My Family Health History

This project is funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

This information is to be used for educational and informational purposes only. This information does not represent advice regarding medical diagnosis or treatment, referrals to health care professionals, endorsements of health care products or any other recommendations. This information should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor or other qualified health care professional.

Funded by:Illinois Department of Public Health

If you would like additional information, please contact:

Illinois Department of Public Health Genetics Program535 W. Jefferson St., 2nd Floor, Springfield, IL 62761

Phone: 217-785-8101 • Fax: 217-557-5396TTY (hearing impaired use only): 800-547-0466

dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/life-stages-populations/genomics

Or visit:easylearngenetics.wordpress.com

Educational materials provided by:

Norton & Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics30 S. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60606

Phone: 312-357-4718 • Email: jewishgeneticsctr@juf.org

jewishgenetics.orgThe Norton & Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics

is a support foundation of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago.

Why It’s ImportantThe National Office of Public Health Genomics found that 96% of Americans believe that knowing their family health history is important, but only 30% have tried to organize their family health history information. Knowing about aspects of your family’s health, as well as any genetic predispositions you may have, can help you make the best medical and lifestyle choices.

Getting StartedUse these tips for starting the conversation with your family.

• Try to record as much information as possible: sex, age, ethnicity, race, chronic or long-term conditions, age of diagnosis, treatments received and age and cause of death. If possible, include lifestyle information such as diet, occupation and use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

• Keep information from both sides of your family: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. The Family Health History Record Keeper can help centralize this information.

Knowing your family health history can help you identify risks for heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and other chronic conditions and genetic disorders. To learn more about these conditions and others, as well as the difference and importance of familial and hereditary risk, visit easylearngenetics.wordpress.com.

The Time Is NowPrecision medicine is continuing to emerge as an effective, personalized approach to promoting health and treating specific diseases that take into account all aspects of an individual’s family health history. New tools, knowledge and outreach are helping patients develop a treatment plan that works best for them. Knowing your family health history allows you, with the help of your healthcare provider, to implement a precision medical plan that fits your needs.

Your Healthcare Provider Can Help• A proactive plan can be developed using your current health and family

health history to figure out your risk for getting a disease.

• Genetic tests can detect if you have a gene change that increases your risk for disease. They can also alert you to a gene change that you might pass on to your children.

• Your healthcare provider can explain the results of your tests, inform you of other family members’ risk for diseases and help you better understand any lifestyle changes that could improve your health.

Are you pregnant or considering becoming pregnant?Be sure to start prenatal care early in your pregnancy and keep your follow up appointments! Your healthcare provider should ask for an accurate family health history which includes any medical conditions you, your partner and everyone in both your families have had that might affect you or your baby. If your provider does not ask, offer this information. He or she may recommend talking with a genetic counselor if your family has a health condition that may be passed down to your child. For more information on the importance of prenatal care, check out This Is Not Your Mother’s Pregnancy.

Download This Is Not Your Mother’s Pregnancy at easylearngenetics.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/not-yr-mothers-pregnancy-1.pdf

Download the Family Health History Record Keeper at easylearngenetics.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dna-day-record-keeper_gs.pdf