If politics and religion aren't enough to spice up your holiday feast, try these conversation starters: Aunt Agatha's early dementia and Grandpa Joe's alcoholism.

Rather talk about cooking and kids? Of course. But seasonal gatherings are a great time to learn about your extended family's medical histories. And although high blood pressure might not be the high point of your table talk, learning your family history is a painless way to boost your health. It could even be a lifesaver.

Since 2004 the U.S. Surgeon General has designated Thanksgiving as America's annual National Family History Day, so you can discuss Turner syndrome over your turkey or cranial neuralgias over your cranberries. But Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Day, Super Bowl Sunday or other gathering times work just as well.

Family medical history matters because it's a risk factor for many conditions, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, emotional disorders including depression and schizophrenia, asthma, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis and migraines. Family history is especially important in genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis.

You can harvest many benefits from a family medical tree. It could:

• Help identify seemingly healthy people who may be at an increased risk of developing certain diseases in the future.
  
  
• Help your doctor schedule screening tests, such as glucose testing, colonoscopies or mammograms, that may detect some conditions earlier.
  
  
• Point to the need for interventions that might delay or even prevent some diseases.
  
  
• Provide information about the risk of passing on a susceptibility to certain conditions to children.
  
  
• Indicate when genetic tests and genetic counseling may be useful, and aid in family planning.

The Surgeon General has created an interactive Web site, My Family Health Portrait, to help you write down and update your family history. The feds promise they're not saving the user data on any of their computers. Or you can download the free software and install it on your own computer. When you have a doctor's appointment, make a printout and bring the document with you.

My Family Health Portrait is a snap to use. You simply type in basic personal information, add relatives, add any diseases you want to track and click a few buttons to establish a health history for yourself and each family member. It's easy to update as needed, and Thanksgiving or another gathering is the perfect time to get the facts from and about immediate and extended family members. Get them while Aunt Agatha still remembers.

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