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Last Updated: Jan 10, 2023
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Hereditary Heart Diseases - How to Deal With Them?

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Dr. Nishith ChandraCardiologist • 30 Years Exp.DM Cardiology
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A heart disease is definitely something, which is serious. In most cases, it is the result of a person’s lack of prudence when it comes to staying fit and moderating what food items feature in the diet. But is this always the case? Well, not at all. Genetic or hereditary heart diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, very high cholesterol levels running in the family and many others, provide enough reason as to why not.

This is because a person cannot be blamed for a hereditary heart disease as the reason why this occurs is on account of the genetic makeup. So, the best way for one to know, if there is a risk of this sort of disease is to take a look at the family history with respect to the disease.

  1. Keep a record: One of the ways by which a person can get to know if there is a risk of a hereditary heart disease is by finding out, if a condition known as arrhythmia is prevalent in the family. This is a condition in which the heart has an irregular heart beat and can be potentially lethal. Other things which are to be watched out for include, but are not limited to, a track record of members in the family who have faced a heart failure at a young age, especially prior to them reaching the age of 50.
  2. Watch out for signs: It is not always true that the signs of hereditary heart diseases pertain to the heart. If a person has fainted or has had seizures, and an effective treatment could not be performed by making use of the normal medicines, which would generally be used in these circumstances, it could be taken as a sign of presence of hereditary heart disease.
  3. Get tested: To know if there is a risk of a hereditary heart disease, it is important that a person gets genetically tested. This is to be done so that the gene analysis can provide details as to which hereditary heart diseases a person has, along with the other members of the family. There are various tests for things such as HCM, ARVD and Marfan syndrome.

Apart from this, undergoing genetic counselling is also considered important. This is to keep a check on the worries of having a sudden heart attack as well as the concerns one may have about passing the genes relating to the heart disease to one’s offspring. This is one of the most necessary, but underrated things when it comes to dealing with a hereditary heart disease. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Cardiologist.

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