Proactive

Who hasn’t wondered about their health? Am I exercising enough? Is a vegetarian diet really better for me? What’s the maximum number of midnight snacks I can sneak into my diet? In questioning your own health, it is important to consider how the health of your relatives may impact it. Does my mom’s diagnosis of breast cancer increase my own risk for cancer? Could I have inherited my dad’s risk for high blood pressure? What was it that Aunt Sally’s granddaughter had? Knowing more about your family health history can empower you to take better control of your own health, and the health of those you love. This is a guide to putting together the family pieces of your own health puzzle. We will cover the following: Which members of my family do I talk to? What conditions do I ask about? How will my health care provider use this information? What if I don’t have access to my family health history?   Who do I talk to in my family? To start, defining “what is family health history” is important. A family health history is a record of health information about a person and close relatives. Who is a…

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in April of 2003, researchers have been making major headway in better understanding the role of genetics and genomics in medicine. Applications of genomic information have led to:  An increased knowledge of diseases like cancer and heart disease An increased knowledge of rare diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease Advancements in genetic testing technologies like DNA sequencing Advancements in new drug therapies that are targeted or tailored to an individual’s genetic information Genetics vs. Genomics However, before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s take a step back and define a couple of terms that many people find confusing and are often used interchangeably in health care; the terms are genetics and genomics. Genetics is the study of how traits, conditions, and/or diseases are passed between generations in a family as well as the variation seen in the traits, conditions, and/or diseases due to single genes. Genomics, however, is the study of all of a person’s genes (‘the genome’) and how different genes interact with each other and with an individual’s environment. Application of Genomics in Health Genomics and Cancer I personally understand things better with an example, so let’s…

When taking a family medical history, certain conditions are commonly reported. Coronary artery disease (CAD), cancer and mental health issues far surpass reports of single gene disorders such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and hemochromatosis. About 6.7% of adults age 20 and older have CAD. Approximately 40% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime. And more than 50% of individuals will be diagnosed with a mental health issue at some point in their life. Contributing Factors: Genetics and the Environment Like CAD and cancer, mental health issues are multifactorial. This means that the development of these conditions is impacted by biological, environmental, psychological and genetic factors that can be either protective or risk-increasing. Specific to genetic factors, it is generally thought that mental health issues are caused by variants in multiple genes that each contribute a small additive effect to disease development, rather than being caused by a single variant in a single gene. Clinical features of mental health issues in family members that indicate a stronger genetic component include: Early age of onset Severity of a disease The absence of environmental risk factors in diagnosed family members The presence of…

Genetics is a rapidly evolving field, one in which new genes are identified, genetic variants are uncovered, and gene associations with hereditary diseases and predispositions are being made on a near daily basis. As genetics is becoming a more basic and universal part of health care, individuals might wonder how best to harness the potential of this field to better manage their own health. My advice is a three-step approach: Focus on what area of your health is concerning to you Determine what resources are available to help you gain additional information in this area Take action FOCUS ON WHAT AREA OF YOUR HEALTH IS MOST CONCERNING TO YOU Are you concerned about a personal history of high cholesterol, a family history of cancer, or the results of a prenatal genetic screening test? While genetics is its own speciality, there are multiple areas of medicine that concentrate on an even more precise area of interest. Examples include cancer, cardiac, neurology, adult, pediatrics, reproductive and prenatal. Just as you would not see a cardiologist if you were having issues with knee pain, you would not talk with a cancer genetic counselor if you were concerned that your child’s developmental delay was…

If you are considering a genetics consultation, or if you are already scheduled and planning your upcoming visit, you may benefit from creating a list of questions to ask your genetic counselor. The information below can help provide ideas for questions to ask and explain what to expect during your visit. You can also visit our genetic counseling page to learn more. What Questions Should I Ask My Genetic Counselor? In order to get the most benefit from your genetic counseling session, you should be prepared to ask questions. However, it may be hard to think of the right questions to ask. Here are some examples that may help guide your conversation with your genetic counselor: Questions about the genetic counseling appointment What if I don’t have detailed information about part of my family history? Can all of my concerns be addressed in a single visit, or might I need to be seen by another genetic counselor in a different specialty? Are there other health care providers I should see as well? Are there any support resources available for me? How will testing for genetic conditions impact my life insurance, disability insurance or other insurances? Questions about risk assessment Does…

My favorite Thanksgiving memory is getting to spend time with all my cousins, eating at a separate kids’ table and trying to stay out of trouble. Even though we are all grown now, making new family memories with our own kids, I think fondly back to all the time we were able to spend together. November is Family Health History month and Thanksgiving is a valuable opportunity to collect your family health history. As you look around your Thanksgiving table, noting generations of family together (behaving or not) , I challenge you to start the conversation. Tell all your loved ones that it is time to start a new tradition — one that can create health and wellness — by discovering family history. What is a Family Health History? Considered the “first genetic screen,” a family health history is a record of health information about a person and his or her close relatives, which includes type of health condition and age of diagnosis. A complete record typically provides health information from three generations of relatives: children, brothers and sisters, parents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandparents, and cousins. What are the benefits of knowing your family health history? Some…