family health history essay examples

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Knowledge of your family health history can help you and your healthcare providers identify patterns of inheritance and risk factors.

Guidance on collecting your family health history information before visiting the doctor.

Healthcare professionals determine whether individuals, other family members, or future generations may be at increased risk of developing particular conditions.

Publications

Modernizing family health history: achievable strategies to reduce implementation gaps . Wildin RS, Messersmith DJ, Houwink EJF. J Community Genet . 2021 Jul;12(3):493-496. doi: 10.1007/s12687-021-00531-6. Epub 2021 May 24. 

Researchers build a statistical model using family health history to improve disease risk assessment May 1, 2019

Reddit AMA: The importance of knowing your family health history November 29, 2017

Promote Family History Awareness

Last updated: November 10, 2021

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• Why is it important to know my family health history?

A family health history is a record of health information about a person and his or her close relatives. A complete record includes information from three generations of relatives, including children, brothers and sisters, parents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandparents, 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 . By noticing patterns of disorders among relatives, healthcare professionals can determine whether an individual, family members, or future generations may be at an increased risk of developing a particular condition.

A family health history can identify people with a higher-than-usual chance of having common disorders, such as heart disease, high blood pressure , stroke, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. These complex disorders are influenced by a combination of genetic factors, environmental conditions, and lifestyle choices. A family history also can provide information about the risk of rarer conditions caused by variants (mutations) in a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease .

While a family health history provides information about the risk of specific health concerns, having relatives with a condition does not mean that an individual will definitely develop that condition. On the other hand, a person with no family history of a disorder may still be at risk of developing the disorder.

Knowing one’s family health history allows a person to take steps to reduce his or her risk. For people at an increased risk of certain cancers, healthcare professionals may recommend more frequent screening (such as mammography or colonoscopy) starting at an earlier age. Healthcare providers may also encourage regular checkups or testing for people with a condition that runs in their family. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as adopting a healthier diet, getting regular exercise, and quitting smoking help many people lower their chances of developing heart disease and other common illnesses.

The easiest way to get information about family health history is to talk to relatives about their health. Have they had any health problems, and when did they occur? A family gathering could be a good time to discuss these issues. Additionally, obtaining medical records and other documents (such as obituaries and death certificates) can help complete a family health history. It is important to keep this information up-to-date and to share it with a healthcare professional regularly.

Topics in the Inheriting Genetic Conditions chapter

• What does it mean if a disorder seems to run in my family?
• What are the different ways a genetic condition can be inherited?
• If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition?
• What are reduced penetrance and variable expressivity?
• What do geneticists mean by anticipation?
• What are genomic imprinting and uniparental disomy?
• Are chromosomal disorders inherited?
• Why are some genetic conditions more common in particular ethnic groups?
• What is heritability?

Other chapters in Help Me Understand Genetics

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Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: The Family Genetic History Essay

Family genetic history form, evaluation of family genetic history, planning for future wellness.

This paper aims at analyzing family genetic history of a family, evaluating the impact of the family history on an adult participant’s health and planning a future wellness change to promote the wellness of the family’s health both now and in the future.

The form below represents an analysis of a family diabetes mellitus type 2 genetic history.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 can be acquired genetically and can be explained through the study of family histories. The table above indicates a situation whereby both paternal grandparents had a health history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension and the maternal grandfather had diabetes mellitus type 2. When both parents have diabetes mellitus type 2, chances of children inheriting the disease are quite. This explains why the participant’s father and one of his brothers were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus 2 and hypertension. A family that is characterized by grandparents and parents having diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension has higher chances of passing it to the next generations.

Family cases that involve both parents having diabetes mellitus type 2, expose the children to a 50 percent risk of inheriting the disease. This case represents itself in the case of the participant’s father who inherited the disease from his parents who had the disease. The age of the onset of the disease parents also matters. In the cases where one of the parents become sick on or before the age of 50, off springs face a high risk of inheriting the condition. The participant is therefore at a high risk of inheriting diabetes mellitus type 2 from his father who became sick before the age of 50.

The environment of the family is also an influencing factor to the disease. This explains why obesity has been replicated in various generations. The family eating environment is characterized by dietary foods that make some members obese hence explaining why the participant has obesity health related issues that have been passed even to the participant’s children.

