Screen men and women 50 years and older for colorectal cancer.
Risk assessment should include questions about age, sex, diabetes, elevated total cholesterol levels, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure, family history, and smoking. Alternatively, when a relatively common disease is caused by an inherited mutation in a single gene, family history assessment may lead to early diagnosis and more aggressive management ( Table 3).Īspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascularevents 4ĭiscuss aspirin chemoprevention with adults who are at increased risk of coronary heart disease. Family history assessment also can help identify relatively rare conditions that may not be considered in a differential diagnosis ( Table 2). Preventive Services Task Force involve a consideration of relevant family history ( Table 1 4 – 13). Clinical preventive measures for asymptomatic patients recommended by the U.S. Assessment of family history is useful to detect increased risks for diseases that have modifiable risk factors or preventable exposures. Inherited variations within these genes confer individual risks that can differ greatly from the population-based average. 1 – 3 Most common diseases result from a combination of environmental factors and variations in multiple genes. However, the utility of family history in the assessment of risk for common diseases is becoming increasingly recognized. A three-generation pedigree has been used for diagnostic consideration or risk assessment of rare single-gene or chromosomal disorders.