November 28, 2019: Family Health History Day

WHEREAS, family health history is a record of conditions and diseases of biological relatives, including detailed information about the specific condition, age of onset, and genetic test results; and,

 

WHEREAS, when biological family members have a health condition such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or stroke, it can increase the chance for other family members to be affected; and,

 

WHEREAS, discussing health history with family members may increase the chances of early identification and intervention for individuals at-risk for these conditions; and,

 

WHEREAS, genetic counseling involves gathering and evaluating family health history to identify the risk of a hereditary condition in a family and might include genetic testing; and,

 

WHEREAS, specific management guidelines exist for many inherited conditions, such as hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome (LS); and,

 

WHEREAS, HBOC or LS may be passed from biological parents to children, and families affected by these syndromes are more likely to have multiple family members affected by cancer and/or family members with cancer under the age of 50; and,

 

WHEREAS, if a family has a known pathogenic genetic variant (or harmful change) that causes a hereditary condition, family members might be referred to determine their risk for that condition in a process called cascade testing; and,

 

WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services joins with the Michigan Cancer Genetics Alliance to recommend that Michigan residents share, discuss, and record their health history with family members to recognize their potential risk for hereditary cancer and other conditions and take appropriate measures to prevent these conditions;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim November 28, 2019, as Family Health History Day in Michigan.