KNOWING YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH HISTORY IMPORTANT

Health care professionals have known for a long time that common diseases - heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - and even rare diseases - like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia - can run in families. If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, it is not unusual for the next generation to have similarly high blood pressure.

Tracing the illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents, and other blood relatives can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may be at risk and take action to keep you and your family healthy.  The Office of the Surgeon General has developed “ My Family Health Portrait software” which can be installed on your home computer for no charge. 

http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/