Family health history can and should be
empowering.
October 21, 2017
Q: Every time I go to the doctor, I am asked about my relatives’
diseases. I even see advertisements on TV about getting my genes tested to know
my family history. Why does family history matter so much?
A: Doctors repeatedly ask about your family
history because your family members (especially living brothers and sisters)
might have developed new problems since you last saw the doctor. Or you might
have remembered other conditions you didn’t tell us about. We sometimes also
ask about your spouse because your spouse lives with you and thus shares the
same environmental exposures.
Knowing that three of your ancestors had
diabetes or that your grandmother had breast cancer at an early age could help
you and your children live longer,
healthier lives. When you know what you are most likely to get, you
can tailor preventive care for conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and
cancers of the breast, colon and prostate.
How to paint a family portrait
Start by downloading the family history form
on the Surgeon General’s My Family Health
Portrait website. Add your spouse first, then move on to biological
family.
You don’t have to go further back than your
grandparents. You might recall the genetic Mendel grid from biology class and
and how a fruit fly’s ability to pass his tiny wings to his great-grandson was
so genetically diluted, it was practically nil. There are some exceptions,
though: Include great-grandparents and any other distant forebear if they had a
disease or condition that is especially rare and deadly, or acquired before age
35.
Begin filling out the template with the info
you know offhand. You want to record each relative’s birth date and (if
applicable) death date, the jobs they performed, and any diseases they had that
might have a genetic link. Your doctor can clarify this if you aren’t certain
about the disease or if it was never diagnosed. Just list the symptoms the
person had.
Like most people, you’ll need to do some
investigating.
If you hail from a family of 14 children or
have more aunts than you can count, just remember to keep your radar sharp for
three factors: serious illness, death before age 60 and potentially fatal
conditions. At a bare minimum, you need to know why your parents and
grandparents died. A great place to gather this information is at a family
reunion or get-together.
Once you have a good family history in place, don’t keep it to
yourself.
Talk to your health care team about it. It is
a springboard for discussions about you and your family members’ health.
Decades ago, you couldn’t do much about your family health history but wring
your hands and worry. Now, because of research, you can take action. Genetic counselors and
genetic physicians can evaluate you for risks, diagnose diseases early and seek
appropriate treatment or preventive measures. Family health history can and
should be empowering.
No comments:
Post a Comment