Family Health History Day is also Thanksgiving says SG

This Thanksgiving, as families gather for traditional turkey dinner, they can also learn more about their family health history, said Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin.

An Internet-based tool, My Family Health Portrait, lets anyone create a portrait of the family's health history. It is available on the Surgeon General’s site at https://familyhistory.hhs.gov. It is secure, free and takes about 20 minutes.

The site creates a personalized family health tree that can be saved to a PC. The portrait can be shared with family members who may not be home for Thanksgiving, and relatives can build on the Family Health Portrait by adding their health information to it.

Some health conditions skip generations, so make sure to talk to older relatives who may be aware of additional history.

Offering a medical provider a family health history can help them recommend tests or treatment plans to prevent or delay disease.