Blog #10: Is heart disease common in your family? What are some of the environmental, physical, cultural, socioeconomical, and educational factors th

I am not aware of heart disease being common in my family. Neither my grandparents nor my parents have been diagnosed with heart disease. However, dad was diagnosed with high cholesterol and my maternal grandmother has high blood pressure because of her diabetes. In addition, my family doctor has informed my 15 year old brother at a general check up that his blood pressure was high. Although my grandmother who has high blood pressure is my mom’s mother, my mother does not have high blood pressure or diabetes. My mother is always watching what she eats and walks/runs on a regular basis. However, my dad is not overweight and has high cholesterol. I think he is on medication, he tries to eat certain foods, and he exercise; however he does not cease to smoke. I actually asked him how many cigarettes he smokes and he said four, which was surprising to me because I thought he only smoke once a day!

I feel that all my personal risk factors are controllable because I do not smoke, I do not have hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or overweight, which are some factors that some of my relatives have. I have begun to engage in more physical activity at a gym along with my 15 year old brother. Being a health major has made me aware of many diseases, which one can lower their own risk.
For the most part I have used my knowledge gained from my education to help me make healthier choices such as committing to exercise and trying to eat healthier. I am more aware of what foods I need to consume more of and less of. I know now that it is important to make time for exercise for my physical life, even when I feel there is not any time to spare. Even though the gym is pricy I feel it is a better investment in my health, rather than spending money on cigarettes.

Some cultural factors could be diet. I know when I was much younger my mother would use the solid lard to cook and for some years now she only uses vegetable oil. In addition, Mexican families tend to eat a lot of “pan dulce”, which means sweet bread as a late snack which one eats with coffee or hot chocolate. In addition, meats are a big part of meals. I must admit I am a sucker for flour tortillas, which would be considered white bread, and should be eaten occasionally.

I know my risk for heart disease will increase once I am in my older years, but I want to focus on what I can do now to lower my risk and live a healthier life.