Why knowing your family health history is important
You’ve heard it all your life. You have your mom’s eyes and your dad’s smile. But you might also have grandpa’s heart disease. Your genetics play a major role in your health and can predispose you to many genetic diseases and health conditions. Having comprehensive knowledge of your family health history is key to getting the preventive care you need to stay healthy.
What is your family health history
Your family health history is a record of health conditions and genetic diseases that exist in your family. These include physical and mental health conditions like:
- Diabetes
- Dementia
- Breast, colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancer
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Asthma
- Bipolar disorder
- Heart disease
- Blood clots
- Arthritis
- Kidney disease
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Who should be included in your family health history
There are three degrees — or levels — of family members you’ll need to include in your family health history.
First-degree family members
- Your biological parents
- Siblings with the same biological parents as you
- Biological children
Second-degree family members
- Half-siblings (siblings who share one biological parent with you)
- Grandparents
- Aunts and uncles (your parent’s biological siblings)
- Nieces and nephews
- Grandchildren
Third-degree family members
- Great-aunts and uncles
- First cousins
- Great-grandchildren
- Great-grandparents
- Half-aunts and uncles
While the health histories of your first- and second-degree relatives are the most important to know, your third-degree relatives’ family histories can still provide valuable information.
Including step or adoptive relatives
Because step and adoptive family members aren’t biologically related to you, you don’t need to include them in your family health history.
Find a primary care provider near you
Having a trusted primary care provider can help you use what you know about your family health history and make sure you’re getting the right preventive care. Log in to myWellmark® to find an in-network PCP near you.
Why is knowing your family health history important?
Some diseases and health conditions can be passed genetically. So, if a parent or another close relative has a genetic disease or condition, you are also at a higher risk of developing that disease or condition. Certain ethnic groups or individuals with certain ancestries have a higher risk for developing specific diseases and conditions.
Knowing which family members have what genetic diseases and health conditions, as well as when they developed, helps your primary care provider (PCP) get a better picture of your health risk. Sharing your own health history with family members helps them get the preventive care they need.
When you see your PCP, they will use your family health history to determine what preventive screenings you need and when to start them. Your PCP may also recommend ways you can prevent these conditions through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, if applicable.
What questions to ask your family
Here are questions you need to ask when gathering your family health history:
- How old are you?
- What is your ethnicity?
- Do you currently have or have you had any chronic medical conditions?
- How old were you when you were diagnosed with that condition?
- Are you currently treating your condition? How?
- Have you ever been diagnosed with a serious disease like cancer, heart disease or diabetes?
- If you’ve had cancer, what type of cancer did you have and at what age were you diagnosed?
- What countries did our relatives come from?
- How did our relatives die?
- How old were our relatives when they died?
Other ways to learn about your family health history
It can be hard to put together your family health history if you’re adopted, estranged from family or have family members who have died. Luckily, there are still ways you can learn about your family’s health history.
Request death certificates
Most states will release a copy of someone’s death certificate for a fee. These often include their cause of death and when they died.
Reach out to adoption agencies about anonymized medical records
Some adoption agencies collect medical information from birth parents. You may be able to access these documents to learn more about your family health history. These documents will have details like names and addresses removed to protect the privacy of the birth parents.
Explore genetic testing
Genetic tests use DNA to detect genetic diseases or predict your risk for certain conditions and cancers. Talk to your doctor before seeking out any testing, as they may have other ways to learn more about your genetic history. Your doctor may also recommend seeing a genetic counselor who can help decide if genetic testing is right for you. If testing is recommended, make sure to review your coverage documents to see if genetic testing is covered by your plan.
Staying on top of your preventive care
When your PCP knows your family health history, they know how to approach your preventive care. Seeing your primary care provider for annual checkups and preventive screenings could save your life, as most diseases are easier and less costly to treat when found early.
Talk to your PCP today about gathering your family health history and what information they need to know to provide you with the best care.
Looking for a new primary care provider? Log in to myWellmark to find an in-network PCP near you.