Q: My father is around 62 years of age. He is a non-smoker, non alcholic and has a small body build. For the last many years he is taking vegetarian food, avoiding fried and rich food and takes lots of fruits and salads. But still he suffered from angina pain in 2001 and underwent stenting last year. Now my question is: What are my chances of suffering from heart disease? I am 34 and of average built and am a non-smoker and non-alcoholic. What precautions should I take? Is it inevitable that I will suffer from the same disease due to parental history? Around three months back I underwent an ECG and tests for cholesterol, BP and diabetes which were perfectly normal. Please advise.

A:Everyone who lives long enough dies eventually of old age. However, old age means deterioration of major organs including the heart, lungs and kidney. Genetic factors and personal exposure history (to toacco and other smokes, chemicals, dusts and so on) will usually determine which organ will deteriorate most significantly. When there is a family history of heart disease, it is likely that this will be the final problem even if provoking factors are avoided. However, by avoiding the causative factors such as high cholesterol one will prolong ones potential life span and may thereby live as long as the average healthy person who lacks any obvious inherited risk.