Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Let’s bring up family health history during the holidays

Rebecca Sutphen, MD
Conditions
December 8, 2013
Share
Tweet
Share

As we plan for holidays with family and friends, many are reminded to avoid religion and politics as topics of conversation, and while it may be advisable to skip these, there is another potentially uncomfortable topic that I urge everyone to bring up: family health history. Though it may not seem palatable to discuss diabetes and heart disease over servings of pumpkin pie, these conversations can be critical in helping relatives make better-informed decisions about their healthcare and lifestyle choices.

While many associate family health history with reproductive health or cancer, the field of genetics has evolved into an integral aspect of many medical specialties. Genetic counseling services have grown most rapidly in the areas of cancer and cardiac disease, where identifying hereditary risks empowers patients to take steps to catch disease at earlier, potentially more treatable stages, or prevent it altogether. But genetics is also relevant to neurological, psychiatric, and ocular diseases, as well as a long list of inherited conditions. Over the past 20 years, we have seen an exponential increase of available genetic tests. In the early 1990s there were less than 300 tests, and by the end of 2012 there were nearly 3,000 genetic tests available to the public.

Professional genetic counselors provide the essential services of determining who is a candidate for genetic testing, which tests are appropriate, and what steps should be taken once test results are known. Counselors rely as much as possible on accurate health history provided by their patients, which makes these sometimes difficult family conversations necessary. The holidays present an excellent opportunity to explain to relatives that sharing health information can potentially lead to better medical outcomes for all.

There will likely be challenges, as learning about hereditary risks can cause anxiety, and older generations especially may prefer avoiding these discussions. But for those who persevere and are successful, the benefits can be life-changing.

Ideally genetics involves studying the entire family picture. This includes parents, siblings, and even children (first-degree relatives); aunts, uncles, grandparents, and half-siblings (second-degree relatives); and cousins, great aunts and uncles, great-grandparents (third-degree relatives). Some of this may not be attainable, of course. I advise people to do the best they can, because an incomplete health history is preferable to no health history.

As far as what questions to ask, it is helpful to know about any major or chronic health conditions, the treatment, and outcome. Note which relative had or has the condition, the age at diagnosis, any others in the family who had the same, and what the outcome was. For deceased relatives, ask how old they were when they died, as well as cause of death. It may seem simple, but I also advise asking relatives about ethnicity and country of origin, because that isn’t always well understood, and some hereditary conditions are more common among some groups. Lastly, information about healthy relatives can be an important factor in the genetic risk assessment process, so talk with relatives who have not had major medical conditions.

We look forward to the holidays as a time of happiness, and using time with family constructively for the benefit of all can lead to happier, healthier lives.

Rebecca Sutphen is president and chief medical officer, InformedDNA.

Prev

Speakers need to explicitly state financial relationships

December 8, 2013 Kevin 15
…
Next

Doctors might not really have a grasp on the art of diagnosis

December 8, 2013 Kevin 63
…

Tagged as: Genetics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Speakers need to explicitly state financial relationships
Next Post >
Doctors might not really have a grasp on the art of diagnosis

ADVERTISEMENT

More in Conditions

  • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

    Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD
  • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

    Kristen Cline, BSN, RN
  • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

    Michael Karch, MD
  • Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails

    Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD
  • How oral health silently affects your heart, brain, and body

    Charles Reinertsen, DMD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Let’s bring up family health history during the holidays
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...