FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY
Tracing the illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents, and other blood relatives can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may
be at risk and take action to keep you healthy.
Health care professionals have known for a long time that common diseases, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and even rare diseases, like
hemophilia; cystic fibrosis; and sickle cell anemia can run in families. If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, it is not unusual for the
next generation to have similarly high blood pressure.
"The bottom line is that knowing your family history can save your life," said U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona.
We will be spending some time talking about HOW to prevent a variety of diseases. Now it is up to you to decide if you are willing to make the
effort to do so. One aspect of motivation is necessity…do you see it as necessary to change behaviors to prevent diseases. Knowing your family
history can give extra motivation and reason that speaks to necessity.
DIRECTIONS/Part 1: Create the family tree (can be typed or NICELY written) with all of your relatives listed on the family tree. Please include
grandparents, aunts/uncles, parents, cousins, nieces/nephews and yourself.
1) At the top of each side (mother and fathers) write your family heritage…what countries that part of your family came from. This information is
important because some genetic health problems occur more often in specific ethnic groups.
2) Ask your parents about your family history as it relates to the following medical issues:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cancer
Heart Disease
Diabetes
Asthma
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Stroke
Kidney Disease
Alzheimer’s
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Vision & Hearing Loss (i.e. glasses)
Mental Illness
Addictions( i.e. alcoholism )
Birth Defects (i.e. spina bifida, heart defects, etc…_
Part 2: Type up the medical issues that are in your family
1)
For each medical issue include the following:
a. Which side of the family the condition is on
b. How many people have the condition
c. List a minimum of 4 behavior that YOU can start doing today to prevent the development of that condition
PART 3: Parent Signature
1) Have one (or both) of your parent(s) or guardian(s) write, “I have discussed our family health history with ___________ (your name) and now
she/he has a better understanding of which medical conditions have a genetic history in our family.”
2) Have them sign and date the document.
Turn in Family Tree diagram and medical condition write-up with your parent’s signature.