To promote the wellness of the family now and in the future, diabetes mellitus type 2 is preventable through both natural and medical strategies. Natural methods can be acquired through a change of lifestyle that would encourage the maintenance of age-appropriate body weight through engaging in physical activity. This drives away the obesity condition. The observation of a nutritious diet characterized by low fats, regulated fats and more intakes of water, fluids and fruits is also a natural way of regulating the level of insulin and fat in the body. Medical strategies that include genetic tests at early ages to enable people to learn of their individual vulnerability so as to take necessary precautions can be employed by the participant. This should include the testing of children at early stages of life to know their vulnerability. Lastly, medication at early stages can prevent deaths caused by cardiovascular related disorders. The participant therefore needs to begin medication at an early stage to avoid death related cases as observed in the family history.

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1. IvyPanda . "Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: The Family Genetic History." April 5, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/diabetes-mellitus-type-2-the-family-genetic-history/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: The Family Genetic History." April 5, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/diabetes-mellitus-type-2-the-family-genetic-history/.

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Family Health History

Introduction, hereditary patterns, risk of transmission.

• Feasibility of Using the Surgeon General’s Family History Tool

In the wake of increased chronic illnesses, most of which are hereditary, there is a need to find the right tools to ensure hereditary illnesses are prevented or managed at the very least. The recent past has seen a rise in the advocacy for better tools in detecting hereditary health risks (Welch, Dere & Schiffman, 2015). A family health history portrait is simply a record showing information regarding an individual’s health and that of his or her close relatives. The record often includes information regarding his or her relatives from three generations such as the parents, grandparents, nephews, and nieces, as well as siblings. Family members usually share many aspects including their lifestyles, environment, and even genes. When all these factors are combined, they play a significant role in offering possible clues as to any medical conditions that might be running in the family. Even though the family health history is an approach that is highly undervalued and unexplored, it remains a valuable resource in helping clinicians and families, in general, to identify any likely health risks as well personalization of patient care.

It is imperative to note that with the use of the Surgeon General’s Family History tool, some medical conditions have been made known to exist in various families. In the present case, for instance, through the use of the Surgeon General’s Family History Tool, numerous hereditary patterns were identified from the family history portrait. These comprise of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease. Hypertension is present in my family whereby my parents, siblings, and I are diagnosed with the ailment. Similarly, in the case of type 2 diabetes, both my father and I have it. However, it is important to note that while type 1 diabetes is hereditary, type 2 diabetes may either be genetic or attributed to one’s lifestyle.  The coronary heart disease equally has minimal risks of transmission.

Feasibility of Using the Surgeon General’s Family History Tool

In my practice, there is high feasibility in the use of the Surgeon General’s Family History. The tool will ease my healthcare provision to my patients and families. One challenge in the healthcare service delivery is the difficulty in arriving at the proper diagnosis without undergoing a lengthy process. This is more so due to lack of adequate information on a patient’s family history.

1. Nussbaum, R. L., McInnes, R. R., & Willard, H. F. (2015). Thompson & Thompson Genetics in Medicine E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.

2. Thompson, T., Seo, J., Griffith, J., Baxter, M., James, A., & Kaphingst, K. A. (2015). The context of collecting family health history: examining definitions of family and family communication about health among African American women. Journal of Health Communication, 20(4), 416-423.

3. Welch, B., Dere, W., & Schiffman, J. (2015). Family Health History: The Case for Better Tools. JAMA, 313(17), 1711. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.2417

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Knowing is Not Enough—Act on Your Family Health History

Has your mother or sister had breast cancer? Does your mother, father, sister, or brother have diabetes? Did your mother, father, brother, or sister have colorectal (colon) cancer before age 50? If you answered “yes,” you are more likely to get the same disease as your parent or sibling and should consider earlier screening. Talk to your doctor about when to start screening and what other steps to take to prevent the disease or find it early. Finding disease early can often mean better health in the long run.

Even if you don’t have a parent or sibling with cancer or diabetes, you might be more likely to get a disease if other people in your family have or had the disease. However, having a family health history of a disease doesn’t mean that you will definitely get it. Knowing your family health history risk can help you—if you act on it. Collecting your family health history is an important first step. Whether you know a lot about your family health history or only a little, take time to talk to your family about their health histories. It might not be easy. Your family members might not be used to talking about their diseases or might not want to talk. But starting the conversation is important. Remember, you’re asking not just for your own health, but for the health of everyone in your family.

