Medical Advice: Know Thy Family History

It’s not enough to know your own medical history any more.

Geneticists say people should be as well-versed in family medical history as they are in family fortunes and scandals.

“A number of studies show people are often misinformed about their family history,” says Patricia Kelly, a geneticist at Children’s Hospital of San Francisco. “That’s a reason why I get the records and spend a lot of time going over them.”

If you aren’t familiar with the medical history of deceased relatives, records often can be obtained by next of kin from the relative’s personal physician or from the hospital where he or she died. Health departments keep death certificates, which also might yield some clues.

Many record-keeping devices for family histories are available in bookstores and stationery shops. One book, “My Health History” (Andrews & McMeel, $7.95), is designed for parents to record their newborn’s medical history along with pertinent family medical history.

Another book that helps explain the importance of family history is called “Family Diseases: Are You at Risk?” by Myra Vanderpool Gormley (Genealogical Publishing Co., $14.95).

“We all had better pay more attention to (family history),” says Dr. Henry Lynch, a geneticist at Creighton University. “That history can be learned with relative ease. That’s the pity. We have all this highfalutin’ technology, but we are looking eyeball to eyeball with patients who can tell us a whole lot.”