Your Family Health History: The Holiday Conversation That Could Save a Life
Last updated November 2025
The holidays are a time to gather, share meals, and catch up with loved ones. But between the turkey and pumpkin pie, there’s another conversation worth having this Thanksgiving, one that could protect your family’s future health.
Discussing your family health history may not sound festive, but it is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give to your loved ones. Knowing which diseases or conditions run in your family helps every generation take proactive steps toward better health. It’s also an essential part of preventive medicine, and I encourage all my patients at Premier Medicine and Wellness to explore it.
Why Family Health History Matters
Your family health history is essentially your health blueprint. It captures patterns of illnesses and chronic conditions that both genetics and shared lifestyle factors may influence. While your genes aren’t your destiny, they do offer important clues about what to watch for and how to stay ahead of potential risks.
If multiple family members have been diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or certain types of cancer, your own likelihood of developing those conditions may be higher. By identifying those trends early, your doctor can recommend screenings, lab work, and lifestyle strategies tailored to you.
For example, if your mother and sister were both diagnosed with breast cancer, your physician might recommend earlier or more frequent mammograms. If you have a strong history of type 2 diabetes, we might focus on weight management, blood sugar monitoring, and dietary support to reduce your risk.
Preventive care is most effective when it’s personal, and family history is where that personalization begins.
Why Thanksgiving Is the Perfect Time to Start
Thanksgiving is officially recognized as National Family Health History Day by the U.S. Surgeon General. The idea is simple: while families are together, take a few minutes to talk about health history.
Why this day? Because many of us are surrounded by multiple generations at the table. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings all hold pieces of information that, when combined, can create a clearer picture of your family’s health story.
These discussions are especially valuable because medical history can fade or become incomplete over time. By talking openly, you can fill in the gaps now and create a shared record that benefits everyone.
If the idea of bringing up health topics at Thanksgiving sounds awkward, it doesn’t have to be. The key is to keep it natural and compassionate, less like an interview, more like a shared reflection on wellness and longevity.
What to Ask About
You don’t need to know every detail to make the conversation valuable. Focus on gathering information about major chronic diseases and patterns across generations. Good questions include:
Has anyone in the family had heart disease, high blood pressure, or stroke?
Is there a history of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes?
Have any cancers been diagnosed, and at what age were they diagnosed?
Are there any autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease or rheumatoid arthritis?
Does anyone have high cholesterol or metabolic issues?
Were there any early deaths due to heart attack or cancer?
Have mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety affected multiple relatives?
Encourage relatives to share when they were diagnosed, what treatments they received, and whether lifestyle factors contributed to their condition. Even approximate information can be helpful.
How to Record and Share What You Learn
Once you’ve started the conversation, write down what you discover. The U.S. Surgeon General’s “My Family Health Portrait” is a free online tool that helps you organize your information in one secure place. You can also use a simple spreadsheet, notebook, or shared document that family members can update over time.
At your next appointment, share this information with your healthcare provider. A physician trained in preventive medicine and women’s health, like those at Premier Medicine and Wellness, can use your family history to personalize your care plan.
For example, knowing your background allows us to:
Order early or more frequent screenings (such as cholesterol panels or mammograms).
Recommend genetic counseling if appropriate.
Adjust nutrition or exercise guidance based on specific risks.
Identify warning signs before they develop into chronic conditions.
When your provider knows your family history, your preventive care becomes truly proactive, not just reactive.
Turning Knowledge into Action
A family health history is only powerful when it’s used. Once you’ve gathered the information, the next step is to put it into practice.
If your family has a strong history of heart disease, prioritize heart-healthy habits such as maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and routine cholesterol checks.
If diabetes runs in your family, focus on maintaining a healthy weight, managing blood sugar, and limiting added sugars. At Premier Medicine and Wellness, we often guide patients through customized nutrition plans and glucose monitoring to help prevent prediabetes from progressing.
If certain cancers are prevalent in your family, ask your physician about the recommended age to begin screening. For women, this may include earlier mammograms or colon cancer screening.
And don’t forget the importance of mental health. If anxiety, depression, or dementia appear across generations, knowing that history allows you and your provider to focus on early recognition and support.
The goal is not to worry about what might happen; it’s to empower yourself with knowledge so that you can act early, live healthier, and protect the people you love.
How Conversations Strengthen Families
Talking about health can also strengthen emotional connections within families. These discussions demonstrate that you care deeply about the well-being of your loved ones and future generations.
You might discover shared challenges, but you’ll also uncover shared strengths, such as resilience, adaptability, and a desire to make healthier choices together. Even simple changes, such as walking after dinner, cooking lighter meals, or scheduling regular checkups as a family, can turn knowledge into positive action.
When families prioritize preventive health, they build a culture of wellness that benefits everyone.
A Health Tradition Worth Keeping
This Thanksgiving, between the laughter and the leftovers, take a moment to talk about your family’s health history. It might be one of the most important conversations you ever have.
At Premier Medicine and Wellness in Horsham, PA, I help women and families utilize this knowledge to stay ahead of disease and feel their best at every stage of life. Preventive care is not just about catching problems early; it’s about creating a foundation for lifelong wellness.
If you haven’t updated your family health history or scheduled your annual preventive visit, now is the perfect time. Together, we can use what your family’s past teaches us to build a healthier future.
To schedule a preventive visit or wellness consultation, call Premier Medicine and Wellness at 267-207-3100 or visit www.jenniferkostacosmd.com.
