Mother’s Day: A great time to talk about family health history

Your family’s health history can tell you a lot about your health, and Mother’s Day is a great time to learn more about your loved ones. Knowing your family medical history can help you make important decisions about screening and lifestyle choices. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and certain types of cancer are often inherited.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 5 to 10 percent of all cancers are inherited, which makes the disease a major concern for many. Keep in mind that some risk factors may also run in families. For example, if someone in your family smokes, the link may be a habit and not a gene.

Information treasure

It is important to learn as much as possible about health conditions that affect your family members, even those that go back generations. A detailed family history can provide valuable information to help determine the types of health problems you may have. In fact, many doctors will ask you to compile a medical family tree as part of their medical records.

Knowing your entire family history can give you an idea of ​​your potential risk of developing the disease, says Melanie Korpman, a genetics consultant at The Hospital of Philadelphia. “It is important to know what is going on in your family so that you can do everything you can to protect yourself. ”

Finding out if a family member has a medical condition such as cancer is an important first step. But it’s also important to know the age at which you were diagnosed. “Hereditary cancers are often diagnosed at a very young age,” Koopman said. “I usually tell my patients to watch out for cancers diagnosed before age 50,” Korpman said. “So make sure you know about family members diagnosed with breast and colon cancer at age 50 or younger, and pay special attention to cancers that start earlier than usual. For example, uterine cancer is often found in these women, both in their 60s. of age, but if a woman under that age is diagnosed, I will meet with her and review her family history.”

The power of information

Just because a family member has a disease does not necessarily mean that they will have the disease. The main reason doctors care about your family medical history is that if you know you’re at risk, there are certain things you can do to reduce your risk and/or prevent many inherited cancers that have a genetic component. If these diseases are caught early, you may have more treatment options, including several types of cancer, likely if you have the necessary knowledge about your family history. Your doctor may use medical information from your family tree to recommend the type and frequency of screening tests and to decide whether you or your family should have specific genetic tests.

One way to get the information you need is to discuss your medical history with your family. Mother’s Day can provide a personal and relaxing environment to do so. American surgeons have created a computerized tool called My Family Health Profile that can help you start asking for valuable information about your family’s health patterns.