Know Your Family's Health History

Knowing your family's health history can help you preserve your own health, say medical experts. Creating a family health history can make you aware of shared risks for diseases or health conditions. Being aware of a family history of heart disease, cancer, diabetes or other chronic conditions can allow you to take preventive measures to lower your personal risk.

"Having a conversation about your family health history may help ensure a longer, healthier future together," said Acting U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Steven Galson. "By sharing information, loves ones can help each other learn about diseases for which they may be at risk, and take steps which may reduce their vulnerability to them."

Family health history is a powerful screening technique. It can pinpoint possible genetically inherited health risks. While more than 90% of Americans believe that sharing family health history is important, only one-third have actually attempted to gather and record their family's health information. The Surgeon General has created a free computer tool to help families create a health history. To access My Family Health Portrait, click here.

The website takes you through a series of easy steps that help you organize and report your family history. You can save the report to your personal computer, print it and share it with other family members. You can add to and revise the information as necessary. I recently created a family health history for my children. I urge everyone to create a family health history and share it with your family members.