How big a role does family history play in your health?

[Rick Lee]

My 62 yr. old dad always boasts that he's his oldest living relative and that he'd die tomorrow if he ever picked up a bad habit. His mom died at the age of 42 of breast cancer and his dad died at 69, having lived a very unhealthy lifestyle (he even put butter on devils food cake). My dad's grandmother (my great gm) was 34 when he was born and I knew her well. She died of natural causes, not cancer, at 83. No one on my mom's side has ever had cancer, most of her relatives have smoked into their 60's before they quit (and that was when they really smoked the non-light stuff) and her mom is 85 and still very vibrant. I knew both her grandmothers, one died at 101 and the other at 88 when I was in high school. Yet, my parents always tell me I'm a bad habit away from instant death. They have no idea I smoke. Some people live like rock stars into their 90's and some die of freak illnesses before middle age. Last time I was at the doctor, I rode my motorcycle. Doc saw my helmet and said that was by far my biggest health risk. How likely is it to get cancer when few, if any relatives, had it and most lived very unhealthily into old age?

[Normy]

Well, my maternal grandmother lived to be 93, and my paternal grandmother was right behind her at 92.

Grandpa Laughter? [Mom] He died when he was 70, but he drank like a fish and smoked 30 "burley" unfiltered cigarettes per day.

-High cholesterol runs in my fathers family. My brother has it, and so does my dad. Mine is 190 because I eat right and run 6 miles per day whenever I can, and whenever my knee/plantar facsia allows me to do it.

The long and short is that I suspect that Family has EVERYTHING to do with your health! If you have a good family history, then you are likely to live longer is all. EVERYONE needs to pay attention to their blood pressure and cholesterol level.

Listen: If Patrick Swayze was told right now that the only thing about his health that he needed to care about was cholesterol level and blood pressure...he'd be jumping up and down and doing burnouts with his car! Think about it...

I get my cholesterol checked every year. I usually pass out, and last year I pissed my pants when I gave the blood sample. That small amount of embarrasment is easily overcome. If they were to have discovered something like cancer at an early stage, then they could have caught it and I would be around to annoy you online for the next 45-50 years. Who knows, I might actually return to Rennlist after about 25 years or so...

[as long as they fire Randy]

You get the idea. ALL of us are important! What is at the top of the page? A tribute to Warren Hall. The fact that Patrick might be leaving us should be a wake-up call to people who are considering starting exercise programs.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Virtually none.

Aside from being born without any birth defects or anything (aside from bad vision requiring corrective lenses I guess) I can't really either thank them or blame them for anything.

Both my mom & dad are in average health, leaning towards "poor" rather than "good". They don't do much to take care of themselves, eat too much and are overweight. By contrast I make it a point to exercise (I like running & biking in particular) and go out of my way to live as active of a life as I can. I really worry about my dad in particular - he avoids doctors like the plague. I just hope it doesn't come back to him in a bad way (i.e. "if you'd gotten regular checkups, we could have caught this sooner. . .") I worry about that. Mom is a little better with the "being proactive" stuff, but she always seems to be complaining about some kind of malady or another (bad back, bad ankle, injured knee, etc.) She at least occasionally makes efforts to try and go for walks and stuff, but needs to do more (like a lot of people I guess). But my dad is the one I worry about.

[johnco]

mother's side... diabeties, heart disease and cancer
father's side... cancer, alzheimers

me so far... diabeties, cancer... damn, forgot what I was talking about

[wcc]

60 is the average on my side. I have most of the same things my family history has except I take meds for it. HOPEFULLY, I make it past 60. I'm not so sure because I'm 35 and feel like I'm having a mid-life crisis. Life is too short and sitting in a cube makes it suck too. Enjoy every minute, if you can, because before you know it it's over.

[Rick Lee]

I should add that my dad had high cholestorol, but went way down when he went on Lipitor. Mom has high BP, but she's hasn't exercised a day since high school and is overweight. My dad is a health nut, my mom the opposite and you can see it in their appearances. My dad can easily still kick my a$s with one hand behind his back. I'm not in my peak shape anymore, but I do a serious lift or treadmill session at the gym at least 4x a week, take the stairs whenever I can, eat fish about 4x a week, still drink a lot and smoke a little. My grandparents, however, all lived at least as unhealthily as my mom does and smoked a lot on top of that. I'd say it'd be an anomaly if I got one of the common illnesses based on that history. I'd rather live life to the fullest and get hit by a car unexpectedly, than live cautiously and die of some terrible wasting disease.

[slodave]

I'm adopted and have no medical records. When I am asked if I am allergic to anything, I have to answer with "I don't know" or "lets find out" - if it is something I have not taken before. As for the major ailments in life.... I take it day by day.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Rick, I think the correct answer is both, "Family means a lot" and "Family history doesn't always mean much".

My father had a massive heart attack at age 46 in 1970. He was a construction guy in tip top physical APPEARING condition. Washboard abs, pumped arms, etc. He also smoked heavily and in those days we ate badly - Lard, etc. After a series of minor heart attacks and one stroke he died at age 66. I spent my life KNOWING I was highly likely to have cardiac issues.