My Family Health Portrait is a free and easy to use online tool to help you collect your family health history information. You can share your information with your family members and doctor.

How to Collect Your Family Health History

• Talk to your family. Write down the names of your close relatives from both sides of the family: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Talk to these family members about what conditions they have or had, and at what age the conditions were first diagnosed. You might think you know about all of the conditions in your parents or siblings, but you might find out more information if you ask.
• Do you have any chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes, or health conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
• Have you had any other serious diseases, such as cancer or stroke? What type of cancer?
• How old were you when each of these diseases or health conditions was diagnosed? (If your relative doesn’t remember the exact age, knowing the approximate age is still useful.)
• What is your family’s ancestry? From what countries or regions did your ancestors come to the United States?
• What were the causes and ages of death for relatives who have died?
• Record the information and update it whenever you learn new family health history information. My Family Health Portrait , a free web-based tool, is helpful in organizing the information in your family health history. My Family Health Portrait allows you to share this information easily with your doctor and other family members.
• Share family health history information with your doctor and other family members. If you are concerned about diseases that are common in your family, talk with your doctor at your next visit. Even if you don’t know all of your family health history information, share what you do know. Family health history information, even if incomplete, can help your doctor decide which screening tests you need and when those tests should start.

If you have a medical condition, such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, be sure to let your family members know about your diagnosis. If you have had genetic testing done, share your results with your family members. If you are one of the older members of your family, you may know more about diseases and health conditions in your family, especially in relatives who are no longer living. Be sure to share this information with your younger relatives so that you may all benefit from knowing this family health history information.

How to Act on Your Family Health History

Knowing about your family health history of a disease can motivate you to take steps to lower your chances of getting the disease. You can’t change your family health history, but you can change unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, not exercising or being active, and poor eating habits. Talk with your doctor about steps that you can take, including whether you should consider early screening for the disease. If you have a family health history of disease, you may have the most to gain from lifestyle changes and screening tests.

What you can do if you have a family health history of

• Colorectal cancer : If you have a mother, father, sister, brother, or other close family member who had colorectal cancer before age 50 or have multiple close family members with colorectal cancer, talk to your doctor about whether you should have screening starting at a younger age, being done more frequently, and using colonoscopy only instead of other tests. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you have genetic counseling, and a genetic counselor may recommend genetic testing based on your family health history.
• Breast or ovarian cancer : If you have a parent, sibling, or child with breast cancer, talk to your doctor about when you should start mammography screening . If your relative was diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, if you have a close relative with ovarian cancer, or if you have a male relative with breast cancer, your doctor might refer you for cancer genetic counseling to find out if genetic testing is right for you. In some cases, your doctor might recommend taking tamoxifen, raloxifene,  or aromatase inhibitors, drugs that can decrease risk of developing breast cancer in some women.
• Heart disease : If you have a family health history of heart disease, you can take steps to lower your chances of getting heart disease . These steps can include eating a healthy diet, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting your alcohol use, having any screening tests that your doctor recommends, and, in some cases, taking medication. If you or a family member has LDL cholesterol levels over 190 mg/dL (or over 160 mg/dL in children), talk to your doctor about getting checked for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), especially if you have a family health history of early heart disease or heart attacks. If you have FH, you might need to take additional steps  to maintain your health.
• Diabetes : If your mother, father, brother, or sister has type 2 diabetes, you and your other family members could have prediabetes and are more likely to get type 2 diabetes. While most people with type 2 diabetes are older adults, more and more children, teens, and young adults are developing type 2 diabetes. But there are important steps you  and your children can take to prevent type 2 diabetes and reverse prediabetes if you have it. Take this test to find out if you or your family members could have prediabetes. Ask your doctor whether you need earlier screening for diabetes. Find out more about the National Diabetes Prevention Program’s lifestyle change program  and how to find a program near you .  Take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes and learn how to prevent type 2 diabetes .
• Osteoporosis : This is a medical condition where bones become weak and are more likely to break. A family health history of osteoporosis is one of a number of factors that make you more likely to develop osteoporosis. For example, if you are a white woman whose mother or father fractured a hip, talk to your doctor about screening for osteoporosis earlier (at about age 55, compared with age 65 for most women). You can use the FRAX Risk Assessment tool  to learn if you should be screened.
• Hereditary Hemochromatosis : Hereditary hemochromatosis is a disorder in which the body can build up too much iron and can lead to serious liver damage and other problems. If you have a brother or sister with hemochromatosis, you may be more likely to develop the condition yourself. Talk to your doctor about testing for hemochromatosis and whether you should take steps to lower the amount of iron in your body.
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Family Health History Genogram Assessment

Introduction, genogram assessment, risk assessment.

