One of the unexpected aspects of "doing genealogy" is that along the way you learn about your family health history.
I first realized this when I began collecting, for genealogical research purposes, the death certificates of my twelve grandparents and great-grandparents. Some of these records were online and some of them were only available for a fee from the state where the ancestor passed away.
Shockingly I discovered not just my family health history, but a very considerable and concerning family heart history!
Seven of my twelve grandparents and great-grandparents (pictured above) died due to cardiovascular events - and by that, I mean they died suddenly or directly due to a heart attack, a cerebral hemorrhage, thrombosis, or other cardiovascular related event. One of the seven died from simply lifting something heavy!
And that's not all, two more of these ancestors had heart disease and/or prior strokes but did not die from these conditions. One of them, my maternal grandmother, had a major stroke at age 48 that damaged the ability of her eyes to work together. The remaining three ancestors of the twelve died from viral or bacterial infections.
So, if you are keeping count, nine of my twelve grandparents and great grandparents had heart "issues" to say the least! In addition, both my parents have heart conditions, with my dad's issues arising in his 40s, as well as bypass and valve surgery in his early 60s.
I would also note for anyone who might be curious - my ancestors' heart issues were split equally between my maternal and paternal lines and between women and men. In addition, five of the seven who died suddenly or directly from a heart related event died young or youngish (between the ages of 46 and 64). In fact, my grandfathers both passed away from heart events at the ages of 51 and 52.
This genealogical information about my family's cardiovascular problems definitely made me take a pause (and I will admit stress out a bit). It also sent me to my doctor with questions. Do I have a greater risk of heart disease because of this family history? I wanted to know so that I could take preventative action.
Well, the answer is... unfortunately, yes. My family heart history, along with a minor complaint I was experiencing led my doctor to order a baseline cardio evaluation. It's nothing to worry about but I feel it's worth sharing by way of encouraging others to take steps toward a healthier heart.
Hopefully, this post will inspire readers to find out more about their own heart health, and to research their family health history. Enjoy your research and take care of yourself!
Note: The CDC website says that: "Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease."
Below are some websites to check out for information on heart disease and researching family health history. The last link is to a video from Roots Tech 2023 that covers this subject in detail. It came out just as I was publishing this post. Good timing! It's well worth watching if you are a genealogist interested in pursuing this type of research:
Know Your Risk for Heart Disease | cdc.gov (including genetic factors)