Here's why an expert MD says now might be the ideal time to ask a few key questions—and offers tips on how to do it with care.
‘Tis the season to gather with family, eat some delicious food, celebrate the holidays—and have some important conversations as everyone sits down together around the table.
This is because many chronic health conditions can run in families, notes Cleveland Clinic family medicine physician Neha Vyas, MD. “It’s important to know if diabetes or heart disease runs in your family, and especially if cancer, or even mental health runs in your family. It does put you at higher risk for developing these conditions,” she explains. So when the moment arises amidst seeing loved ones around this time of year, it might make sense to bring up these health topics, albeit with sensitivity.
Knowing about your family’s health history can mean earlier screening for certain conditions. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), talking with your healthcare provider if you have a family history of colorectal cancer, breast or ovarian cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, or hereditary hemochromatosis (a genetic disorder where the body absorbs too much iron), for instance, can lead to earlier screening, genetic testing, or even specific medication recommendations that can lower your risk of developing those conditions.
Dr. Vyas also recommends learning what medications your family members take for specific health concerns. This is important to know “because those medications may be the same ones that would work for you if you were to develop that condition,” she says.
Another key consideration, according to Dr. Vyas: Approach these discussions with empathy, especially since people may react differently when faced with the topic. The American Medical Association recommends focusing conversations with first- and second-degree relatives—parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and children—for a holistic family health history.
And if you do find out about a concerning medical condition within your family, Dr. Vyas says you shouldn’t panic. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop it yourself, but it’s important to let your healthcare team know any extra details you learn to give them a fuller picture of your overall health background.
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