This week on Health Matters, as we continue to observe Heart Month, we will explore the role that genetics play in heart health.

Understanding your family history of cardiovascular health is essential. In fact, about 30% of heart disease can be linked to family history. We speak with Dr. Jessica Hennessy, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist and cardiogenetics expert at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia to help break down which heart conditions and risk factors may be inherited. She provides valuable insight on effectively managing heart health, including the importance of lifestyle modifications in preventing heart disease, including for individuals with a genetic predisposition. She also explains who should get genetic testing and what that process looks like.

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Dr. Jessica Hennessey specializes in Cardiac Electrophysiology, with a special focus on Sports & Exercise Cardiology. She practices primarily in New York, NY, and is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Hennessey graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in 2014, and completed her training at Massachusetts General Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Cardiac Electrophysiology.

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Health Matters is your weekly dose of health and wellness information, from the leading experts. Join host Courtney Allison to get news you can use in your own life. New episodes drop each Wednesday.

If you are looking for practical health tips and trustworthy information from world-class doctors and medical experts you will enjoy listening to Health Matters. Health Matters was created to share stories of science, care, and wellness that are happening every day at NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation’s most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare systems. In keeping with NewYork-Presbyterian’s long legacy of medical breakthroughs and innovation, Health Matters features the latest news, insights, and health tips from our trusted experts; inspiring first-hand accounts from patients and caregivers; and updates on the latest research and innovations in patient care, all in collaboration with our renowned medical schools, Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine. To learn more visit: https://healthmatters.nyp.org