Family histories can be important diagnostic tools

Our genes determine everything from our eye color to our predisposition for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

We know our genetic makeup is a major factor when it comes to the future of our health, but for most of us, the information locked in our genes remains a mystery. Although modern medicine has the technology to diagnose over twelve hundred genetic diseases, many of these tests are so specialized they are impractical for use by the general population.

So, how do we go about unlocking the key to our genetic past? Through an important genomic tool that most of us have at our fingertips: the family album. In fact, collecting information from our own family history may be one of the best diagnostic tools in our arsenal.

Perhaps Grandma had high blood pressure and died of a stroke at the age of sixty. Maybe a favorite uncle was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of thirty six. Cousin Mary had a child who died of a rare disease. All of this may be pertinent information when it comes to finding an early diagnosis, family planning, or even saving a life.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 96 percent of Americans feel that being familiar with their family's health history is important, yet only a third of us have tried to gather any information. The task may seem daunting, but compiling a comprehensive family history is actually very simple if it's broken down into parts.

Start with the family members closest to you - your parents, siblings, and children. Write down each family member's name and how they are related, then give a quick health synopsis. Include diseases, surgeries, etc., and mental health conditions. Branch out to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., gathering as much health information about each person as you can. If you don't know, ask them or someone else in the family. You can even choose to go further, asking about great-grandparents or other extended relatives, gathering their history and/or cause of death, if known.

After the information is collected, formatting the list is easy. Again, start with the closest family members and then work out toward extended family members, categorizing "disease, surgery, cause of death (if deceased) and other" as you go, being sure to include the approximate age at which the event or diagnosis occurred.

Share your list with your physician at your next appointment. By utilizing the information gathered in a comprehensive family history, we can work with our physician to determine our own personal risk factors, and develop an individualized preventative health plan.

There are numerous ways a comprehensive family health history can come to our aid. For example, the American Cancer Society and most physicians recommend women get a mammogram once a year after the age of forty. But, perhaps in your family tree, several incidents of breast cancer were discovered, forming a noticeable pattern. It might be beneficial for you to start scheduling routine mammograms at an earlier age than that recommended for the general population.

It's important to remember, though there may be a history of a certain disease in your family, that doesn't mean that you are going to get it, or that you won't be surprised by something seemingly unrelated. The information contained in your family history is meant to be a guide to help you and your physician come up with a preventative health and wellness plan that makes sense for you.

Keep in mind that genes are not the only determinant when it comes to our health. Lifestyle still plays an important part in keeping us at our healthiest. The knowledge we acquire through our family's history can develop a lifetime of healthy habits, helping our own branch on the family tree grow healthy and strong!