Category: family history
Happy Thanksgiving 2018: Protect your family’s health by using My Family Health Portrait to collect and share your family health history
Happy Thanksgiving Day! It is time to send our yearly message on the importance of family health history to your own health. Every year we emphasize a slightly different version of this message. In 2017, we highlighted the simple fact that even in the age of genomics and precision medicine, family health history remains as Read More >
Posted on byNational Family History Day 2015: Thinking globally and acting locally
Though you probably will not find greeting cards in stores celebrating this fact, Thanksgiving has been known as National Family History Day in the U.S. since 2004. The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and many federal, state and private partners have marked each year with events and announcements promoting the collection and use of family Read More >
Posted on byFamily health history is a non-modifiable risk factor—or is it?
“I met three different women who had been tested [genetic testing for mutations in the BReast CAncer susceptibility (BRCA) genes] early on, in 1996, when the BRCA test first came out. They told me their family history story of mothers, aunts, uncles, and a dad who suffered from breast or ovarian or related cancers, and Read More >
Posted on bySuicide, Family History, and Genomics
We must continue to search for new methods to effectively address the tremendous problem of suicide. Despite recent interest, genomics does not provide the solution today, but there is a lot that we can do now using an established public health approach to prevention. Millions were shocked by the news that comedian Robin Williams Read More >
Posted on byEvidence Matters in Genomic Medicine—Round 3: Integrating Family Health History into Clinical Preventive Services
A new podcast from the CDC Expert Commentary Series on Medscape—Family Health History: Use It to Inform Preventive Services for Your Patients— describes how family health history can inform the delivery of preventive health services. The podcast presents three case studies based on recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF): screening for lipid Read More >
Posted on bySharing the Burden of Obesity
On May 7-9, the CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, hosted a conference on Weight of the Nation™ in Washington, D.C. The conference served to highlight progress in the prevention and control of obesity through policy and environmental strategies. The Weight of the Nation is also the title of an HBO Documentary Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentMaking Universal Screening for Lynch Syndrome a Reality: The Lynch Syndrome Screening Network
Every day, about 400 people in the United States are diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Approximately twelve of them have Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases the risk of colorectal cancer and other cancers. Identifying people with Lynch syndrome could have substantial health benefits for them, their families, and communities. Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentEmerging Evidence for the Benefits of Systematic Collection of Family History in Primary Care
When it comes to the use of genomic tests and technologies in practice, Dr Al Berg is a skeptic. Dr Berg is the founding chair of the CDC-sponsored Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) Working Group that has been evaluating genomic tests for more than 5 years. He also chaired the National Institutes Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsA Million Hearts, A Thousand Genes, and Your Family History
In September 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced a new initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the United States in the next 5 years. This campaign will implement proven, effective, and inexpensive interventions in both clinical and community settings. In clinical practice, it will improve management of Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsThink (Again) Before You Spit: Readers Weigh In
We thank our readers for their thoughtful comments on our recent post, which discussed the validity and utility of personal genomic tests for improving health. Clearly, this topic engenders a range of reactions as reflected in a recent scientific discussion. Several people I know have sought testing for various reasons, including curiosity, genealogic research, or just Read More >
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