As families gather this time of year, it’s the perfect time to talk about something that can shape everyone’s future health: your family’s medical history. National Family Health History Day falls on Thanksgiving for a reason—it reminds us that understanding what runs in our families can help us take proactive steps today. From heart disease to diabetes to certain cancers, many conditions have genetic or shared lifestyle components. Knowing your family’s medical history gives your healthcare team a clearer picture of your personal risk and can lead to earlier screenings, more informed lifestyle choices and better long-term health for you and the people you love.
What Is Family Health History?
Your family health history is a roadmap of the medical conditions that have affected your parents, siblings, grandparents and even extended family. It includes chronic issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancers and genetic disorders. While you can’t change your genetics, understanding them gives you an advantage—it helps you and your provider identify potential risks sooner, plan appropriate screenings and make informed choices to support lifelong health.
What to Look For
When gathering your family history, it is important to get the whole picture. Focus on conditions that often run in families, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, autoimmune disorders and high blood pressure. Find out what conditions run in your family, but also pay attention to other details like the age of diagnosis, cause of death and lifestyle factors (such as smoking, diet or activity level) that may have played a role. For example, a parent diagnosed with heart disease in their 40s could indicate a higher risk. Even small details can offer valuable context for your healthcare provider.
How to Gather and Share Your Family Health History
Start by talking to relatives on both sides of the family, and prepare a few key questions ahead of time. Take notes to stay organized, or use digital tools designed to help you securely record, and share this information with your healthcare provider. Once you collect the information, schedule an appointment to review your findings. Your provider can add this information to your medical chart, tailor screening recommendations, watch for early warning signs and suggest ways to lower your risk. Remember that family history is always changing—update it whenever new information arises.
This Thanksgiving, take a few moments to ask meaningful questions about your family’s health history. Your healthcare provider can help you interpret the information and create a proactive plan. Consider making this a yearly tradition—each holiday, update your family health history and share it with loved ones. This small effort can make a big difference in keeping you and your family healthier for years to come. From all of us at Southwoods Health, we wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!