Category: family history

Trends and Factors Affecting Utilization of BRCA Testing in the United States: The Need for Improved Surveillance

hands holding a pink ribbon with the US map in the background

This blog post is a summary of two recent CDC papers on the trends in utilization of BRCA testing in the United States, and metropolitan-nonmetropolitan areas differences in testing. Women with pathogenic BRCA mutations have an estimated 45–65% risk of breast cancer and a 17–39% risk of ovarian cancer by age 70, as compared with Read More >

Posted on by Katherine Kolor, Zhuo Chen, and Muin J. Khoury, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags

Happy Thanksgiving: Collect & Act on Your Family Health History

a multigenerational family eating a Thanksgiving meal with DNA

As you celebrate Thanksgiving with your family this November, remember that this special day is also National Family Health History Day. Family health history is important to your health and can help you detect unique disease risks and manage them before becoming sick, or find the right diagnosis and treatments when you have a certain Read More >

Posted on by Bob Wildin MD, Guest Blogger, Genomic Healthcare Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute and Muin J. Khoury MD, PhD, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags

National Family History Day 2015: Thinking globally and acting locally

Multi Generation Family Celebrating Thanksgiving

Though you probably will not find greeting cards in stores celebrating this fact, Thanksgiving has been known as National Family History Day in the U.S. since 2004.  The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and many federal, state and private partners have marked each year with events and announcements promoting the collection and use of family Read More >

Posted on by W. Gregory Feero, MD, PhD, Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine ResidencyLeave a commentTags , ,

Family health history is a non-modifiable risk factor—or is it?

a family biking

“I met three different women who had been tested [genetic testing for mutations in the BReast CAncer susceptibility (BRCA) genes] early on, in 1996, when the BRCA test first came out. They told me their family history story of mothers, aunts, uncles, and a dad who suffered from breast or ovarian or related cancers, and Read More >

Posted on by Ridgely Fisk Green,Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers For Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags , ,

Suicide, Family History, and Genomics

Robin Williams speaks to troups

We must continue to search for new methods to effectively address the tremendous problem of suicide. Despite recent interest, genomics does not provide the solution today, but there is a lot that we can do now using an established public health approach to prevention.   Millions were shocked by the news that comedian Robin Williams Read More >

Posted on by Scott Bowen, OPHG and Brad Bartholow with National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC StaffLeave a commentTags , ,

New Strategies For Public Health Genomics Beyond Newborn Screening

Opening speaker, Dr. Ursula Bauer Director, NCCDPHP discusses a point later in the day with Dr. Khoury, OPHG Director

A Working Meeting and an Action Plan to Save Lives Now Nearly 2 million Americans are affected by one of three genetic conditions with a strong risk of early morbidity and mortality: BRCA 1/2 and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer; Lynch syndrome and colorectal , endometrial and ovarian cancer; and familial hypercholesterolemia and early cardiovascular events.  At Read More >

Posted on by Scott Bowen and Karen Greendale, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention2 CommentsTags , , ,

Evidence Matters in Genomic Medicine—Round 3: Integrating Family Health History into Clinical Preventive Services

stacked boxes with pedigree

A new podcast from the CDC Expert Commentary Series on Medscape—Family Health History: Use It to Inform Preventive Services for Your Patients— describes how family health history can inform the delivery of preventive health services.   The podcast presents three case studies based on recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF):  screening for lipid Read More >

Posted on by Katherine Kolor and Muin J Khoury, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionLeave a commentTags , , , ,

Emerging Evidence for the Benefits of Systematic Collection of Family History in Primary Care

a family

When it comes to the use of genomic tests and technologies in practice, Dr Al Berg is a skeptic. Dr Berg is the founding chair of the CDC-sponsored Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) Working Group that has been evaluating genomic tests for more than 5 years. He also chaired the National Institutes Read More >

Posted on by Muin J Khoury, Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention3 CommentsTags , , ,

Family Health History and the Holidays

family watching TV

During the holiday season, many of us will be watching our favorite holiday movies for the umpteenth time.  Some of our favorites (according to Gayot, Moviefone and Yahoo  are Home Alone, A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and It’s a Wonderful Life. Most holiday movies seem to have relatives as central characters and family gatherings Read More >

Posted on by Ruta Sharangpani MD, MPH, Bureau of Disease Control Prevention and Epidemiology, Michigan Department of Community Health & Debra Duquette, MS, CGC, Genomics Coordinator, Michigan Department of Community Health1 CommentTags ,

A Million Hearts, A Thousand Genes, and Your Family History

Million Hearts

In September 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced a new initiative  to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the United States in the next 5 years. This campaign will implement proven, effective, and inexpensive interventions in both clinical and community settings. In clinical practice, it will improve management of Read More >

Posted on by Muin J Khoury, Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention3 CommentsTags , , , , ,