Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

APPENDIX IX
FAMILY MEDICAL TREE
A family medical tree can help your doctor determine
inherited and genetic health risks. Optimally
a family medical tree includes information about
the causes of death and significant medical conditions
for as many family generations as possible.
The most significant health information is that for
first-degree relatives (siblings, parents, and children)
and second-degree relatives (nephews,
nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents).
Some health information may be vague or use
antiquated terminology (for example, consumption
to identify tuberculosis or dropsy to identify
congestive heart failure).
It is especially important to know the cause of
death whenever possible, as this provides clues to
underlying health conditions. For deaths occurring
within the past few decades, this information
appears on the death certificate. Other useful
information includes any history of
• HEART disease, such as STROKE, HEART ATTACK
(MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION), sudden (or unexplained)
cardiac death, ATHEROSCLEROSIS, ARTE-
RIOSCLEROSIS, CARDIOMYOPATHY (enlarged heart),
congestive HEART FAILURE, PERIPHERAL VASCULAR
DISEASE (PVD), DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT), INTER-
MITTENT CLAUDICATION, LONG QT SYNDROME (LQTS),
and ARRHYTHMIA
• congenital heart defects or disorders, including
treatments (such as surgery) to repair or treat
them
• CANCER, especially BREAST CANCER, COLORECTAL
CANCER, OVARIAN CANCER, PROSTATE CANCER, and
childhood cancers such as LEUKEMIA or WILMS’S
TUMOR
• neurologic disorders such as ALZHEIMER’S DIS-
EASE, HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE, and PARKINSON’S DIS-
EASE
• known GENETIC DISORDERS or CHROMOSOMAL DIS-
ORDERS such as HEMOPHILIA, DOWN SYNDROME,
TURNER’S SYNDROME, KLINEFELTER’S SYNDROME, or
generalized BIRTH DEFECTS
• SEASONAL ALLERGIES, allergies to medications or
foods, ASTHMA, or MIGRAINE HEADACHE
• INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD), SYTEMIC LUPUS
ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE), HYPOTHYROIDISM, type 1
DIABETES, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, or other AUTOIM-
MUNE DISORDERS
• INFERTILITY, PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE (POF), MIS-
CARRIAGE (spontaneous ABORTION), STILLBIRTH,
breech presentation, or other difficulties with
PREGNANCY and CHILDBIRTH
• type 2 DIABETES, OBESITY, or INSULIN RESISTANCE
• DEPRESSION, GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD),
BIPOLAR DISORDER, SCHIZOPHRENIA, SEASONAL AFFEC-
TIVE DISORDER (SAD), LEARNING DISORDERS, or
intellectual deficiency (mental retardation)
• ALCOHOLISM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, or CIGARETTE
SMOKING
• HEMOCHROMATOSIS, WILSON’S DISEASE, PHENYLKE-
TONURIA (PKU), and other disorders of METABO-
LISM
• MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY or CYSTIC FIBROSIS
A family history of health conditions does not
necessarily point to a personal history with the
same conditions. However, it provides important
clues about a person’s possible predilection for
such conditions. The most accurate method to
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