Family Health History

Family Health History

“Family health history is a record of the diseases
and health conditions in your family.
You and your family members share genes”.1

Umbrella

What may the Family Health History Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Family Health History/Portrait
  • Family History
  • Family History of Disease
  • Family Medical History
  • Family Tree for Health
  • Medical Family History/Tree

Family Health History

What is a family health history?

DotS the definition of a family health history may vary. In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Overview the (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) definition is:

“Family health history is a record of the diseases and health conditions in your family. You and your family members share genes. You may also have behaviors in common, such as exercise habits and what you like to eat. You may live in the same area and come into contact with similar things in the environment. Family history includes all of these factors, any of which can affect your health”.2

How

How can I collect my family health history?

In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Collect Your Family Health History the CDC elaborate on:

“You may know a lot about your family health history or only a little. To get the complete picture, use family gatherings as a time to talk about health history. If possible, look at death certificates and family medical records. Collect information about your parents, sisters, brothers, half-sisters, half-brothers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Include information on major medical conditions, causes of death, age at disease diagnosis, age at death, and ethnic background”.3

My Family Health Portrait

Is there a Family Health Portrait tool or format?

Your Country may have a Family Health Portrait similar to the (United States) Surgeon General’s. In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Collect Your Family Health History the CDC explain:

“Be sure to update the information regularly and share what you’ve learned with your family and with your healthcare provider. You can use the Surgeon General’s web-based tool called My Family Health Portrait to keep track of the information”.4

Important or Not

Why is family health history important?

In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Why Family Health History Is Important the CDC explain:

“Most people have a family health history of at least one chronic disease, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. If you have a close family member with a chronic disease, you may be more likely to develop that disease yourself, especially if more than one close relative has (or had) the disease or a family member got the disease at a younger age than usual”.5

Prevention

Is there an association between prevention and family health history?

In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Act on Your Family Health History the CDC note:

“You can’t change your genes, but you can change unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, not exercising or being active, and poor eating habits. If you have a family health history of disease, you may have the most to gain from lifestyle changes and screening tests. In many cases, healthy habits can reduce your risk for diseases that run in your family. Screening tests, such as blood sugar testing, mammograms, and colorectal cancer screening, help find early signs of disease. Finding disease early can often mean better health in the long run”.6

Act

As a result of my family health history, how can I act?

In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Act on Your Family Health History the CDC elaborate on:

Family Health History “How To Act on Your Family Health History

  • Did your mother or sister have breast cancer before age 50? Talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should be referred for genetic counseling and testing
  • Does your mom, dad, sister, or brother have diabetes? Ask your healthcare provider how early you should be screened for diabetes
  • Did your mom, dad, brother, or sister get colorectal (colon) cancer before age 50? Talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should start getting colonoscopies earlier or have them done more often”.7

Health Care Provider

Is it important to share my family health history with my health care provider?

It may be in your best interest to choose to share your family health history with your health care provider.

In Family Health History: About Family Health History – Why Family Health History Is Important the CDC explain:

“Collect your family health history information before visiting your healthcare provider and take it with you. 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 healthcare provider decide which screening tests you need and when those tests should start”.8

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Family Health History?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Family Health History?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Overview. 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  2. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Overview. 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  3. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Collect Your Family Health History. 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  4. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Collect Your Family Health History. 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  5. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Why Is Family Health History Important? 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  6. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Act on Your Family Health History. 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  7. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Act on Your Family Health History. 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
  8. Family Health History: About Family Health History – Why Is Family Health History Important? 24 September 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/family-health-history/about/index.html Accessed: 24 December 2025
Topic Last Updated: 24 December 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 24 December 2025

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