Health questions everyone should ask their parents

Does heart disease run in your family? Has anyone been diagnosed with cancer?

You’ve probably seen questions like these on medical forms — and for good reason. Your family health history can offer powerful clues to help guide your health decisions today and in the future.

“As technology and scientific knowledge advances, we’re able to catch conditions like hypertension or colon cancer earlier and earlier,” says Jennifer Banks, MS, ARNP, FNP-C, a board-certified family nurse practitioner at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic – Quail Run. “If we know that a condition runs in your family, we can help you take steps to prevent it or catch it early — decreasing any potential negative impact on your health.”

We’ve gathered suggestions to help you explore your family health history — and take action about what you learn.

How to build your family health history

When it comes to learning about your family health history, your parents are a great place to start. In addition to sharing their own medical experiences, they may be able to offer valuable insight about other relatives — like grandparents, aunts and uncles — that you might not know.

Here are key areas to ask about.

Is there cancer in the family?

Some cancers are hereditary, meaning cancer-causing gene mutations can be passed down from one generation to the next. Approximately 5-10 percent of all known cancers are hereditary.

“If one or more of your family members has been diagnosed with cancer, it could increase your own risk,” says Brynna Morales, MS, LCGC, a board-certified genetic counselor at MultiCare Cancer Institute. “For example, inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can increase your risk of breast and ovarian cancers, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma.”

Understanding whether cancer runs in your family can help you assess your personal risk for cancer and take proactive steps to protect your health.

Morales recommends asking:

• Have you or anyone else in the family been diagnosed with cancer?
• What type of cancer were they diagnosed with?
• At what age were they diagnosed?
• Has anyone been diagnosed with more than one type of cancer?
• Did people who were diagnosed have other known risk factors (such as tobacco use)?

What chronic conditions affect the family?

Chronic conditions like high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol and diabetes can run in families — and when left untreated, they can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes.

“Some chronic conditions, like high blood pressure for example, don’t typically cause symptoms,” Banks says. “So you aren’t likely to know you have it unless you get a routine screening or until it leads to a serious health problem. But if we know your family has a history of high blood pressure or another chronic condition, we can start screening early and discuss lifestyle adjustments or other strategies.”

To get a clearer picture of your family’s health risks, consider asking your parents if they, or other relatives, have been diagnosed with:

• High cholesterol
• Familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic condition that can lead to heart attacks at a young age)
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes or prediabetes
• Cardiovascular disease

It’s also helpful to ask about the age of diagnosis and whether anyone in the family died prematurely from strokes or heart attacks (before age 65 in women or 55 in men). A pattern of premature death or early cardiac events could indicate a hereditary concern.

How was your mother’s experience with reproductive health?

Your experience with periods, pregnancy and menopause may not mirror your mother’s exactly — but family patterns can offer helpful clues about your own journey.

Some reproductive health conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome can have hereditary components. Genes also heavily influence when women get their first period and enter menopause.

“Knowing your mother’s health history can be really helpful if you’re experiencing period-related issues, like heavy bleeding or cramping,” says Terry Silvestrin, ARNP, a board-certified nurse practitioner and certified menopause clinician. “If your mother experienced the same symptoms or women in your family had early hysterectomies, it could help point us toward your diagnosis.”

Family health history also matters when choosing birth control.

“If you have a family history of breast cancer of if your mother was told not to take hormones like estrogen, then that’s a factor we should consider when choosing a hormonal birth control method,” Silvestrin says.

As for pregnancy, some studies suggest that genetics may contribute to complications like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes, though several factors are involved in the development of those conditions.

Here are questions to ask your mother or other women in your family:

• How was your experience with your period?
• Did you experience any fertility problems, pregnancy complications or issues giving birth? If so, what happened?
• Did you experience postpartum depression?
• What has menopause been like for you?

Tips for starting the conversation about family health history

Bringing up health history with family members isn’t always easy. In some families, these topics may feel private or taboo. Others may carry feelings of guilt or shame about passing on a genetic condition, even though no one is to blame.

Still, these conversations can be incredibly valuable. Banks offers a few possibilities for how to gently begin the conversation:

• “I’m getting to the age where I’m starting to take my health seriously. I’m wondering if there’s anything that runs in the family that I should be aware of.”
• “I have an annual checkup coming up and it would be helpful for my primary care provider to know if there are any conditions that run in our family.”

Here are other additional tips to help make the conversation more comfortable and productive:

• Choose a time and place where you won’t be interrupted.
• Ask open-ended questions to encourage sharing.
• Respect boundaries — don’t pressure family members if they aren’t comfortable giving specific details; it’s OK to keep the conversation short and simple.
• Revisit the conversation over time. Health histories can change, and you may learn more as family members feel more comfortable opening up.

What to do with your family health history

Once you’ve gathered information about your family’s health, the next step is to share it with your care team. At your next appointment — whether it’s with your primary care provider or OB/GYN — bring what you’ve learned.

This information can help your provider evaluate your risk for certain conditions and guide decisions about screenings, genetic testing or preventive care.

Your family health history is more than a record — it’s a tool to help you take charge of your health.