If you have any of the risk factors shown, the earlier you take action, the better. (Many doctors say that, if we reach the age of 60 without developing the symptoms of a major disease, we are on good ground.) At the bottom of the sections on each disease is a list of measures you can take now to help prevent that disease developing in the future.

For example, if your mother has osteoporosis, and you lead a stressful lifestyle and don’t get enough exercise or sleep, you are putting yourself at increased risk for osteoporosis (inherited risk) and heart disease (lifestyle factors). Making small changes, like getting to bed an hour earlier and getting up 20 minutes before usual to go for a brisk walk and eat a cup of low-fat yogurt with fruit will help reduce your risk of developing both diseases. Adding a short walk at lunchtime will build in more physical activity and help you better manage stress. It’s the little things that count.

If you read through the information provided for each disease, you will likely see a common thread that will reduce the risk of developing any disease: Stop smoking and/or avoid second-hand smoke; keep alcohol consumption to a minimum  i; eat healthily; get enough sleep; build physical activity (aerobic and weight-bearing) into your day; learn ways to manage stress, and keep that waistline to a minimum.

i Studies show that two glasses of red wine daily may help reduce the risk of heart disease in men.

Risk Factors' Role Through Life

When we are young, family history plays a very minor role in what can make us gravely ill or cause death. Babies and young children tend to die from birth defects, rare childhood cancers and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), while older children/adolescents may be involved in car accidents, sports mishaps, or suicides.

In our 30s, family history begins to exert an effect on our health. A history of heart disease or cancer, for example, can catch up with those of us who don’t pay attention to lifestyle factors (and sometimes catch up with those who do). Nonetheless, health professionals generally concur that 70 percent or more of cancers and heart conditions can be prevented or arrested with appropriate lifestyle choices.

As we grow older, how we have chosen to live our lives plays a greater role in longevity than family history. A person who reaches the senior years with no identifiable symptoms of heart disease, for example, appears no more likely to develop a heart condition than any other individual.

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