My dad died at 49 but my mum’s almost 93; she lives alone, has a cappuccino every morning and loves a drop of red.

When she was 91, she had a mild stroke and my family flew into panic mode. I rushed to the nearest retirement village to ask about possible admission and the matron asked: ‘What’s your mother like?’

I told her that she was doing very well; the hairdresser at the hospital was giving her a perm and she had someone arriving the following day to do her nails. But the question on everyone’s lips is: do we inherit the gene for living longer?

Well, if a genetic blueprint is true, I may have at least one chance of making it to a century!

The random hand
From our mum and dad we may genetically inherit the colour of our hair, our height, and even our predisposition to health concerns. Some examples of genetic, or inherited, health concerns include obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.

But don’t panic, many health concerns are due to a combination of our inherited genes and environmental factors, such as having an unbalanced diet, being overweight, exposure to chemicals and having an unhealthy lifestyle. And in most cases genetic diseases can be avoided by up to 70 per cent, if the exposure to known environmental triggers of the condition is avoided.

For example, high blood pressure may be lowered by making lifestyle adjustments, such as eating a high-fibre, low-fat and low-salt diet, being a non-smoker, limiting alcohol consumption and exercising regularly. Keeping fit and following a healthy lifestyle may also help avoid many genetic diseases.

However, due to random occurrences, such as accidents – and sometimes, at developmental stages, genes aren’t switched on properly – not even inherited genes can determine the outcome of your life.

Studies of identical twins have found they can become ill with different diseases and can usually die years apart. So you mustn’t think if one of your parents passes away at a young age, like mine, it will happen to you.

Does osteoporosis run in the family?
One in two women and one in three men over 60 will suffer a fracture because of brittle bones due to osteoporosis. While anyone can get the condition, you have a greater risk if it runs in the family. Preventing osteoporosis starts in childhood and the teen years when you’re in the process of building up bones. But it’s never too late to increase your calcium by eating three servings of low-fat dairy daily, getting a healthy dose of vitamin D and keeping active with weight-bearing exercise, such as lifting weights and walking. 

GENETICALLY LINKED

Was your mum born headfirst or bottom up?
A study of 387,000 births showed babies had double the chance of being a breech, delivered bottom first, if their parents had been. It might have been due to the shape of the mother’s pelvis or that their dad passed on a genetic trait.

Did your mum have pre-eclampsia?
If so, there may be a slight chance you’ll also suffer pre-eclampsia, which is characterised by high blood pressure, sudden swelling of your hands and feet and rapid weight gain in the second half of your pregnancy. However, it’s a complex link. If you do experience this, your baby may have to be induced early.

Is your mum a twin?
Fraternal or non-identical twins run in families. You’re more likely to have twins if you or one of your siblings is a fraternal twin.

Has your mum ever had an eating disorder?
Anorexia nervosa affects one in 200 women and one in 2000 men. Australian studies indicate in many sufferers the condition appears to be inherited – and it’s not just irrational behaviour.

When did your mum start going through menopause?
Women tend to go through menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age around 50. You may go through it about the same age as your mum, but if you go through menopause early, in your 30s or 40s, it’s often caused by an inherited link. Premature menopause is uncommon – less than one per cent of women experience it – but, as a cause, the gene link is very strong.

Does your mum suffer from depression?
One in five people will suffer depression at some stage in their life. There is no doubt life experience and your personality play a part in your disposition, but there’s strong evidence that depression may be inherited. In fact, the genetic risk of you suffering depression if your mum did is 40 per cent, with the remaining 60 per cent due to environmental factors. The genetic link is complicated and you must remember this is only one factor and it’s not absolute. Maintain close social connections, exercise and if you feel really down for more than two weeks, seek advice from your GP.

When did your mum go grey?
The chances are you may start going grey around the same age as your mum, because the genetic inheritance of hair colour is strong. Unfortunately not much can be done about it. Although if you’re concerned you’re going grey, you can always dye your hair!

Does your mum snore?
If your mum snores, and if she’s battling the bulge, there’s a three-fold chance you will be a noisy sleeper as well. The genes for obesity and sleep apnoea, or stopping breathing while you snore, are coupled, and if you know your parents suffer make sure you maintain a healthy weight. This alone might snuffle the snore.