The analysis of family history by health care professionals is discussed as an appropriate way to determine diseases and conditions which are typical of this family. The focus on three generations in one family is appropriate for such an analysis. In order to prepare a genogram diagram and a family health history table for the client’s family, it is necessary to interview the client and learn about conditions from which his relatives suffer from the focus on genetic conditions and diseases which could lead to death. It is also important to follow certain rules while conducting the family health history assessment and asking the client about personal details (Bennett, 2004). The purpose of this case study is to conduct the genogram assessment with reference to the collected data, identify health risks for younger family generations, propose interventions, and determine the benefits of such assessments.

A specific tool proposed by the Surgeon General allows for creating a genogram diagram and a family health history table in order to reflect conditions, including genetic diseases, which “run” in a concrete family. After evaluating the received data, it is possible to conclude that the greatest health risks to the client’s and younger family members’ health care associated with such diseases as osteoporosis for females and hypertension for both females and males (“Core principles,” 2011). In addition, it is also necessary to control cholesterol levels. To recognize these chronic medical conditions which are often associated with genetic factors, it is important to analyze how many family members suffer or suffered from these diseases with the focus on the age of disease onset.

Thus, osteoporosis is observed in three female family members (the maternal grandmother, mother, and maternal aunt). The disease began to progress when the women were aged 50-59 years. While focusing on the causes of osteoporosis as a loss of bone density, it is possible to state that these causes are in the combination of genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, osteoporosis affects females of the same family who live in similar environments. Furthermore, during the determined period, the maternal grandmother and mother also began to suffer from increased cholesterol. Hypertension is observed in four family members, including the paternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, maternal uncle, and father. The disease was diagnosed when the family members were aged 40-49 years. It is possible to state that genetic factors and specifics of a lifestyle can influence the increase in blood pressure. Therefore, in this family, risks of developing hypertension in all members older than 40 years are high because of similar genetic patterns, environments, and followed lifestyles.

To address the identified risks and contribute to preventing the development of symptoms of osteoporosis in female family members and hypertension in all family members, it is necessary to propose two counseling interventions. The first intervention is based on modifying the family’s diet and eating habits. The purpose of this intervention is to decrease the risks of osteoporosis and increased blood pressure and cholesterol. Females in the discussed family tend to suffer from postmenopausal osteoporosis, and the diet for this condition should include products with high levels of calcium and vitamin D (Kanis et al., 2013). Thus, the focus is on consuming milk products, cheese, green vegetables, and salmon. The diet to avoid high blood pressure and cholesterol levels should not include saturated fats. It is important to eat vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and fish. The consumption of alcohol, high-calorie products, caffeine, and salt is not recommended to prevent the development of undesired conditions.

The second intervention is associated with changes in lifestyle habits, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercising. The family members should modify their lifestyles in order to avoid the development of diseases which “run” in their family. The focus is on exercising for females to improve their bones’ mass and density. Each training session should last 30 minutes, and the recommended number of sessions is two-three per week (Kanis et al., 2013). All family members should avoid smoking and alcohol consumption to prevent effects on their bones and changes in blood pressure. The focus is also on self-monitoring with reference to the movements and falls control, the consumption of medications, and monitoring of cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

The assessment of a family health history with the help of the proposed diagram and table is important to identify certain diseases or conditions which are typical of several members in one family. The assessment provides individuals with opportunities to prevent the development of certain conditions with the help of following recommendations developed by health care providers and nurses. The appropriate screening of health conditions is important to identify risks and create a management plan. As a result, it is possible to expect that certain conditions will not develop in other generations because of the actions taken. For this family, the recommendations to follow include changes in their diet with the focus on modifications for females and males, as well as changes in the lifestyles with the focus on exercising, self-monitoring, and quitting unhealthy habits.

