Why does family history matter and why is it part of the Reynolds Risk Score?
You can inherit risk for heart disease from either of your parents. The Reynolds Risk Score asks whether or not either of your parents had a heart attack before they reached age 60. This is a useful piece of information that summarizes much of your genetic risk. Some women/men may not know the answer to this question; in that case, we recommend that you calculate your risk twice, once using the “yes” option and once using the “no” option for this question. By doing so, you will get a range of risk, even if you do not know your own family history.
