Family health history is a record of the diseases and health conditions in your family. You and your family members share genes. You may also have behaviors in common, like what you do for physical activity and what you like to eat. You may live in the same area and come into contact with similar harmful things in the environment. Family history includes all of these factors, any of which can affect your health.
If you have a family history of a chronic disease, like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis, you’re more likely to get that disease yourself.