(HealthDay News) -- Your family's health history is a key predictor of your own health, now and in the future.
To compile your family's history, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests:
- Jot down a list of your relatives, including immediate family and grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Speak with each of them about their health.
- Ask family members about any instances of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke or cancer.
- Discuss age at diagnosis and cause of any of these conditions. Add age of death for deceased relatives. Note the countries your family came from.
- Update this information frequently. Show it to your doctor and discuss your risk.
