Heart Attacks

Posted By sk on October 29, 1998 at 13:02:39:







I am a 28 year old female who has some concerns.  My father died of a heart attack in his early 50's.  He has 6 other brothers and sisters and all of them are living yet with no major health problems.  My dad's father died of a stroke in his 60's and his mother died of a heart attack when she was 86.  Another important factor with my father was that he smoked 3 packs of cigarrettes a day.  I don't know any other medical information regarding him.  My concerns are that the same thing is going to happen to me.  I am a healthy individual (at least that's what the doctor's tell me).  I do have high blood pressure, but that was all pregnancy induced so the doctor believes I'll be off medication within the next year.  I am not overweight and I don't eat a lot of red meat.  My downfall is that I will occassionally smoke.  By occassionally smoking I mean once every few months.  My mother is a very healthy person with no health problems what-so-ever.  Her mother is still living at the age of 97.
My questions are:  1) Would something like this be considered heart disease in my family?  2)  Since my mom's side of the family lives to such an old age with no health problems, how much of a benefit is this to me?  3) Just because my father had a heart attack, does that mean I will have a higher chance of having one?  4) What's the best way to prevent something like this happening to me?  For the last few years I've had some real problems with this entire situation.  I need to learn that just because it happened to me that it doesn't mean it's going to happen to me!
Thank you for any information you may have.