Page 3 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - December 2018 - 25-12

Senior Times - December 2018
Page 3
DISCUSS FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY THIS HOLIDAY
By: Sherii Sherban, Publisher
The more you know about your family’s health history the better prepared you will be to manage your own health well into your wise years. Much of what you experience as you age has a lot to do with the choices you made in your earlier years. However, genes have a role to play in the picture as well.
It is such a joy to see that relatives share brown eyes or curly hair. Some share the same smile while others the same gait when they walk. Chronic ill- nesses and other health problems also tend to run in families. Because of this, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encour- aging potentially lifesaving conversations this holiday.
“If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, it is not unusual for the next generation to have similarly high blood pressure,” said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive.
Family health history is a medical history about a person’s living and deceased relatives and should include background about a person’s ethnicity. Using this information, health care pro- viders can evaluate the risks for many disorders and chronic adult onset conditions like hereditary breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers.
Common diseases such as heart disease, diabe- tes, and even some cancers can run in families. In Michigan, approximately one in 10 women has a significant family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Family members share genes, environment, lifestyles, and behaviors, the combination of which can determine the risk of common diseases.
Take time to learn your family's health history and then be sure to share this information with your health care provider. Based on your family health history, your health care provider will be able to evaluate potential health risks and recommend appropriate screening or treatment.
Begin the conversation discussing both the health
and the chronic conditions of family members as well as longevity. Start to record what you learn. If possible try to go back at least three generations. Be sure to share with your health care providers as well as family.
Things to look for as you start the conversation. Red flags to look for include:
• Cancer in two or more family members.
• Heart attacks before the age of 55 for men or 65
for women.
• Sudden unexplained death under the age of 40.
• Other chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, or osteoporosis.
• Dementia that is recognized before the age of 65.
Other important information:
• Ancestry (different ethnic groups have an increased risk of certain diseases).
• Age a family member was diagnosed with a condition.
• Age and cause of death.
• Number of family members affected by the same
conditions.
The Surgeon General’s My Family Health Portrait tool can help individuals organize, print, and share family history information. You can start creating your family health history at: https://phgkb.cdc.gov/ FHH/html/fhh.html?action=create.
Using My Family Health Portrait you can:
• Enter your family health history.
• Learn about your risk for conditions that can run in
families.
• Print your family health history to share with fami- ly or your health care provider
• Save your family health history so you can update it over time.
Cancer is such a common disease that it is no surprise that many families have at least a few mem- bers who have had cancer. Sometimes, certain types of cancer seem to run in families. But only a small portion of all cancers are inherited. In fact, most cancers are not clearly linked to the genes we inherit from our parents. According to the American Cancer Society gene changes that start in a single cell over the course of a person's life cause most cancers.
The American Cancer Society’s genetics and cancer website can be found at https://www.cancer. org/cancer/cancer-causes/genetics.html. This site will help you to learn more about the complex links between genes and cancer as well as the cancers of concern to you. The cancer helpline is available 24-7 at 1-800-227-2345.
A variety of materials and tools are available online to help you ask the right questions and collect information about your family’s health.
For more information visit: • U.S. Surgeon General
Family History Form
www.hhs.gov/familyhistory
• Michigan’s Genetics Resource Center
www.MIGeneticsConnection.org 1-866-852-1247
Email: genetics@michigan.gov
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/genomics.public.htm
• Genetic Alliance www.geneticalliance.org
Family members share genes, environment, lifestyles, and behaviors, the combination of which can determine the risk of common diseases.
Talking with your health care provider about your family health history can help you stay healthy!
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