It's a family affair

You may hate the nose you inherited from your grandfather or the curly hair and big hips that have been passed down from your mother. But when it comes to your health, you may also have inherited potential health problems too.

Knowing your family health history is incredibly important, even though you cannot change the genes you were born with. But if you are aware of a problem that runs in your family, you can take steps to reduce your risk of developing it.

Of course many families with a history of rarer genetic inherited diseases - such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia and Huntington's disease - are fully aware of the fact. But more common health problems are believed to run in families too, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

So what are the major warning signs you need to look out for?

Early onset of health problems (that is, diseases that occur 10 or even 20 years before the average person develops them). For example, this may include heart attack before the age of 55 in a man or 65 in a woman.

Health problems in more than one close relative (the more family members affected by a disease, the bigger your risk of developing it too). This may include cancer in two or more family members, for instance.

Sudden unexplained death under the age of 40.

Illnesses that do not usually affect males or females (breast cancer in a male family member, for instance).

Particular combinations of diseases in more than one family member (heart disease and diabetes, for instance, or breast and ovarian cancer)

Other chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol (see 'Inherited cholesterol', below), diabetes, osteoporosis, glaucoma and even depression, obesity, allergies and asthma, all of which may run in families.

Ancestry is also important, since people with certain ethnic backgrounds are more at risk of developing certain diseases.

Some experts recommend that we should all have a clear health history for three generations of relatives, including parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Once you have the information, tell your GP, who can decide if any action should be taken to reduce your risk for any diseases you may have inherited a high risk for.

Your pharmacist can also help by offering lifestyle advice that could help reduce a potential inherited health risk, including help with giving up smoking, getting more exercise and improving your diet.

Inherited cholesterol

High cholesterol can run in families, says HEART UK, The Cholesterol Charity. Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an inherited condition that occurs in one in 500 people. It is caused by a faulty gene resulting in exceptionally high cholesterol levels. People with FH are at high risk of early coronary heart disease (CHD).

More than 120,000 people in the UK are believed to have FH, however many remain undiagnosed with often tragic consequences. If the condition is not treated people with FH may be disabled or die from early CHD in their 40s or 50s and sometimes earlier.

Once diagnosed, treatment and lifestyle advice can dramatically lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risks of early heart disease. Where possible, it is important to recognise people with FH in early childhood. When one family member with FH has been identified this makes it easier to identify brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, sons and daughters who also have FH.

As well as a very high cholesterol level and a strong family history of CHD, FH can sometimes be recognised by outward signs such as lumps and bumps that need the expert eye of a doctor. Not everyone with FH has these signs. 

For more details of FH or living with cholesterol visit www.heartuk.org.uk or call 0845 450 5988.