Have you ever wondered why doctors often ask about your family’s health history during check-ups?

It’s because your health isn’t just limited to you — it’s shaped by your parents, siblings, and extended family members.

Many health conditions run in families, so when you know what runs in yours, you can seek out proper prevention, treatment, and take the best steps to keep yourself healthy.

Studies show that people who are aware of their family’s health history are more likely to take steps to manage their health.

If you want to optimize your health – and ensure the health of your family — for years to come, you have to go beyond yourself: you have to consider your family health history.

Read on to learn more about family health history and how to start gather your own:
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What is a Family Health History?

A family health history is a record of the medical conditions that have affected your family across generations.

This not only includes immediate relatives — like parents and siblings — but also extended family members, like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Families have similar genetic backgrounds and often similar environments and lifestyles. Together, these factors can give clues to conditions that may run in a family.

This includes common disorders, like heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes.

A family history can also provide information about the risk of rarer conditions caused by genetic mutations, like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease.

When you know your risk, you can take steps to reduce it.

You can also work with your healthcare providers, including your physician and pharmacist, to take preventive measures and seek out treatment plans, if you should need them.
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Why You Should Know Your Family Health History

When you know your family health history, you can improve your own health — and the health of your family. Some benefits include:

• Early detection: With a family health history, you can identify your predispositions to different conditions. This can enable you to undergo tests and screenings, leading to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.
• Preventive measures: Knowing your family health history can give you the motivation you need to make lifestyle changes, like eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding smoking.
• Personalized treatment plans: With your family health history in hand, healthcare providers are better able to create personalized treatment plans — based on your unique health risks.
• Medication management: Knowledge of family health history can guide physicians and pharmacists in prescribing the right medications, increasing their effectiveness and reducing the risk of adverse reactions.
• Family planning: For those planning to start a family, knowing certain risks — like genetic mutations — can help in making informed decisions about reproductive health.
• Increased awareness: Finally, when you share your family health history with others, you can raise awareness among family members about potential health risks.
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What to Include in Your Family Health History

A family history is a detailed account. In its most basic form, it should include:

• First-, 2nd- and 3rd-degree relatives
• Age for all relatives (age at time of death for the deceased)
• Ethnicity (some genetic diseases are more common in certain ethnic groups)
• Presence of chronic diseases
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How to Gather Your Family Health History

Start with Immediate Family

• Talk to parents and siblings: Begin by talking with your parents and siblings. Ask them about any known health conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations, and the age at which they occurred.
• Include grandparents: Afterwards, reach out to your grandparents — or ask your parents — about any known health conditions.
• Document relationships: As you talk to relatives, make sure to note how each person is related to you (e.g., maternal or paternal side).

Ask for the Right Information

• Specific conditions: Ask about specific medical conditions that may be cause for concern — like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and mental health issues.
• Age of onset: Ask about the age at which family members were diagnosed with these conditions. This can determine your risk and help you decide when to start screenings or taking preventive measures.
• Lifestyle factors: Get information on lifestyle factors that might influence health, like smoking, alcohol use, diet, and exercise habits.
• Causes of death: If it’s applicable, find out the causes of death for deceased family members and at what age they passed away.

Use Your Resources

• Medical records: If possible, gather medical records or ask family members for permission to access their records for more accurate information.
• Family history PDF: Use online resources to your advantage. The American Medical Association (AMA) offers a printable Family History Form, which you can use to write your family history by hand.
• Online platforms: Consider using other online platforms and apps designed for tracking family health histories. The AMA offers a platform called My Family Health Portrait, where you can track your history digitally. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NGRI) also offers a tool that allows you to share health information with relatives, called Families Sharing Health Assessment and Risk Evaluation (Families SHARE).

Update Your History Regularly

• Regular updates: Family health history is not static. Regularly update your records as new information becomes available, like new diagnoses or health changes in your family.
• Backup data: After you make your family health history, make sure you back it up both physically and digitally. This prevents data loss and ensures your records stay with you over time.

Conclusion

Knowing your family health history is key to keeping good health.

By taking the time to talk with family members, ask the right questions, and gather the right information, you can create a comprehensive family health history.

This enables you to know your risks for different conditions and act accordingly.

You can make lifestyle changes, get applicable tests and screenings, and work with your healthcare providers to create the right treatment plans for you.

Knowledge is power — and there’s no knowledge that matters more than that of your health.

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