Shake off family heart problems -- permanently

Q: Mom, Dad and my grandparents all passed in their early 60s from either heart attacks or strokes. I’m 35 and scared. What can I do to avoid the same fate? — Fred M., Tulsa, Okla. A: Like Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his sidekick Angelica (Penelope Cruz) in “On Stranger Tides,” we all are searching for the secret to a long, long life. Well, we YOU Docs are here to tell you there’s no need to take to the high seas in pursuit of the Fountain of Youth. You can swashbuckle your way to a heart-healthy old age and cut your risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke during the next 20 years by more than 60 percent if you adopt some smart-living steps.

» Don’t smoke or hang around people who do.