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Like Mother, Like Daughter Brown eyes and good teeth aren’t the only things passed on through your DNA. Creating a family health tree is the best way to know what risks lie in your genes 
When you think about the legacy you’re leaving your kids – or your parents are leaving to you – your thoughts probably turn to the family business that sports your name, that sterling tea service or perhaps an aptitude for joke telling that makes you the star of every family reunion. But what about your health legacy, that combination of genetics and acquired habits (good or bad) that can predict or dictate current and future health concerns? “You cannot change your genetic heritage. You can shape your lifestyle choices that can decrease the risk of illness. Knowing your family history is critical,” says Vicki Rackner, M.D., an author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Heart Disease” (HCI, 2005). Unfortunately, most people don’t think about collecting or giving a detailed family history until serious illness prompts a panicked phone call. That means many of those forms completed while at the doctor’s office are filled with blanks and half-attempts at answers. Yes, something is better than nothing. But experts say accurately and completely documenting your medical family tree can be a valuable tool for helping your children and grandchildren prevent and treat disease. The average doctor’s visit lasts just seven minutes, says Marie Savard, M.D., author of a workbook, “The Savard Health Record.” Because of that, few patients get the 20 minutes needed for their physician to take a detailed family history. That means they need to do it themselves. “I think of a family history tree almost as a gift that you can give to every member of the family,” she says. “You can make copies for all your doctors.” Do sweat the small stuff Getting started is easy. Just like you did in fourth grade when you had to complete a family tree for homework, start with the most senior members of your family. Talk to parents and grandparents about what they remember about their medical history, childhood illnesses and other experiences. History on family members who are no longer living may be gleaned from talking to other relatives and looking through baby books, adoption and immunization records, family Bibles and letters. You can use a premade form, or make your own. Start by listing all family members from oldest to youngest. Enter names and dates of birth when known. With each relative, try to list as many aspects of a medical history as possible and be specific. Do not just write “cancer,” if you know more. The kind of cancer and the age the relative was when that cancer was diagnosed can help your doctor determine how much a risk factor that particular cancer is for you. Christina Zaleski M.S., a certified genetics counselor at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wis., cautions that you be as thorough as possible on both sides of the family, regardless of gender. Your father can’t get ovarian cancer but that doesn’t mean you can’t inherit the risk from your father’s side of the family. Of course, genetics is not the only factor that can cause disease. Occupational history, socioeconomic status, eating and exercise habits also play a part. Note whether a relative smoked, was under- or overweight, suffered from alcoholism or wore glasses. Body shape can be an indicator of heart disease risk for women. If that information is available for your female relatives, include it. Once you’ve completed the research, don’t just file it away in a drawer for a rainy day. Make copies. Give copies to your kids and grandkids. Make copies of it for the specialists you see. It is important for your cardiologist to know about health risks not directly related to your heart. Those copies will also cut down on the forms you must complete when you see a new doctor. No matter what your tree reveals Zaleski reminds her patients to keep perspective: “We all have a family history of something.” To learn more on collecting a family medical tree, go to the National Society of Genetic Counselors Web site, www.nsgc.org. For information on which diseases have a strong genetic component, go to www.geneticalliance.org. |
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