Families share more than just traditions and memories. They also share genes. That’s why talking about your family’s health history can be an important way to keep you and your loved ones healthier. Having these conversations is not always easy, however. A relative may not want everyone to know about their illness or you might not want to worry your kids about health risks that could affect you or them in the future. But keeping information about your family’s health a secret can make it harder to prevent, catch or treat serious health issues in the future.

What Your Family Health History Includes

Each family’s health history includes details about medical conditions that affect blood relatives, including parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even cousins. From heart disease and cancer to mental health conditions and genetic disorders, it’s helpful to know this information because it can help to keep you healthier. Just because certain illnesses run in your family doesn’t mean you’ll get them, but it may raise your risk. And the earlier you know about those risks, the more you can do to stay healthier.

If you don’t already have information about your family’s health history compiled, start by writing down the health conditions of relatives that you know about, along with their age at diagnosis and, if applicable, age at death and cause. You can also contact other family members to ask for more information and share the information you have, explaining why you’re asking and how the information can benefit everyone in the family. Keep the information in a safe place and bring it to doctor appointments so it can be added to your medical records.

Why It Matters for You

Doctors use your family health history to understand your risk for certain diseases. For example, if your mom had breast cancer before age 50, your doctor may recommend you start mammograms earlier. If diabetes runs on both sides of your family, you may need to check your blood sugar more often. Being honest and detailed with your doctor about your family’s health history helps them make the best decisions for your care. It can guide what tests you get (and when you should get them), what treatments might work best and how often you should follow up.

Why It Matters for Your Family

If you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition or carry a gene that increases the risk of a disease, it’s also important to share your health details with your children and other relatives. That way, they can talk to their own doctors and get screened or take steps to stay healthy. You don’t need to scare children with too many details if they’re young, but there are age-appropriate ways to share information with kids that can help them grow up with a better understanding of how to manage any potential health risks.

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