Family history

It's important to know your family medical history.

A family medical history is a record of health information about a person and his or her blood relatives. It can give clues to medical conditions that may run in a family and can help identify individuals who are at an increased risk of developing those conditions. The easiest way to get information about family medical history is to talk with relatives about their health. Several resources are available to collect and record health information about family members. It is important to keep this information up-to-date and share it with a healthcare professional regularly.

Please use the links below to learn more about collecting a family medical history:

• Why is it important to know my family medical history?
• Family History Public Health Initiative (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative (Department of Health and Human Services)
• Family history tools in other languages (Brigham and Women's Hospital Family History Project)
• Recording your family health history (Centre for Genetics Education)
• Your Family History - Your Future (National Society of Genetic Counselors)
• Understanding Genetics: Pedigree and Family-History Taking (Genetic Alliance)
• Family health history resources (Genetic Alliance)
• Retrato de Salud de mi Familia (Cirujano General de EE.UU.)