Heart Conditions?
Inherited heart conditions are disorders passed down through your family’s genes. These conditions can increase your risk for a variety of cardiovascular problems—even if you live a healthy lifestyle.
Some common genetic heart conditions include:
- Familial Hypercholesterolemia – causes very high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels from a young age.
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – a thickening of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest.
- Long QT Syndrome and other inherited arrhythmias – which affect your heart’s electrical system and rhythm.
If heart disease runs in your family, you could have an elevated cardiovascular risk without showing any symptoms initially.
Why Your Family History Matters
One of the most important genetic risk factors for heart disease is your family history. If a parent, sibling, or close relative had heart disease—especially at a young age—you may have a higher chance of developing it yourself.
Let your healthcare provider know if you have a:
- Parent or sibling with heart disease under age 55 (for men) or 65 (for women)
- Family member with sudden cardiac death
- Family history of high cholesterol, stroke, or high blood pressure
Understanding your family history helps our team at Complete Cardiology develop a personalised heart health plan for early detection and prevention.
How to Reduce Genetic Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Even if you carry genetic risk factors, there’s still plenty you can do to reduce your chances of developing heart disease:
- Know your family medical history
- Get regular heart screenings
- Eat a heart-healthy diet
- Exercise consistently
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol
- Manage stress and sleep well
Your genes may load the gun, but your lifestyle pulls the trigger. That’s why prevention matters—especially when your genetics put you at higher risk.
Heart-Health Check
Screening at Complete Cardiology
We are now offering patients a self pay option to have a heart health check, this includes two baseline tests – ecg, echocardiogram and a consultation with a cardiologist. For more details click here or call the admin office on 01628 337222.
