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Make a change for yourself…make a change for the better

Does it run in my family

Why know your family health history?

• Because with a little help from the past, you can change the future!
• Many common health problems run in families - heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer.
• Many rare diseases also run in families - cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, muscular dystrophy.
• Let’s you know what conditions you may be at risk for.
• If at risk, you may be able to prevent getting the disease, or learn how to identify it early so it can be treated best.

Tips to follow

• Keep a record of your family’s health history and share it with your medical provider.
• Use a form to help you collect the information.
• Find out what conditions you are at risk for and how to prevent them.
• Let your health provider know if you are adopted - don’t worry about what you don’t know but start collecting your history for future generations.

Resources to get help with compiling your family health history

US Department of Health and Human Services Family Health History site
Multilingual versions of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Family History Tool in Chinese, Polish, Spanish, French and Portuguese are available at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital National Family Health Initiative
Genetic Alliance Family Health History Resources

Unless otherwise noted, all materials and forms on this page are in PDF format.

Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health.

Documents posted in PDF, Word, and other formats on the Department of Health Web site will be made available on request to users who are unable to download or view them. For persons with disabilities, PDF documents will be made available on request in other formats. To submit a request, contact the Web Coordinator. Download the free viewers here.

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Prevention Improvement
Healthy Communities Office
Prevention and Community Health Division
Washington State Department of Health
Post Office Box 47880
Olympia, Washington, 98504-7880

Last Update:  February 15, 2012
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