If your relatives have had heart issues, you may be more at risk due to shared genes. Even when environmental factors play a role, getting tested for any inherited heart conditions is important.

Some inherited heart diseases are linked to just one or a few genes. These genes have a stronger effect in causing heart disease, making specific heart conditions more easily passed down through families.

Other heart conditions, like high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, can be caused by a combination of family history and lifestyle habits. Even if one of your parents has high blood pressure, following a healthy diet and exercising might help you avoid it.

Being aware of your family’s health history can help you know when to get tested for genetic heart conditions and take steps to protect your health. To start the process, ask your relatives whether they have heart disease and share that information with your cardiologist or primary care doctor.

So, what types of heart disease are hereditary? Here are six types of heart disease with a genetic link.

Your heart muscle pumps blood out to your body. If you have cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle is dysfunctional or damaged. It may be thicker than typical or thin and dilated to the point where it can’t effectively pump. Cardiomyopathy can cause irregular heartbeats, a backup of blood, and eventually heart failure.

There are different types of cardiomyopathy. Some are caused by a condition like heart disease, a heart attack, or an infection. Other types are inherited, including the following:

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): HCM enlarges part of the wall of the heart’s left ventricle, often the septum, which separates the left and right ventricles that pump blood out to your body.
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM): This causes the left ventricle to stretch so much that the heart can’t pump blood efficiently.
  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC): In this rare type, fat or scar tissue replaces parts of the heart muscle. This disrupts electrical signals that control the heartbeat, which can cause an irregular heart rhythm and sudden cardiac death.
  • Restrictive cardiomyopathy: This type of cardiomyopathy can also be caused by scar tissue. In these forms, abnormal substances like iron or proteins accumulate in the heart muscle, causing damage. Types include cardiac amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, and hemochromatosis.

An arrhythmia is a heartbeat that differs from the typical lub-dub pattern. This is a result of a problem with the heart’s electrical signals. Depending on the type of arrhythmia you have, your heart might beat too fast, too slowly, or in an unusual rhythm.

A few types of arrhythmias are inherited:

  • Long QT syndrome (LQTS or short QT syndrome (SQTS): These can make the time between heartbeats longer or shorter, respectively.
  • Brugada syndrome: This is a rare but very serious type of arrhythmia that can lead to cardiac arrest.
  • Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT): This causes the lower heart chambers to beat too fast.
  • Progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD): This rare condition causes the heart’s conduction system to stop functioning appropriately, which may lead to a heart block
  • Familial atrial fibrillation (AFib): This is an irregular beat in the heart’s upper chambers.

Marfan syndrome affects the connective tissues that support bones and organs. The connective tissues in the heart, blood vessels, bones, and joints stretch too much and become weaker.

Marfan syndrome can widen the aorta, the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, and damage heart valves.

People with Marfan syndrome are often tall and lean, with longer-than-usual arms, legs, fingers, and toes. They may also have a curved spine and eye lens problems.

Marfan syndrome can weaken the heart, particularly the aorta, which is a major blood vessel that carries blood from the organ. It can also cause your heart valve to leak, which is also called regurgitation. These can lead to serious complications such as heart failure, heart rhythm problems, an aortic aneurysm, or aortic dissection.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited form of very high cholesterol that affects about 1 in 250 people. A gene mutation makes it harder for your liver to remove LDL cholesterol (the “bad” type) from your body. People with this condition have very high LDL cholesterol ­— above 190 mg/dL.

LDL this high can increase your chance of coronary artery disease or a heart attack. You may not have any symptoms, so often, familial hypercholesterolemia is found during a routine blood test.

Cardiac tumors are often not hereditary, but a few types are:

  • Carney complex: This is a rare hereditary condition that can cause cardiac tumors called myxomas that obstruct blood flow.
  • Tuberous sclerosis (TSC): This causes the growth of a benign tumor, in this case, on the heart.
  • Gorlin syndrome: This is another rare condition causing scarring in the heart that may lead to arrhythmias or obstruct blood flow

At what age does heart disease start?

According to a 2020 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the likelihood of heart disease increases with age from only 1% in adults ages 18 to 44 to almost 20% in adults over the age of 65. That said, when it comes to inherited heart conditions, the age of onset will vary depending on the characteristics of the specific condition and any contributing environmental factors.

Does heart disease run in your family?

If you have family members who have experienced heart disease, then you do have a family history of the condition. While no specific gene is responsible for heart disease, a combination of genes can contribute to an increased risk.

These genes can also pass on risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It’s also important to consider shared environments and habits within the family, such as learned unbalanced eating habits or a sedentary lifestyle, which can play a role in developing heart disease.

These genes can also pass on risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It’s also important to consider shared environments and habits within the family, such as learned unbalanced eating habits or a sedentary lifestyle, which can play a role in developing heart disease.

If someone in your family has been diagnosed with an inherited heart disease, talk with your primary care doctor or a cardiologist. Your physician will typically recommend seeing a genetic counselor, who will usually refer you to genetic testing.

It’s important to catch inherited heart disease early. If you need it, starting on treatment can help protect your heart and overall health moving forward.