Bennett, R. (2004). Is a universal family history tool feasible? The Genetic Family History in Practice, 2 . Web.

Core principles in family history . (2011). Web.

Kanis, J. A., McCloskey, E. V., Johansson, H., Cooper, C., Rizzoli, R., & Reginster, J. Y. (2013). European guidance for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis International , 24 (1), 23-57.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Family History — An Overview Of My Family History

An Overview of My Family History

• Categories: About Myself Family History Who Am I

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Words: 723 |

Updated: 1 December, 2023

Words: 723 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• The Holocaust Encyclopedia. (2022). United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/
• Protestantism. (2023). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protestantism
• Janette Smith's Life Story: A Journey of Faith and Family. (n.d.). Personal memoir.
• Assembly of God. (n.d.). ReligionFacts. Retrieved from https://www.religionfacts.com/assembly-god
• The Woman's Hospital of Texas. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.texaschildrens.org/locations/womans-hospital-texas
• NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster: STS-107. (2023). NASA. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/STS-107.html
• Hurricane Katrina. (n.d.). National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/hurricane-katrina/

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• heart health

How to Talk to Your Family About Their Heart Health History

H ypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is the most common genetic heart disease, affecting about 1 in every 500 people, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In people with HOCM , genetic variants cause the heart’s walls to thicken and stiffen, blocking blood from flowing freely from the left ventricle to the aorta. This, in turn, results in shortness of breath and chest pain (especially during physical activity), abnormal heart rhythms, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting, and can worsen over time.

If a parent has HOCM, offspring have a 50% chance of inheriting it. That means knowing your family’s heart health history is crucial: If your doctor is aware that you have relatives with HOCM, they can “screen family members early on, before they get sick or have any cardiac complications” using EKG and echocardiogram, says Dr. Ali Nsair, co-director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic at UCLA Health.

About 60% of the time, genetic testing can identify a specific change in a gene that causes HOCM. Even if you (or your kids) test negative for the particular genetic variant your parent with HOCM has, you can still be screened every few years with EKGs, echocardiograms, and visits to a cardiologist to make sure complications haven’t popped up, Nsair says.

And it’s not only HOCM that can cluster in families. “A lot of what ails us is in some sense heritable,” says Dr. Daniele Massera, associate director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program at NYU Langone Health. “Whatever affects your family members might directly affect you.” Other heart conditions, like familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and high lipoprotein (a) (proteins and fats that carry cholesterol), can be inherited, and a family history of heart disease that isn’t genetic puts you at higher risk, too.

But no single risk factor—including genetics—is a guarantee that heart disease will develop down the line: “For me, the most important reason to know your family history is prevention,” says Dr. Svati Shah, a member of the American Heart Association’s National Board of Directors and director of the Duke Adult Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic. If you know you have an increased risk for heart disease due to your genes or family history, which you can’t control, you can take heart-healthy steps to improve the lifestyle factors you can control, such as getting plenty of sleep, eating a balanced diet, and staying active, according to the AHA.

To make sure you get access to the testing, treatment, and information on lifestyle changes that can help you avoid or delay inherited heart health complications, it’s important to stay on top of your family’s medical history. Here’s how to have those conversations with honesty and compassion while still getting the potentially life-saving answers you need.

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Start with broad questions

You might open the conversation with a question as simple as “Do you have any kind of heart disease?” or as general as: “Have you ever had any chest pain?” Shah suggests.

If your relative isn’t entirely sure about their diagnosis or past procedures, consider asking if a doctor has ever told them they had any of the following, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis
• Heart attack
• Atrial fibrillation
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Aortic aneurysm

Also ask if they have a pacemaker or have ever had heart bypass surgery. If they’ve given birth, Shah suggests adding: “Did anything happen [to your heart] when you had your babies? Did you get really high blood pressure?” And whenever possible, ask what age they were when they experienced these conditions or complications for the first time, according to the CDC.

The details might get fuzzier as you go back generations. “Often people say [things like], ‘My dad died at 47 from a heart attack,’ but it’s actually that they didn’t wake up from sleep, and it may not have been a heart attack,” Massera says.

