The role of family health history in predicting midlife chronic disease outcomes.

CONTEXT:  This longitudinal real-world research study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looked at the relevance of generational health histories in determining the probability of diabetes, depression and hyperlipidemia in early to mid adulthood.  The study included 12,300 participants in the US and concluded that family health history is relevant for health promotion and disease prevention strategies.

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1. “Naomi Duke, MD, PhD, MPH, Kathleen Mullan Harris, PhD, and colleagues began with data on 12,300 participants whose health was followed in a national longitudinal study as they aged from adolescence to adulthood” 

2. “Multigenerational health histories strong medicine for preventive health. ” 

3. “Broadening clinician access to the health histories of patients’ parents and grandparents would help ward off or better treat numerous chronic illnesses common to middle-aged adults in the U. S. So suggests a study conducted at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and published July 3 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. ” 

Source URL: https://www.healthexec.com/topics/care-delivery/multigenerational-health-histories-strong-medicine-preventive-health