BODY TALK: Your Health Family Tree

HEALTH trees are all the rage in the US, with even the Surgeon General getting in on the act.

Richard Carmona believes that a family health tree is such an important indicator of future ailments that he recently declared an annual Health History Day and urged every American to check the health histories of their family – and spouse.

By doing this, they may be able to see what’s in store for them. Some conditions should send up a red flag and make you act – heart disease, particular cancers, stroke and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Other circumstances should make you think. "If people suffer conditions earlier than they should in life, this might alert you to problems," says Sandy Raeburn, professor of clinical genetics at the University of Nottingham. "Clusters of the same disease within one side of the family should also ring alarm bells."

So investigate the health of your relatives but, even if your tree suggests ill-health ahead, there are many things you can do to minimise your risk…

Mother

WHILE a maternal incidence of serious conditions such as stroke and depression are as important as that in a father, there are some problems that daughters, in particular, should ask their mothers about.

ALCOHOLISM. One in four alcoholics have an alcoholic parent. And while more fathers do suffer than mothers, there’s a belief that "inheritance" risk is increased if the affected parent is the same gender as you.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Avoid using alcohol to "medicate" problems – set up other coping strategies instead.

EARLY MENOPAUSE: The age at which you reach menopause is primarily determined by the age at which your mother reached hers.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Stop smoking. It causes healthy eggs to die, bringing on menopause up to two years earlier. Reduce stress, too. High stress levels have been linked to earlier menopause.

STRESS INCONTINENCE: Family history is the second biggest cause of this problem in women after pregnancy, as we inherit the strength of the tissue that supports our bladder.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Do your kegel exercises. These toning exercises (similar to the muscle contraction you make when you’re trying to stop yourself urinating) help to maintain the strength of your pelvic floor muscles.

Spouse

THERE may be no genetics involved here but "spouses share the same environmental risks – air, germs, stresses and foods – so they often have the same health status," says Prof Sven Wilson, of Boston’s Brigham Young University. So watch out if your partner has:

HAY FEVER: People who live with a sneezy spouse have twice the normal chance of developing hay fever themselves.

PROTECT YOURSELF: This link is believed to be caused by a build- up of allergens in the home. Cut your risk by treating against dust mites, eliminating mould and keeping windows closed during pollen season.

DIABETES: According to Dr Aysa Kahn, of the Royal London Hospital, your risk of type 2 diabetes doubles if your partner has it – because of shared lifestyle factors such as poor diet, weight- gain and too little exercise.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Reduce those risk factors – just a 30-minute walk a day slashes the risk of diabetes by half.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL: You have a 44 per cent greater chance of getting this if you partner has it. Your risk of high blood pressure increases, too. Again, it’s lifestyle factors that are to blame.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Watch what you eat and start exercising.

Brothers and sisters

THESE are the most important people to look at on your tree. "Not only do you share genes but you also had the same upbringing, which may influence those genes," says Professor Roger Blumenthal, of the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. In particular, watch out for:

HEART DISEASE: Professor Blumenthal recently discovered that having a sibling with heart disease quadruples your risk.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Tackle the four S’s – smoking, salt, saturated fat and stress. Plus drink more water. Five glasses a day cuts the risk of heart disease by half.

GLAUCOMA: An affected sibling is the top risk factor for this eye condition.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Have regular eye check-ups. Glaucoma can be controlled if it’s caught early. Also take regular computer breaks – spending too much time staring at the screen appears to increase risk.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE: Risk increases 6.7 times if a sibling has this – it’s believed to come from your mother (who may not suffer, as the disease frequently skips generations).

PROTECT YOURSELF: Caffeine drinkers have between three to six times less risk of Parkinson’s than non-drinkers. Up to three cups of coffee a day is recommended.

Grandparents

YOU share only 25 per cent of your genes with your grandparents, so their health problems may not reflect your own destiny. But they do allow you to spot potential trends in illnesses in later life – and they may also help you diagnose traits that can skip generations. These include:

ALZHEIMER’S: Up to half of people over 85 have Alzheimer’s disease and while not all cases have a familial link, a grandparent experiencing symptoms under 65 may indicate an increased risk.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Keep your mind active. People who regularly do mentally stimulating things such as travelling, crosswords or playing games are 47 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

THYROID PROBLEMS: Both underactive and overactive thyroid can run in families – and grandparents may be key to spotting your own risk. Thyroid problems tend to hit after the age of 50. They can also skip a generation.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Stop smoking – the habit triples the risk of a thyroid condition occurring.

MIGRAINE: At least five per cent of sufferers don’t realise that their headaches are migraine. But family history indicates if they

might be. Again, grandparents are key, as migraine peaks in middle-age and can skip a generation.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Use a symptom diary. Sporadic headaches are likely to be set off by a trigger, such as red wine, lack of sleep or dehydration. Spotting patterns can help you to avoid attacks.

Father

AS each parent passes genes on to you, their health history is crucial. Fathers often don’t make a fuss about medical conditions, so if you do want to find out more, you may need to probe a little. Some potential risks include:

DEPRESSION: Fifteen per cent of sufferers have a parent with the disease. While it’s generally believed to be a "woman’s problem", it’s now thought that men suffer almost as often but don’t admit it – so ask.

PROTECT YOURSELF: While genetics may be involved, it’s also possible that depression is a learned behaviour, triggered by major stress factors. Setting up support systems to fall back on if problems start could therefore lower your risk.

STROKE: Any parental history of stroke increases your risk but men tend to be affected before the age of 75 – making it more likely that you’ll be aware of it in dad than in mum.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Eliminate major risk factors such as smoking – and have a glass of wine a day. Light drinking lowers risk by half.

PROSTATE CANCER: Having a father with prostate cancer doubles the risk of this cancer in a son.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Soy foods have been shown to suppress the development of prostate cancer cells. Two ounces a day is the recommended amount – find it in tofu, soy milk/yoghurt products and soy breads and cereals.