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Doctors See Younger Face Of Heart Disease

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BUTNER, N.C. — For the Doletskis, photographs are a reminder of their family's history of heart disease. But Rebecca Doletski, 32, said it has only affected the women in her family.

"My mom and my grandmother had heart failure. They both passed away from it," she said.

Doctors said Doletski has had more heart problems than someone twice her age. She was diagnosed with heart failure at age 30 and had a heart transplant in 2001.

"You have your good days and your bad days and some scary moments," said Doletski.

She said the good days outnumber the bad.

"I can do almost anything," she said.

Doletski is walking in the

Triangle Metro American Heart Walk

on Nov. 3. She is the captain of her team and is raising money for the event.

Doletski said she hoped the Heart Walk helps find better ways to treat and prevent heart disease.

She said there is good reason for her concern because her daughter, Patti, may have the same genes that caused her heart failure.

"She's 11 now, but she'll be checked when she's 12, and they'll watch her through her teenage years," said Doletski.

Doletski is one of millions of people affected by heart disease, according to doctors.

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