KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE
As families come together during the holidays, encourage your patients to explore their family health history. Cone Health’s Chad Haldeman-Englert, MD, explains how your relatives’ medical background can be a powerful tool for improving your own health.
When delving into your family’s health history, it’s essential to consider the following:
- Three-Generation Pedigree: Focus on your siblings, parents and grandparents.
- Age of Onset: The earlier a condition occurs, the more significant it may be.
- Specific Conditions: Pinpoint conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and chronic kidney disease.
- Rare Conditions: Unusual or rare conditions can indicate a genetic predisposition.
Leveraging Your Family Health History
Once you’ve gathered this information, share it with your healthcare provider and take proactive steps to improve your health:
- Genetic Testing: Learn more about genetic testing to identify specific genetic markers that may increase your risk for certain conditions.
- Explore participation in our community health research program, called GeneConnect, that helps you understand your genetic risk for certain cancers and a cause of heart disease, as well as your regional ancestry and genetic traits related to your health. Visit conehealth.com/geneconnect to learn more.
- Early Screening: Early screening can detect potential health issues before they become serious.
- Lifestyle Modifications: Adopting healthy habits like regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management can help mitigate genetic risks.
How to Start the Conversation
Talking about health can be a sensitive topic, but it’s essential for your well-being. Here are some tips to initiate the conversation:
- Be Gentle: Approach the topic with empathy and understanding.
- Respect Privacy: If someone is uncomfortable sharing, don’t push them.
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