Since 2004, Thanksgiving Day has also been designated National Family Health History Day in the United States. If you’re getting together with extended family for Thanksgiving, it’s a good opportunity to find out more about your family’s health.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), knowing your family’s health history can help your healthcare team provide better care for you. It helps them know which medical tests to suggest for detecting early warning signs of certain diseases. Early testing helps doctors try to prevent a disease or treat it as soon as possible.

Most people have a family health history of at least one chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. If you have a close family member with a chronic disease, you may be more likely to develop that disease yourself, especially if more than one close relative has (or had) the disease or a family member got the disease at a younger age than usual.

According to Genetic Alliance, key aspects of family history that may increase risk are:

• Diseases that occur at an earlier age than expected (10 to 20 years before most people get the disease)

• Disease in more than one close relative

• Disease that does not usually affect a certain gender (for example, breast cancer in a male)

• Certain combinations of diseases within a family (for example, breast and ovarian cancer or heart disease and diabetes)

When gathering your family health history, ask about your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. The Surgeon General’s My Family Health Portrait tool helps you organize the information in one place. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Then you can print your family health history to share with family members or your healthcare provider.

According to the NIH, the online tool is private. It doesn’t keep a record of your data. It’s available only to you for downloading or printing, and you can decide whether to share that printout or downloaded file.

Keep in mind that many factors affect your health, and family medical history is just one of them. Even if your family doesn’t have a history of a certain health problem, you could still be at risk. Be sure to see your healthcare provider for regular wellness visits.

If you are looking for a primary care provider, Aultman Medical Group Primary Care has more than 80 providers ready to take care of you and your family. Many of our offices are accepting new patients – and more than likely, we have a location in your community.

Visit aultman.org/NewDoc to find a provider in your area who is accepting new patients, or call the new patient hotline at 330-433-1264 for assistance with scheduling your appointment.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Genetic Alliance
National Institutes of Health