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Making
healthy
choices
is
an
important
part
of
leading
a
healthy
life.
Knowing
your
family
health
history
is
also
key
to
making
good
decisions.
Family
health
history
is
information
about
your
health,
environment
(where
you
live,
work,
and
play),
and
lifestyle
habits,
and
as
well
as
those
of
your
relatives.Because
relatives
share
genes
and
often
similar
environments,
knowing
your
family
health
history
can: |
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- Provide
clues
to your
future
health.
-
Provide
information
about
the
health
of future
generations.
-
Help
you
understand
why
you
and
your
family
may
be affected
by certain
conditions.
-
Help
you
take
control
of your
health
and
well-being.
Some
illnesses
are highly
influenced
by genetic
history,
such as
sickle
cell disease.
Africans
and African
Americans
are not
the only
persons
affected
by sickle
cell disease.
People
that live
in areas
of the
world
where
malaria
and other
environmental
factors
can cause
the disease
are more
likely
to have
sickle
cell disease.
Other
conditions,
such as
diabetes,
heart
disease,
and cancer,
are greatly
influenced
by the
environment
as well
as by
genes.
By knowing
how your
genes
may make
you likely
to develop
a certain
disease,
you can
make your
environment
as healthy
as possible
to reduce
your risk.
By eating
healthy
meals,
exercising
daily
and not
smoking,
you can
reduce
your chances
of getting
the diseases
mentioned
above.
Tools
you can
share
with family
and friends:
- An
interactive
handbook:
“Family
Health
Matters:
The
Importance
of Family
Health
History”(pdf.
file).
Can’t
see
the
file?
Get
Adobe
Acrobat
reader
-
A Public
Service
Announcement
talking
about
the
importance
of knowing
your
family
health
history.
-
A questionnaire
to help
you
create
your
own
family
health
history
-
A family
health
tree
tool
on the
web
or paper
version
is a
great
way
to record
your
family
health
history.
- Other
resources
that
will
help
you
understand
and
be in
control
of your
health.
Remember…by
knowing
your
family
health
history,
you
can
start
now
to CHANGE
your
health
habits
to REDUCE
your
risk
of disease
and
TAKE
CHARGE
of your
future.
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