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- Services and providers for Family History in the U.S.
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Family History
Your family history includes health information about you and your close relatives. Family history is an important risk factor for problems like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of getting a disease. The reason a family history can help predict risk is that families share their genes, as well as other factors that affect health, like environment, lifestyles and habits.
Having a family member with a disease raises your risk, but it does not mean that you will definitely get it. Realizing that you are at risk gives you a chance to reduce that risk by following a healthier lifestyle and getting tested as needed.
You can get started by talking to your relatives about their health. Draw a family tree and add the health information. Having copies of medical records and death certificates is also helpful.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Start Here
- Family Health History: FAQs(Dept. of Health and Human Services)
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My Family Health Portrait: The Surgeon General's Family History Initiative(Surgeon General) - Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
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Why Is It Important to Know My Family Medical History?
(National Library of Medicine)
| Basics | Learn More | Multimedia & Cool Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Research | Reference Shelf | For You |
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Overviews
- Does It Run in the Family? A Guide to Family Health History(Health Resources and Services Administration, Genetic Alliance) - Large PDF file
- Family History(American Medical Association)
- Family History: Resources and Tools(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Medical History: How to Compile Your Medical Family Tree(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Latest News
- Moms with Alzheimer's May Pass on Risk to Kids(07/30/2008, HealthDay)
- Family History May Add to Alzheimer's Puzzle(07/30/2008, HealthDay)
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Related Issues
- Preconception/Prenatal Family History Questionnaire(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - Links to PDF
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Pictures & Photographs
- To Draw Your Family Tree(National Society of Genetic Counselors)
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Health Check Tools
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My Family Health Portrait(Surgeon General)
Also available in Spanish
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My Family Health Portrait(Surgeon General)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Medical History Taking(National Institutes of Health)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Collection and use of cancer family history in primary care.
- Article: Consideration of psychosocial factors in the evaluation of living donors.
- Article: Gail model risk factors: impact of adding an extended family...
- Family History -- see more articles
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Organizations
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National Human Genome Research Institute
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Office of Public Health Genomics(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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National Human Genome Research Institute
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Law and Policy
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Genetic Discrimination Nondiscrimination Act of 2008(National Human Genome Research Institute)
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Genetic Discrimination Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
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Children
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Knowing Your Child's Medical History(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
- Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child(Children's Bureau)
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Knowing Your Child's Medical History(Nemours Foundation)
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Date last updated: 31 July 2008 Topic last reviewed: 15 July 2008 |