34 things your parents’ health reveals about you

“Studies show that postpartum depression is genetically linked,” psychologist Deborah Serani, PsyD, award-winning author of Living with Depression: Why Biology and Biography Matter Along the Path to Hope and Healing, told Reader’s Digest. “Your risk for PPD increases if your mother, or another family member – sister, aunt – has experienced it.” So if you’re pregnant or planning to be, be sure to ask your mother if she experienced postpartum blues or depression – and discuss a “yes” answer with your obstetrician or mental-health-care provider. Ten percent of new mums develop postpartum depression, while 80 percent have some level of post-baby blues. Regular stress-relief activities such as deep breathing or meditation, physical activity and adequate sleep can help reduce your risk.

Alzheimer’s disease is an example of a disorder with something called “multifactorial inheritance” or “polygenic inheritance.” What that means is that this form of dementia is caused by multiple gene mutations in combination with lifestyle and environmental factors.

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Sometimes, high cholesterol comes from a person’s diet and exercise regimen. Other times, it’s more about genetics than lifestyle. So if high cholesterol runs in your family – despite fairly healthful habits – you should get checked for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a disorder that impairs people’s ability to metabolise cholesterol. FH boosts your risk of heart disease and stroke, so be sure to quiz your parents (and siblings) about their cholesterol numbers. “FH is the most common genetic cause of early heart disease, but with early treatment, an individual’s risk can be reduced by 80 percent,” Daniel Rader, MD, told Women’s Health. “Unfortunately, FH is highly undiagnosed, with 90 percent of people unaware they have the condition.”

Like weight and an apple-shape middle, muscularity is also highly hereditary, Women’s Health reports. People who have certain genes need less physical activity than others to build muscle strength and tone, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found. Regardless of your genetic makeup, exercise is a great way to take control of your body and health.

It’s well known that breast cancer can run in families. But “individuals with a close family history of breast cancer – especially premenopausal breast cancer [diagnosed before age 50] – often overestimate their personal risk of developing cancer,” says J. Jaime Alberty-Oller, MD, a breast surgical oncologist. So don’t panic if your mother (or father – men can get breast cancer, too, although it’s rare) had the disease. But do talk to your health-care provider, who will take a full family history and take other information into account to help you determine your own personal risk.

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Source: RD.com