 Health & Nutrition
Thoughts on
Aging
Family Health History
(1 minutes: 37 seconds)
 WMA (audio
only)
Audio/Video Script:
Dr. LaVona Traywick
Assistant Professor - Gerontology
[Announcer] Welcome to Thoughts on Aging with Dr. LaVona Traywick,
Assistant Professor of Gerontology with the University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
[Dr. LaVona Traywick] At the doctor's office patients are often confronted with the
question, "Do you have a family history of any diseases?" If
your response is "I don't know," you are not alone. About 96%
of Americans (2004 Porter Novelli Healthstyles survey) are aware of
the importance of knowing one's family health history but only a
third (33%) have attempted to collect this information for
themselves.
Familiarizing yourself with your own family health history,
including information about diseases, causes of death, and other
health information, and to be able to share it with medical providers
is important. Some diseases and disorders, such as heart
disease, and diabetes for example run in families. If a
medical professional is familiar with your family medical health
history, he/she can better identify whether or not you are at risk
for certain diseases, recommend actions for reducing your personal
risk of disease, and more effectively look for early warning signs
of disease to help with screening and treatment decisions.
Thanks for listening to my thoughts on aging.
[Announcer] Thank you for listening to Thoughts on Aging with Dr. LaVona
Traywick. To learn more about this and other topics, contact your local county
Cooperative
Extension Service office.
References:
Andy Crocker, PhD, Gerontology Health Family Development and
Resource Management, Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Amy F. Hosier, PhD, Family Life Specialist, University of
Kentucky Extension Service
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/famhistory/famhx.htm
Office of the Surgeon General:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
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