Try to get as many details as you can, because those specifics can help your doctor determine the best next steps for you. For example, you might need different testing if your 47-year-old father died of sudden cardiac arrest (when the heart suddenly stops beating) rather than a heart attack (when an artery to the heart is blocked). “To distinguish between the two is really critical: A heart attack is common, but if we identify sudden cardiac death as the real mechanism, then we’re homing in on a more narrow group of conditions that will require testing that you wouldn’t necessarily do if you’re talking about a heart attack,” Massera says.

While heart attacks , strokes, and sudden cardiac death might stand out the most in your relatives’ memories, make sure to ask about heart disease risk factors too, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. “There is a strong predictor among those factors that can lead to heart disease and heart failure,” Massera says.

Talk to three generations on both sides of your family

Ideally, aim to include three generations on both sides of your family in your discussions about heart health: your grandparents, your parents and their siblings, and your siblings.

“Backwards more than three generations, people don’t really know what happened to those relatives,” Shah says. But any information you can collect is still better than nothing, especially if you continue to gather knowledge over time. “[Learn] as much as you can, and it can be over the course of many years that you fill in the details,” she says.

If you or your siblings have children, note any known heart health information about them, too, per the CDC.

These discussions may not go as well if your brother feels interrogated or your mother feels blamed. “These can be really laden conversations,” Shah says. “Especially when you start talking about weight, high cholesterol, blood pressure—people can get sensitive about that.”

If a family member remains standoffish, don’t press: “If that person isn’t ready, it’s OK, circle back to it,” Shah says. Your relatives might feel more comfortable in a group setting. “Sometimes one on one, people ask: ‘Why are you calling me ? Why are you worried about my health? Why aren’t you worried about other people’s health?’” Group conversations have the added benefit of helping to nudge everyone’s memory in the right direction, too. “Sometimes one person remembers one thing, another person remembers another thing, but if you spoke with each one independently, you wouldn’t have made the connection,” Shah says.

These conversations don’t have to be done in person, but face-to-face discussions allow you to pick up on a relative’s body language more easily and change the subject if you can tell they’re uncomfortable.

Record the information somewhere you can access it easily

You can use digital tools like the Surgeon General’s My Family Health Portrait or the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health’s Family History Toolkit to record and store your family’s heart health history.

Don’t feel pressured to use software: Typing notes into your smartphone or jotting them down on paper is fine, too. As long as it’s a system that works for you and you know where the information is, you’ll be less likely to forget any details when you’re actually sitting in front of your doctor.

“I love it when patients come in with a printout,” Massera says. He makes sure to devote plenty of time to walk through all of a patient’s relatives and their relevant health history, but recognizes a typical primary care doctor might not have that luxury. “You can’t do this if you see a patient in five minutes,” he says. If you feel like your doctor isn’t giving you enough time to cover your family history thoroughly, it’s OK to ask for a longer appointment to address your concerns, he adds.

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Report back to your doctor

Simply knowing your family’s heart health history isn’t enough to prevent your own heart issues. Sharing what you’ve learned with your doctor is key to determining the screenings, treatment, or lifestyle changes that might benefit you.

To that end, share “broadly” with your primary care doctor once you’ve asked your family about their heart health, Nsair says. Your doctor will dig deeper into the information that’s most relevant to your individual health, but it’s always better to provide too much than too little.

A history of heart failure, heart rhythm disorders , stroke, and sudden death, especially in relatives younger than 40 or 50, will likely prompt your primary care doctor to refer you to a cardiologist. That person or your primary care doctor can help you identify modifiable risk factors that you can change, such as quitting smoking, adopting a balanced diet, starting an exercise routine, and maintaining a healthy weight.

You won’t have to do this every time you visit the doctor: Once you’ve shared your family heart health history, that information is entered into your medical records, so anyone who is a part of your care team will have access to the same details.

Chat again whenever big changes occur

Your family’s heart health will continue to change over time—after all, many heart issues, including HOCM, are more common in middle age—so it’s hard to say exactly how often to ask your relatives about their heart health.

In general, it’s a good idea to collect more information whenever a family member experiences a major heart-related health issue, like a sudden death, cardiac arrest, or having a defibrillator implanted. “This is not a conversation you need to have every year. But every few years, reassess,” Shah advises.

Remember, these conversations may be challenging, but they’re empowering you with the information you need to live well for longer. “Genetics is not destiny. There’s a saying that genetics loads the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger,” Shah says. “You have control over this.”

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