One of the most powerful things a person can do for their health is to understand their family history

Understanding your family history is super important. Why? Because it could provide invaluable insight into your potential genetic risks. Think about that.

If you know what your genetically at risk for, what is in your DNA and what you might be susceptible to, this can enable you to be proactive and take preventive healthcare measures. There's a few reasons why this is crucial.

The earlier you catch something, the better off you are. This is true for cancer, heart disease, pretty much for everything.
Personalized healthcare can be achieved by using your family history as a guide. An individualized treatment plan can be very advantageous for example, if cholesterol runs in your family.
Understanding your family's health trends can motivate you to adopt healthier habits. Lifestyle modifications, such as not smoking and eating healthier can be very important if there's a significant history of cardiovascular or gastrointestinal disease and your family.
Understanding potential genetic risks when planning to have children and opting for genetic counseling to assess the risk of inherited conditions might be important in your family tree.
Sharing any knowledge that can benefit other family members can help out not just you but them too You can leverage the information from your family history to make more informed decisions, engage in preventive health, behaviors, and work more closely with your doctor to manage your health proactively.

Sometimes people are not proud of their families, or their family histories, but it's important to try to gain as much information as you can. It can only benefit you.

Dr. Sam Speron