Family Health History: A Simple Way to Collect and Share What You Know

Why family history can be useful

Family health history is a record of conditions among relatives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that family members may share genes, behaviors, and environments, all of which can be relevant to health. A family history does not mean you will develop a condition, but it may help a clinician understand risk and decide whether a screening discussion is appropriate.

What to collect

When possible, write down:

• Which blood relatives had a major health condition.
• The specific diagnosis, if known.
• Approximate age when it began or was diagnosed.
• Age and cause of death for relatives who have died, if known.
• Which side of the family the relative is on.

Include parents, siblings, children, grandparents, aunts, and uncles when you can. You may not know every detail. CDC says partial information can still be useful, so mark unknowns instead of filling gaps with guesses.

Ask respectfully and update over time

A family conversation can be sensitive. Explain why you are asking and let relatives decline to share details. You might ask one or two questions at a time or look at family records with permission. Update the list when you learn new information and bring it to a health appointment.

CDC notes that family history can help a provider decide which screenings are appropriate and when they may begin. Do not use a family-history app or online risk result to diagnose yourself or start a screening plan without a clinician. A family pattern is one part of an individualized assessment, not a prediction.

The CDC links to My Family Health Portrait, a tool for recording and sharing family history. Review the tool's privacy information before entering sensitive details.

Sources and further reading

• About Family Health History
• Family Health History and Adults

Health disclaimer

This article is for general education only. Its information and suggestions are not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and may not be right for everyone. Ask a qualified health professional for advice that fits your health, medications, and needs before changing your diet, exercise, supplement use, or care.