How a man’s family medical impacts his health

One of the strongest influences on understanding your risk for health conditions is knowing your family healthy history.  What health conditions or diseases did your grandparents or parents develop over the years? Is there a pattern to certain conditions seeming to “run” in the family?  While 96 percent of Americans believe knowing their family health history is important, only one third have actually gathered information on it, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Genealogy has become a popular hobby for many over the past several years.  When we take a look back tracing our family lineage and history, you never know what surprises you may find.  One of those eye-opening surprises may lie in the medical history of our ancestors.

Documenting our family ancestry is far more than just writing down who married who, birth dates and how many children were born.  Family ancestry also means finding out what diseases or illnesses past family members have either contracted or died from.

Men need to pay close attention to their families’ medical history as this is a record of health information among the people closest to them sharing the same genes, environment, and lifestyle.  Many a man has gone to the doctor and when asked about their family health history, he may have no idea what grandma or grandpa passed away from that could provide valuable information regarding his health.  It is critical to have at the very least a working knowledge of his family medical history as many hereditary diseases are passed down through the genes we share.

When we are educated about our past, this helps create a healthier future.  All men should be informed on his family medical history on both sides of his family – his parents, siblings, maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews.

Here is some of the information all men should be able to provide their doctor:

·      The current age of at least first degree relatives – parents, grandparents, and siblings.

·      All medical conditions including mental health and the age at the time of a diagnosis of a disease or illness of each family member.

·      Age and causes of death of deceased family members.

·      Pay close attention to diseases or conditions such as skin, prostate or colon cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, obesity, asthma and autoimmune diseases in family members.

·      A sudden death of a family member who appeared healthy.

Some men may not want to be aware of all the various health conditions that may run in their family.  But when a man has this information, he should realize that many diseases have risk factors that can be changed.  If a man knows early on what diseases or medical conditions are common in his family tree, he can take steps to reduce his risk or at least lessen the severity of a disease. 

Here are some ways a man can reduce his chances of developing a disease or medical condition that past family members had:

·      Regular medical screenings to detect a disease at an early stage such as a colonoscopy, PSA test, skin check, or getting tested for a medical condition that runs in his family.

·      Develop a personalized prevention plan by adopting lifestyle changes of eating a healthier diet, regular exercise and not smoking.

·      Keeping an accurate and up-to-date medical record of all diseases or illnesses within the family and what each family member died from.

When a man begins digging into his family medical history, it will empower him to take better care of himself so he can avoid going down the same path.  When he realizes he shares with his family members not only the same genes but also behaviors and culture, he will also understand his risk of developing health problems.  With this knowledge, a man can work with his doctor on better predicting possible health risks he may face and then take preventative action to stay healthy.