At age 18 I was diagnosed with Wolfe-Parkinsons-White (WPW) Syndrome - a heart arrythmia issue, not heart "disease" but in those days I felt this was an indicator of what I always thought would happen to me. I was pretty much resigned to it. My cholestrol was always low; about 178 total. My blood pressure always good.

When I turned 50, I decided to have a full physical, I went to Heartcheck America and had a whole body scan. Bottomline? I have NO plaque in my heart, none. My doctor said for me - 15-20 lbs overweight, somewhat sedentary job, strong family history, its the equivalenbt of having won the lottery. I should feel good but to me it only means I may be more like my mother's side...and that ain't good. It means tumors, benign and cancer. Gulp!

[Shadetree930]

I hope not too much. I got a call yesterday evening, my youngest brother had just had a heart attack. Flat-lined twice in ambulance on way to ER. All is well now. Post-stent he is recovering and looking forward to his next cigarette. Mother goes in for her third stent tomorrow. Oldest brother just had his caroid artery reemed (sp) out last week. Hold on.... got some guy in a black cloak and scythe knocking at my door .... be right ba

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by prials

...Hold on.... got some guy in a black cloak and scythe knocking at my door .... be right ba

Funny....well, kinda. With a fam history like that? Eek!

[Shadetree930]

I refer to my wife as "The Rich Widow"

[on2wheels52]

Probably something to it, at least if parents died young would give an incentive for 'wellness' checkups. My parents made it to late 80's/early 90's, I feel my life has been far easier than their's. I'm expecting to be active in my 80's & 90's (God willing).
jim

[syncroid]

I think family history plays a huge roll with your health. My dad has had multiple open heart surgeries for mitral valve replacement. He is also now suffering from Parkinsons. My mother is in the early to mid stages of Alzheimers and has high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Her father died at the age of 67 or 68 from an aortic aneurism. I have mitral valve issues and high cholesterol myself. I DO try and take care of myself and eat right. I try and live my life a day at a time and not stress about it.

[Racerbvd]

Well, on my mothers side, until my Grandmother & favorite Great Aunt passed of cancer (both in their 80s) that side of the family lived into their 90s (my grandmother was one of 13 kids) and growing up, I was never sick, always on my bicycle, skinny & nothing but muscle, I didn't drink or smoke (still don't smoke other than a few quality cigars a year) and lived a very healthy lifestyle. Then in my mid 20s, I was diagnosed with very bad ashma, as a guy who never smoked anything, lived to race, lived off my racing, I lived right, it was a shock, learning that I had the breathing of an 80 year old. So much for liking a clean lifestyle, now I drink, but that is as hard as I'm willing to go. My dad died taking a crap when he was 68, so when people tell me that jumping out of planes & driving race cars can kill me, I point out that my dad died taking a dump, & I still do that every day.

[MRM]

Genetics plays a huge role in your health. Lifestyle plays a large role as well.

[Tobra]

I was very fortunate in my selection of parents.

Lots of old, healthy relatives. The ones who eat themselves fat get diabetic after about 30 years of being heavy. My Dad's sister got lung cancer when she was 65, after having smoked heavily for 50 years. They told her she should go home and die, but she did not like that, so she found another doctor who did chemo and did not give her much chance. She must be at least 95 now, does not go down in the basement anymore because of the steep stairs. Old German lady, well technically she was born in Canada I guess, but is an American citizen.

I think what you do is important too. The wife smokes and I think that is why she is sick all the time and I never am, I eat pretty healthy, she does not. All that, and she has a bad family history.

I figure I outlive her by 20 years minimum.

[livi]

Health over a lifespan is a complete, statistic, lottery. Among the factors that one can actually have an impact on, the single most important factor is smoking. Again, statistically speaking. Genes are now believed to make up a very large percentage of the variance - but again we are talking statistics.

If it was possible to determine that you had a fifty percent risk of acquiring a certain disease over your lifetime - then half the people in that group will not. Problem is, impossible to know which group you belong too. To make it worse, if your genes predict that you will only have 1% risk of disease, you may very well belong among those 1%. If you don´t, there is still, statistically, a better chance getting run over by a tractor in the middle of the city.

Live like you will be gone tomorrow, cause nobody knows. If it turns out I am still kicking tomorrow, the more grateful I am.

As a matter of fact, I can see where religion comes from.

[Tobra]

Yeah, probably smoking, or more accurately not smoking is what you can change and have the biggest impact on your life, then probably body weight/activity.

That said, I think genetics is pretty big. Predispostion to high cholesterol/coronary disease, coupled with smoking and they die at 45 years old. I have a lot of aunts and uncles who smoked for 50 years and ate more fatty, salt laden food than you would think you could survive, and they are still kicking, incredible the amount of abuse a human body can take. You take one look at my dad and you wonder how many times he has gone in for the CABG, how long has he been diabetic, etc, etc.

When I was fit 16 year old it sort of pissed me off that some fat old man who smoked, drank plenty of hard liquor and eats a pound of bacon and a dozen eggs a week and never exercises has the same blood pressure, cholesterol and a resting heart rate of 65 when mine was 45. Mom pointed out that with those genes and my habits, I would still be in good shape 60 or 70 years later.

I will let you know if she was right in 20 or 30 years.