I don't remember my grandfather; he died in his 50s of a heart attack. I was a baby at the time. I didn’t know my grandmother for long either. I was 9 when she died at age 62 of a stroke. I was sad to have lost my grandparents so young.

Then, when I was 19, my uncle died of a heart attack at 44 years old. The premature deaths on one side of my family, all due to cardiovascular disease, terrified me. I was scared my mother would die, and I was scared that I would only live half of a lifetime. I went to the doctor and discovered my cholesterol was elevated. That frightened me even more.

The scientific literature provides plenty of evidence that genetics plays a role in our risk for cardiovascular disease. About 75 percent of people have polygenic markers linked to a higher-than-average risk of developing conditions like high cholesterol, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or type 2 diabetes.1

The good news is that the scientific literature also shows that lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and a healthy diet can dramatically reduce risk for cardiovascular disease2 and cancer.3 In my 20s, shortly after my uncle’s death, I took up running to get in shape. I remember how my first run felt—my lungs burned and my legs ached. I kept reminding myself that I was literally running for my life.

Untimely deaths on my mother’s side of the family made my family's health history obvious, but my father’s side of the family did not have untimely deaths. I was eager to know the health histories of my father’s siblings and parents so that I could piece together a full picture of my family's health history. I discovered more cardiovascular risk factors on my father’s side, and this reaffirmed my commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

A recent global survey by the........

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