Family history isn’t just about cancer ... cardiovascular disease, fractures and dementia matter too

[Financial News] If you’re about to have a health screening, start by reviewing your family’s medical history. A family history of cardiovascular disease, hip fractures or dementia, as well as cancer, can help guide the choice of necessary tests.
Many people think only of cancer when considering family history, but if a parent or sibling has had cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, a hip fracture or dementia, these should also be considered when assessing health risks. It is especially helpful to note the disease and age at onset if the same condition has occurred repeatedly in the family or developed at a relatively young age.
Lim Jun-seop, director of the Comprehensive Health Screening Center at Seran Hospital, said, “It helps with the consultation if you come prepared with your family’s major medical history and your own previous test results.” He added, “If you have symptoms or abnormal findings, it is advisable to ask a medical professional whether you need to be seen.”
 
If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, checking key risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol is a basic step. If a parent or sibling has had a heart attack, angina or a stroke, you should also check their age at onset. Smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and dyslipidemia can also affect risk, so you should review your own health as well. Depending on your level of risk, additional tests such as an electrocardiogram, carotid ultrasound or coronary artery calcium CT may be considered.
Family history of osteoporosis and hip fractures should also be checked. In particular, a parent’s history of hip fracture is a factor to consider when assessing fracture risk. Osteoporosis often causes no clear symptoms even as bone density declines, so age, sex, menopausal status, history of fractures, weight and medications should all be taken into account. Bone health can be checked with a bone density test if needed.
If you have a family history of dementia, it is important to look for changes in your current cognitive abilities, such as memory or judgment, rather than focusing on family history alone. If you experience memory loss or changes in daily life, you can undergo a cognitive assessment and, if needed, imaging tests such as a brain MRI or cerebral MRA. Additional tests such as PET are also used to identify the cause of dementia or assess changes in the brain.
However, family history is only one of several factors used to assess health risks; it cannot, on its own, determine that you have a particular disease or need a particular test.
Center Director Lim said, “Family history can be used as a reference when considering health risks.” He added, “Rather than deciding on screening tests based on family history alone, it is important to choose the necessary tests while also considering age, health status, lifestyle and existing conditions.”



[email protected] Jeong Myeong-jin, medical correspondent Reporter