{"id":38781,"date":"2025-11-12T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T07:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=38781"},"modified":"2025-11-07T23:43:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T23:43:18","slug":"health-questions-everyone-should-ask-their-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/health-questions-everyone-should-ask-their-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Health questions everyone should ask their parents","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Does heart disease run in your family? Has anyone been diagnosed with cancer?<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve probably seen questions like these on medical forms \u2014 and for good reason. Your family health history can offer powerful clues to help guide your health decisions today and in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs technology and scientific knowledge advances, we\u2019re able to catch conditions like hypertension or colon cancer earlier and earlier,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/provider\/jennifer-banks\/\">Jennifer Banks, MS, ARNP, FNP-C, a board-certified family nurse practitioner<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/location\/rockwood-clinic-quail-run\/\">MultiCare Rockwood Clinic &#8211; Quail Run<\/a>. \u201cIf we know that a condition runs in your family, we can help you take steps to prevent it or catch it early \u2014 decreasing any potential negative impact on your health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve gathered suggestions to help you explore your family health history \u2014 and take action about what you learn.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to build your family health history<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>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 \u2014 like grandparents, aunts and uncles \u2014 that you might not know.<\/p>\n<p>Here are key areas to ask about.<\/p>\n<h3>Is there cancer in the family?<\/h3>\n<p>Some cancers are hereditary, meaning <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/should-you-consider-genetic-testing-for-cancer\/\">cancer-causing gene mutations<\/a> can be passed down from one generation to the next. Approximately 5-10 percent of all known cancers are hereditary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf one or more of your family members has been diagnosed with cancer, it could increase your own risk,\u201d says Brynna Morales, MS, LCGC, a board-certified genetic counselor at <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/cancer-care\/support-services\/cancer-genetics\/\">MultiCare Cancer Institute<\/a>. \u201cFor example, inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can increase your risk of breast and ovarian cancers, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Understanding whether cancer runs in your family can help you assess your personal risk for cancer and take proactive steps to protect your health.<\/p>\n<p>Morales recommends asking:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have you or anyone else in the family been diagnosed with cancer?<\/li>\n<li>What type of cancer were they diagnosed with?<\/li>\n<li>At what age were they diagnosed?<\/li>\n<li>Has anyone been diagnosed with more than one type of cancer?<\/li>\n<li>Did people who were diagnosed have other known risk factors (such as tobacco use)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What chronic conditions affect the family?<\/h3>\n<p>Chronic conditions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hSYJrGc5VzY\">high blood pressure (hypertension)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/how-to-lower-your-cholesterol-without-medication\/\">high cholesterol<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/diabetes-endocrinology\/diabetes\/\">diabetes<\/a> can run in families \u2014 and when left untreated, they can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome chronic conditions, like high blood pressure for example, don\u2019t typically cause symptoms,\u201d Banks says. \u201cSo you aren\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To get a clearer picture of your family\u2019s health risks, consider asking your parents if they, or other relatives, have been diagnosed with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High cholesterol<\/li>\n<li>Familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic condition that can lead to heart attacks at a young age)<\/li>\n<li>High blood pressure<\/li>\n<li>Diabetes or prediabetes<\/li>\n<li>Cardiovascular disease<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s 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 href=\"https:\/\/www.jacc.org\/doi\/10.1016\/j.jacc.2012.06.018\">A pattern of premature death<\/a> or early cardiac events could indicate a hereditary concern.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does heart disease run in your family? Has anyone been diagnosed with cancer? You\u2019ve probably seen questions like these on medical forms \u2014 and for good reason. Your family health history can offer powerful clues to help guide your health decisions today and in the future. \u201cAs technology and scientific knowledge advances, we\u2019re able to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,127,63,99,115],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cancer","category-healthy-living","category-heart-health","category-primary-care","category-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to ask about your family health history - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing your family health history can help you take charge of your own health. 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