"I'd rather be proactive than reactive."

If your name is Hope, you take it to heart. Especially if you’ve got cardiovascular disease in your family.

When Hope was 13, her father had his first heart attack. He died at the age of 58. Hope’s grandfather died at 62. And her uncle passed away at the age of 48 during a family party. “I was dancing with him and then he collapsed right there on the dance floor with a heart attack.”

Now, Hope is an executive associate at Bristol-Myers Squibb. She’s married with two adult children and two grandkids. And, she says, she’s doing everything she can to help her be healthy, including regular checkups, diet and exercise, and medication to help manage her hypertension.

Hope also encourages everyone in her family to be healthy and see their doctor regularly. "I'd rather be proactive than reactive," she says.