The more you know about your family's health history, the more you can do to reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Did you know... like the color of your eyes, tendencies for many health conditions are genetically passed from one family member to another?
Diseases such as diabetes can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and other major health problems. And if you have a blood relative with diabetes, your risk for developing it is significantly increased. Diseases can be passed along to younger generations (such as your children), but so can healthy habits that will help you and others avoid health risks.
The first step is to map out your family's health history. Download your family history tree and write down all the relatives who live or have lived with diabetes or associated conditions.
Then, talk with your doctor or healthcare professional about what this means to you and others in your family.
Download your Family History Tree Document.
This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 04/09/09.
