FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT AND WHAT TO KNOW

There are many reasons it’s important to know your family’s medical history understanding certain conditions could even save your life.

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Genes are the basic physical units of heredity, which is the passing on of traits (physical or mental) from one generation to the next. Genes are responsible for the characteristics we inherit, not just from our parents but also from ancestors further back in the past. You know that family whose members all have really long legs? Or small ears, or even all laugh in a certain way? Those are characteristics that ‘run in the family’ and they are dictated by our genes.

Our family history can also have a big impact on our health and wellbeing. Like genes for high cheekbones or eye colour, major diseases and health conditions can also be passed down from generation to generation. Some hereditary diseases can be picked up by health professionals, but knowing your family’s medical history and being aware of any problems will help them in deciding what steps you can take if certain conditions do feature in your genetic ancestry.

WHAT IS YOUR FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY?
To compile a thorough family medical history, you will need to gather information from three generations of relatives from both sides of the family. This includes your own children and brothers and sisters (if applicable), parents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and grandparents.

The most convenient way of gathering this information is to talk to relatives about their medical histories. Have they had any serious health problems, and when did they first occur? If it is not possible to talk to relatives, medical records and other documents can help to complete a patchy family medical history. Sometimes, personal records such as diaries can provide important clues to the health problems experienced by your relatives.



ENVIRONMENT ALSO MATTERS
Aside from genes, families also share environments and lifestyles. Environmental factors can be important indicators for inherited medical conditions. By noticing patterns of health disorders among relatives, healthcare professionals can determine whether you might be at an increased risk of developing a particular health problem. For example, a child who is genetically inclined to asthma could be at a higher risk in a household where cigarette smoking is allowed.

COMMON HEREDITARY DISEASES
A thorough family medical history can help to identify increased underlying risk for the following health conditions:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Certain forms of cancer
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Autoimmune conditions
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Rarer conditions caused by single-gene mutations, like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease.
• If these conditions appear in your family medical history, you could have an increased risk of developing them. When sharing this information with your health professional, try to provide the clearest possible picture by also sharing the following information:
• How many family members have been affected by the condition(s)
• The degree of closeness to you (parents and siblings are ‘first-degree’ connections; grandparents are ‘second-degree’; cousins are ‘third-degree’)
• The age of onset of these conditions (usually, the earlier the age of onset, the greater the risk of genetic transmission).

Related article: Coping with the big C

DID YOU KNOW?
Haemophilia is a genetic disorder that stops blood from clotting (sufferers are known as ‘bleeders’) that is more common in men than women.



TAKE PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Remember that these health conditions are influenced by a complex combination of genetic factors, environmental conditions, and lifestyle choices. Genes only tell part of the story, so even if you have identified some possible risks in your family’s health history, there are many proactive measures you can take to ‘break the cycle’ of hereditary disease. For instance:

• Don’t smoke if there’s a family history of heart disease, as the links between smoking and heart disease are well documented.
• Cut down on drinking if autoimmune disease features in your family history, as excessive alcohol consumption is linked to autoimmune disease.
• If there’s diabetes in your family, minimise your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
• If your genetic history includes high blood pressure, avoid a high-sodium (very salty) diet.

Related article: 4 Health Checks that Could Save Your Life

BE PROACTIVE
Finally, as well as cutting certain substances or behaviours out of your life completely or cutting down on them, be aware that some underlying risks can be reduced by adding certain foods or specific nutrients to your diet. For example, in a 2010 study, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland found that regular coffee drinking in mid-life can decrease the risk of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in late life by 65%.

So share your concerns with your health professional, and find out if there are active steps you can take to ward off any serious health conditions that might run in your family.

THE BOTTOM LINE
There are some 6 000 hereditary disorders, and 2 000 tests that can establish whether one is at risk. Although we cannot change our genes, we can learn about the impact they could have on our future health and wellbeing, and act accordingly.

Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes, so equip yourself for the journey towards a long, healthy life with the knowledge of your family’s medical history.

 JET CLUB BENEFIT
PERSONAL HEALTH ADVISOR
For free advice on any health concerns you or your family members have, call

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