If you're like me, you can probably trace most of your genetic traits to your parents and grandparents. I can thank my dad for my strength and my mom for my endless energy. These are characteristics for which I'm grateful.
In fact, I'm thankful for virtually all the things my parents passed on to me... except an elevated risk for heart disease. Although I can't completely erase my predisposition for high ("bad") cholesterol down the road, I can reduce the chances with exercise (I run, swim, bike and generally stay active) and smart eating (I try to watch my portions and steer clear of too much fatty food).
Do you possess a susceptibility for certain health weaknesses? Dive in to these tips to help keep your body going strong, regardless of what's in your family tree.
Your heart: Up to 80 percent of heart attacks in women younger than 45 are due to genetics. (What's your heart attack risk?) If heart disease runs in your family (or even if it doesn't!), make sure to maintain a healthy weight and keep your cholesterol and blood pressure levels low. Pay attention to your body-mass index, or height-to-weight ratio; it should be between 18.5 and 24.9; aim for a waist circumference that's less than 35 inches.
When it comes to cholesterol, your LDL (or "bad” cholesterol) should be less than 100; your HDL (the "good” kind) should be above 50; and your blood triglycerides below 150. Finally, check to make sure your blood pressure measurement is below 120/80. If any of these numbers are off, talk to your doc about how to get them back in the healthy zone.
Your fertility: Twelve percent of women of childbearing age have difficulty conceiving. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have identified 350 genes related to fertility, which might help pinpoint causes of early infertility. If you have erratic periods (or know that any woman in your family has gone through menopause before age 40), ask your ob/gyn for a blood test that measures your level of follicle-stimulating hormone. High FSH levels may be a sign that your ovaries aren't functioning normally.
To help improve fertility, don't smoke, limit how much alcohol you drink and practice safe sex. (STDs such as chlamydia can harm reproductive organs.) If you haven't been able to conceive after trying for a year (or six months if you're over 35), consult a fertility specialist: About 65 percent of women who seek help do go on to give birth successfully.
Your skin: Think your olive complexion protects you from skin cancer? Don't bet on it. Melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, doesn't discriminate by skin tone. Genes play a role in 40 percent of melanomas, which means the majority of cases are preventable. To lower your risk, keep sun exposure brief and always wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even in the winter. (Is your sunscreen any good?) Visit your dermatologist once a year and do monthly self-exams. Regularly monitoring skin and keeping up with SPF habits helped 69 percent of people discover melanomas in earlier, more treatable stages in a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Your brain: If you find yourself scratching your head over a neighbor's name or your locker combo, heredity might be to blame. Certain genes do play a pivotal role in thinking and learning. But before you point fingers at your forgetful granny or gramps, try keeping your brain and body active, both of which keep your mind sharp. Exercise can deter the plaque buildup in your brain that's been linked to Alzheimer's, while being mentally stimulated keeps neurons active. One way to activate your feet and your frontal lobe? Cut a rug! Dancing was linked to a 76 percent reduced risk for dementia, research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, reports.
Your lungs: Asthma, allergies and, yes, lung cancer are all conditions that can be traced to our genetics. Though smoking is linked to 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, 13 percent of victims are nonsmokers. The best way to prevent lung cancer is to kick the butts and steer clear of secondhand smoke: People have a 20 to 30 percent greater chance of developing the disease when they're exposed to smoke at home or work, a surgeon general's report indicates.
Consider testing your home for radon, an odorless gas released from rocks and soil that's linked to up to 14 percent of all lung cancer deaths each year. For info on ordering an at-home test, call the National Safety Council's radon hotline at 800-767-7236. And stay away from allergens like dust, pollen, mold and anything you know aggravates your breathing.
Your stress level: There's no proof that anxiety runs in families, but how we react to it does: People who inherit certain variations of the NPY gene produce lower levels of a worry-easing molecule in response to stress, findings in Nature suggest. Chronic stress revs genes that increase inflammation, which is linked to disease and aging. But research shows that unwinding for 20 minutes each day, through meditation, yoga or any relaxing activity you enjoy, helps curb cell-damaging gene expressions from occurring.
Any stress-busting strategy works, as long as it evokes your relaxation response, a physical state of rest that lowers heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. For me, a nice, easy jog with great tunes on my iPod Shuffle relieves my tension--about 30 minutes into it, I'm all smiles! Get my playlist and more tips on keeping yourself healthy regardless of your history at Self.com/health.
