The holiday season officially kicks off this week, which usually means gathering with family and eating too much. Beyond the turkey, stuffing and pie, families are encouraged to share more than a meal on Thanksgiving. The day also marks National Family Health History Day, an opportunity for families to collect information on the health conditions and trends within their family tree.

Why is health history important?

Dr. Amy Fendrich, senior medical director of government markets and medical policy at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, says knowing and understanding your family’s health history can inform how you go about life. For example, if heart disease runs in your family, you might make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk.

“Family history is the ‘silent’ risk factor and is, oftentimes, the most significant risk,” Dr. Amy says.

Is there a good way to discuss these topics?

If you're feeling like it would be awkward to discuss health issues with family at the holidays (or any time of year for that matter) you're not alone. For some families, conversations between certain family members can be tense even without asking probing questions. However, the more we know about the people with whom we share our genetics, the more appropriate and focused our healthcare will be. Let your family members sharing this information helping others in the family stay healthy and even extends their own life expectancy.

What are the right questions to ask family members?

Health is a complex topic, so it’s important to know what questions to ask family members.

Some examples include:

• What conditions run in our immediate and extended family?
• What have our family members died from?
• Has anyone in our family died suddenly or unexpectedly?

Doctors often keep an eye out for conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, and high cholesterol that occur more frequently in families. Therefore, inquiring specifically about these conditions can help inform your care. .

Generally, it’s good to chart back three generations to get the clearest picture of what runs in your family.

How should the family’s health history be stored?

Once you open the door to discussion, you may have an overwhelming amount of information. Online tools, such as My Family Health Portrait, are available to help log, update and save and share this information. You can also create your own document and save it in a safe place.

Where can I find more information?

The more we know about the people with whom we share our genetics, the more appropriate and focused our healthcare will be. More information about gathering your family’s health history can be found here.