Pursuing one’s family history may be much more than an interesting pastime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It may be important to your health.

Finding out about family history of disease can alert people to what they may be at risk for and what they can do now to prevent or reduce the risk.

The CDC lists the following as features of family history of disease that may especially increase risk:
• Diseases occurring at an earlier age than expected
• Disease in more than one close relative
• Disease that does not usually affect a certain gender (e.g. breast cancer in men)
• Certain combinations of diseases within a family (e.g. heart disease and diabetes)

For more information on family history and health, visit www.cdc.gov/genomics/public/famhist.htm.