Finding out your family health history isn't just useful for creating a family tree – looking at your family's medical history plays a crucial role in predicting your future health. Many diseases and conditions run in families, so examining your family health history with a physician can determine your risk of developing the same diseases and conditions in the future. Some of the diseases that tend to run in families are asthma, heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis, making family health risk assessments a valuable tool in disease prevention.
Are You At Risk Due to Your Family Health History?
Your risk of developing a certain disease is higher if more than one close relative has had it. Doctors also look at the age of family members when they were diagnosed with a disease or condition during family health risk assessments - for example, if your father had coronary heart disease at a young age, you could be at an increased risk of developing heart disease.
“Family history is a crucial part of a comprehensive health assessment, to help the health professionals evaluate what other risks you may have which can not be determined by laboratory testing, physical examination, or other diagnostic tests,” says Dr. Peter House, a physician and HealthChoicesFirst.com partner. “It really looks at what your risk is according to your genetic makeup. We look at the health of your mother, your father, your brothers and sisters predominantly."
Extended Family Health Risk Assessments
“As we go further down the family tree the risk stratification becomes less important, so those members of your family who are considered first generation relatives are really the key to a successful family history. The reason for doing a family history is to try and predict whether or not you may be at risk of these diseases or conditions that have run in your family in the past,” says Dr. House.
If you don't know much about your family health history, it can be useful to talk to your family members to gather information about your 'medical family tree.' For an accurate family health risk assessment, keep this information updated at all times. While your family health history can't tell you for sure whether or not you will get a certain disease, it can assist in predicting your risk of developing it at some point in your lifetime.
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