Just How Important Is Your Family’s Health History?

Chances are you've either seen questions about your family medical history on a medical form, or your doctor has asked you about it directly. But how exactly can it impact your health? We asked Gabriella Farkas, MD, a medical director at Nurx.

How important is my family medical history?

It’s important, but family genetics aren't everything, says Farkas. If one of your family members was diagnosed with a certain disorder, you could be more likely to develop the same condition. But most mental and physical conditions — from depression to arthritis to cancer — are caused by a combination of genetics and environmental factors (like exercise, diet, and stress).  

Because it can impact your health, Farkas says you should share as much as you know about your blood relatives’ health histories (parents, grandparents, siblings, and even kids) with your provider. That includes:

• Any diagnoses of health conditions

• The age at which they developed the condition(s)

• Cause of death of family members who’ve passed away

• Medications that helped them

These answers won’t just help with diagnosis, but can also help with treatments. “In the same way predisposition to a health condition can be genetic, so can your response to the medication. For the same condition, a medication that has or is currently working well for your family member also has a good chance of working well for you,” says Farka.

If you don’t know your family history, don’t panic. Farkas says doctors can diagnose and treat health conditions just as accurately without that information.