Understanding your family’s health history could be the most important step you take toward protecting your heart. The story below, shared by a woman with deep ties to heart disease in her family, shows how powerful that knowledge can be.
November was Family Health History Month, and I want to share why I’ve made it a personal mission to get people talking—really talking—about what runs in their family.
In early March 2022, I was 58, healthy, active, and doing all the things the experts tell you to do. I exercised five days a week, ate well, and had no major health issues or cardiac risk factors. What I did have was a family history I couldn’t out-run.
My brother died of a massive heart attack—the dreaded “widow maker”—at 44. My mother had two stents placed in her early 70s and still died of a heart attack within a year. My father survived two heart attacks in his 40s. And that was just the immediate circle. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins—there was a whole constellation of heart attacks, aortic aneurysms, and strokes.
You’d think that might have earned me a standing appointment with a cardiologist. It didn’t. No one ever sat me down to explain what that history meant. I assumed that if I lived well, I could avoid the same problems. I was wrong. I had a ticking time bomb in my DNA: elevated lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). And because I likely inherited it from both parents, my level is sky-high. That’s what caused my heart attack.
Now I know better—and I’m determined to make sure others don’t learn the hard way. I started with my own family. I pulled together information packets, included my heart story, and sent them to my siblings, nieces, and nephews. They all knew my story, but it helped to have the information on paper with a personal letter about why it was important. I helped them get tested. I’ve met with cousins to piece together the medical truth of our extended family—who died of what, and why it matters—so their kids and grandkids can be proactive.
When I speak with women about heart health, I stress one thing again and again: know your family history. And if you have a strong history but your doctor waves it off—as doctors once did with me—don’t shrug and walk away. Get a second opinion. Your life is worth the extra appointment.
If you don’t have a clear picture of your family history, this is a perfect month to fix that. Reach out to relatives. Compare notes. Make sure your medical chart reflects reality, not guesswork. And if you’re adopted or don’t have access to biological family information, you aren’t shut out. Blood tests and newer genetic screenings can uncover hidden risks and give you the knowledge you need to protect your health.
Your family history isn’t fate—but it is a roadmap. The more you know, the better you can steer.
