Do you have heart disease, asthma, or perhaps a certain type of cancer in your family? Patients often ask me if a medical condition is genetic, usually because they have made such comments in her own family. My answer is always the same: everything is genetic.

Of course, it is not so simple. The complete answer is that all aspects of health and disease is due to a combination of genetic factors, environmental factors and behavior. Failure to include genetic risks everything from the air we breathe and the things we eat and drink to our physical activity and our methods of transportation.

You can choose any “classic” genetic disease (sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Marfan syndrome …) and find the differences from one patient to another, in part because they have different life experiences and exposures. The reverse is also true: our response to an infection or the ability to survive the trauma is important in part affected by our genetics.

But the most common health problems are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. These conditions include high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, arthritis, gout, cancer, diabetes, asthma, low bone density, depression, glaucoma, and almost any other medical illness that can be imagined. Now we know some of the lifestyle and environmental risk factors for many of these diseases. And we are beginning to increasingly identify genetic factors, too.

A complete understanding of the different causes of even the most common diseases remains a distant goal. In the meantime, however, one of the best predictors of a person we have in the future risk of disease is the family medical history.

Not only the family history tell us about the genetic traits that passes through the generations, but also includes everything automatically environment and cultural habits are shared by the families of the same family. Fortunately, the family history is also one of the cheaper, safer, easier to medical examinations and tests are available!

Research indicates that most of you already know at least some of this. HealthStyles 2004 survey showed that 96 percent of U.S. residents believe that knowledge of the history of family health is important for health personnel.

However, less than 30 percent of respondents had never tried to collect and record the medical history of his family. In an effort to boost that number, the U.S. Surgeon General declared Thanksgiving “Family History Day.”

Of course, you can collect information on family health in all seasons. However, family gatherings during the holiday season is a great opportunity to start.

People who are most important to include its closest relatives, because they shared with most of the behavior, environmental exposures and genes. At the genetic level, which are 50 percent identical to each of his 1st-grade parents, brothers, sisters and children. Next closest is his 2nd grade-grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, to whom 25 percent are identical.

Cousins, aunts, great, great uncles and other distant relatives share only 12.5 percent or less of the same genes. It’s good to be included, but the 1st and 2nd grade will provide the most important information.

Here is a list of the types of information you should try to learn about each of their families:

Degree of relationship. Since the monitoring of the genes that are here, noting the exact relations. Half-brothers and half-sisters (who share the same mother or father, but not both), for example, are more related to the distance that full siblings and step-siblings do not really share identical genes anyone (because “they married in the family). It also marks any twins and trying to determine whether they are identical twins (which means that their genes are completely the same) or “brothers” twins (who are the same as regular siblings genetically).

Current age or the age at death. It is very encouraging to know if your family has a history of life at an advanced age. It is also useful to know whether a family is or was too young to develop certain medical problems, such individuals can not be counted as having escaped these diseases. If you do not know the exact age of someone, try to guess within a decade (eg 50 or 70).

Cause of death. Try to be as precise as can be determined at present. “Heart disease” could mean a heart attack, congestive heart failure, irregular heartbeat, or several other things.

We have also known for decades that “cancer” is not a specific disease. Even a body (lung, kidney, brain, etc.) may be vulnerable to several different types of cancer. Often the cancer spreading (metastasis) to several different parts of the body, but the information is crucial to determine the specific type of cancer and the site began.

Many people know that a relative had “women” of cancer, but it is useful to know whether this means that breast cancer, ovary, uterus, or other “female” body. Another trick is a “stomach” cancer. In medical language, the stomach is where food goes after swallowing and passing through his throat. The non-medical use of the word “stomach” often includes the colon, liver, pancreas and other organs in the womb (often referred to as the “female” organs). Once again, knowing exactly where the cancer started can make a big difference in the risk assessment for other family members.

All medical problems. Remember that everything is genetics, to include all the obvious things, and anything else you think might be important. Anyone addicted to drugs or alcohol? Mental retardation or learning difficulties? Emotional problems? Difficulty getting pregnant or recurrent miscarriages? Birth defects? Obesity? Some people have a characteristic of birth or conduct that is repeated in the family you never know what might be important.

Whenever possible, try to write a specific diagnosis or characteristic, instead of just listing the symptoms. For example, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are completely different from each other, and knowing that the level of detail is much more informative to say that Aunt Sally had “pain” or “arthritis.” Surgeries are include, but is more useful to know why the surgery was necessary (the diagnosis) what kind of operation was done.

Age of onset. When a person develops a disease at a much younger age than normal, which may be a warning sign of stronger genetic risk running into the family. Try to learn at least the approximate age at which each medical problem began.

Main risks to the environment (or its absence). Smoking is the most obvious thing to consider here. If you are a non-smoker, you may not have to worry too much for the development of the lung cancer cases that happened to their relatives who smoked. On the other hand, if you have a family history of lung cancer, but no one was exposed to snuff, asbestos or radon, which could be very important to you. Diet, work history and hobbies are some other examples that could involve exposure to toxic substances or risk of injury.

You can get a great deal of useful information regarding the collection and registration of their family history of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. You can also use this online tool to introduce family history data, and have established a family tree for you. This tool will ask specifically about 6 doctors, but you can enter all the information to learn, too.

In a future entry, I will talk about how to use all of this valuable information. For now, however, I urge you to start collecting their own family history. And remember: This Thanksgiving, not only with his family to eat turkey, turkey, talk about your family!

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