Your family’s medical history can hold many clues about your own health. It can also reveal your risk of developing certain diseases and change when you should start screenings.
That’s why it’s important to know about all the diseases and conditions that run among your close relatives.
You may know your grandmother had cancer, for example. But do you know what kind and which stage? Or her age when she was diagnosed?
Those small details matter, says Dr. Akshay Syal, an internal medicine physician and NBC News medical contributor.
Syal joined TODAY in a segment aired Oct. 2 to explain the top red flags in your family medical history, what these could mean for your health, and what information to share with your doctor.
Expert Tip of The Day: Look Out for These 4 Red Flags in Your Family Medical History
Once you compile your family’s health history, Syal recommends looking for these four red flags:
- Disease at a young age
- Multiple relatives with the same disease
- Certain cancer patterns
- Known genetic conditions
“One of the biggest red flags is disease happening at an unusually young age,” says Syal. A heart attack at 45, for example, is very different from a heart attack at 85.
The same goes for strokes, diabetes and cancers. If a family member is diagnosed with a disease much earlier than is typical, it could suggest an inherited component, says Syal.
Also, pay attention to two or more family members on the same side of the family having the same disease or condition.
The next red flag to look for is patterns in cancer diagnoses across your family, says Syal — for example, if multiple close relatives had breast, colorectal or uterine cancer.
Finally, if you learn about any genetic conditions or gene mutations in your family, such as Lynch syndrome, tell your doctor.
Why It Matters
The goal is to garner information and identify patterns, which a doctor can help interpret — not to self-diagnose.
“None of these red flags mean you’re guaranteed to develop a disease. They simply give us information that may help us identify risk earlier and decide whether screening or prevention should change,” says Syal.
A doctor may recommend you start getting colonoscopies or mammograms earlier and more frequently than average-risk individuals, for example.
“It can also help us focus on prevention, (monitoring) things like blood pressure, cholesterol or other risk factors before a problem develops,” says Syal.
Certain cancer patterns or gene mutations in your family could raise the risk of an inherited condition, and it may be suggested you pursue genetic counseling or testing.
How to Get Started
In order to compile your family’s medical history, first make a family tree, starting with your closest biological relatives and expanding out to both sides of the family:
- Parents and siblings
- Grandparents
- Aunts and uncles
- Nieces and nephews
Next, fill in the blanks. Write down every known disease, major health condition or cause of death for each relative. Always note the details: the type, stage and age of diagnosis.
If you don’t know, ask your family. (The holidays are coming up!)
Write everything down so you don’t forget. Once you have your family medical history, share it with your doctor.
Ask whether your history may increase your risk of any diseases and whether it could impact screenings or testing.
Not everyone knows their biological family or has access to their health records. “If that’s you, don’t panic. Just tell the doctor everything you do know,” Syal notes.
“Family history isn’t destiny, but knowing it gives you and your doctor an opportunity to be proactive,” he adds.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.