Family history plays important role in assessing heart disease risk

Questioning patients about their family history may be a simple way for doctors to determine which individuals are likely to develop heart disease, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The findings could help medical professionals determine which patients may benefit the most from a prescription to buy Lipitor.

For the study, researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK assessed the heart health of 748 adults. In addition to screening patients for high blood pressure, cholesterol levels and smoking status, half the group was asked if they had a history of heart disease in their family.

The results showed that this question dramatically improved doctors' ability to correctly predict patients' long-term heart disease risk.

Despite the benefits associated with assessing family history, it does not play a standardized role in assessing cardiovascular risk, the researchers said. The findings suggest that this should be changed to reflect the growing knowledge of the importance of family history.

Furthermore, the researchers said that assessing a patient's history may be much simpler and far less expensive than genetic tests for cardiovascular disease risk factors.