KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
Several key studies have shown that an individual's risk of death from heart disease is 20% lower for each decade that at least one parent lives beyond the age of 70.
Even when you consider other health issues, the numbers get better: all-cause mortality is lowered an estimated 16% per decade of parental survival past 70.
So what do you do with this information? Focus on what you can control. Whether your parents have great longevity is out of your hands, but you can work on the things in your control, like exercising regularly, avoiding cigarettes and cutting down on stress.