Grandma’s recipes, Grandpa’s blood pressure: what your family really passes down
Every family has heirlooms. Grandma’s cast-iron skillet. The mac and cheese recipe nobody has ever written down. The laugh you can hear across a crowded room and know exactly whose it is.
Some heirlooms are harder to see. A tendency toward high blood pressure. A “touch of sugar” that shows up in every generation. A cancer nobody talks about. Your family health history is the record of those hidden heirlooms, and it might be the most useful thing your family ever hands you.
Your family passes down three things
1. Genes. Some conditions are more likely when a parent, brother, sister or child has had them. Doctors care most about these close relatives, then grandparents, aunts and uncles.
2. Kitchens and habits. The CDC points out that families share more than genes. They share the food on the table, how much people move, and the places they live. That’s why two cousins raised in the same house can share the same risks.
3. Silence. Many families don’t talk about health until someone gets sick. “She had sugar” or “his pressure was up” might be all anyone ever says. That silence gets passed down too, and it’s the one heirloom you can stop today.
The big three to ask about
| Condition | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| High blood pressure and heart disease | Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and it usually has no symptoms (CDC). |
| Type 2 diabetes | More than 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes, and most don’t know it (CDC). |
| Colon cancer | As many as 1 in 3 people who get colorectal cancer have family members who had it (American Cancer Society). |
Not sure what’s on your list? Take our 2-minute “What runs in your family?” quiz to see which checks to bring up at your next visit.
What your history can change
Knowing what runs in your family doesn’t mean you’ll get it. It means you and your provider can pay closer attention, and sometimes start sooner.
- A parent or sibling with colon cancer or polyps can mean screening before the usual age of 45.
- High blood pressure in the family is a reason to check your number every year, even if you feel fine.
- Diabetes in the family is a reason to ask about a simple blood test for prediabetes.
Your history isn’t your destiny
This is the good news. The American Heart Association says lifestyle choices have helped many people with a family history of high blood pressure avoid it. And people with prediabetes who made modest changes in the CDC’s diabetes prevention research cut their risk of type 2 diabetes by more than half.
You can’t choose your genes. You can choose what you pass down next.
Start a new family tradition this holiday season
- Ask one question. As you get together with family this holiday season, ask: “What runs in our family?”
- Write it down. Our free Family Health History Card gives you one page for parents, siblings, children and grandparents.
- Remix one recipe. Keep the family favorite, and try a lighter version of one side.
- Walk after the meal. Bring the kids, bring Grandma, bring the dog.
- Book the checkup. Make the yearly wellness visit a family habit, the same way the recipes are.
Then check it
Your family history is most useful in the hands of a provider. A BigHeart Health provider can go over it with you by video, along with your blood pressure, your diabetes risk and your screenings. Request a virtual visit, and our care team will reach out to schedule.
Know it. Share it. Check it.
This article is for education and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your provider about your own health.