Heart disease is the number one cause of death, making heart health a priority. With the term heart disease encompassing many different conditions, it can be hard to know where you should focus to prevent heart problems. Instead of just hoping for the best with generic ‘heart health’ advice, you can prioritize your actions and personalize your diet based on knowing your genetic susceptibility. Genetics can give you a heads up to be on the lookout for blood clots, or it can let you know that know which tests to order. High Lp(a) levels are a big risk factor for sudden heart attacks. Your Lp(a) levels are mainly controlled by your genetic variants. Check to see if you carry genetic variants that increase or decrease Lp(a). Your genes combine with your diet to influence your LDL cholesterol level. Learn more about why LDL cholesterol levels may matter in heart disease - and find out how your genes are important here. High CRP (C-Reactive Protein) levels are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Genetics plays a role in CRP levels, and certain CRP variants are linked with an increased risk of heart disease. Plant sterols are known as a 'heart healthy' way to lower cholesterol. But, it turns out that they may only lower cholesterol only in people with certain genetic variants. Check your genes to see if adding plant sterols is worthwhile for you. High triglycerides are linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Both genetics and diet combine to elevate triglyceride levels. Learn how your genes interact with what you eat to lower your triglycerides. There are several causes of high blood pressure. Genetic variants in the AGTR1 gene are strongly linked with blood pressure -- and there are specific lifestyle changes that should work to change your blood pressure if you carry the variants. The factor V Leiden genetic mutation significantly increases the lifetime risk of blood clots. Check your genetic data to see if you carry this mutation - and then learn to recognize the symptoms of blood clots. Research shows that people with the ACE deletion genotype are likely to have an increase in blood pressure on a high fat diet. Find out how a high fat diet interacts with your genes. There are several important variants in the PCSK9 gene. Some variants cause lower LDL-cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease by 2-fold. Other variants increase LDL-c and increase the risk of heart disease.