Family Genetic History Form Essay Examples

Purpose: This assignment is to help you gain insight regarding the influence of genetics on an individual’s health and risk for disease. You are to obtain a family genetic history on a willing, non-related, adult participant.
Disclaimer: When taking a family genetic history on an actual client, it is essential that the information is accurate. Please inform the person you are interviewing that they do NOT need to disclose information that they wish to keep confidential. If the adult participant decides not to share information, please write, “Does not want to disclose.”
Directions: Refer to the Family Genetic History guidelines and grading rubric found in Doc Sharing to complete the information below. This assignment is worth 100 points.

1: Family Genetic History (35 points):

Develop a family genetic history that includes, at a minimum, three generations of your chosen adult’s family including grandparents, parents, and the adult’s generation. If the adult has any children, include them as the fourth generation. **PLEASE NOTE: This assignment is to reveal the potential impact of the family’s health on the adult participant. You do not need to identify anyone who is not biologically related to the adult except for a spouse/significant other.
You do not need to use symbols but instead write brief descriptions for each person. Each description should include the following information: first name, birthdate, death date, occupation, education, primary language, and a health summary including any medical diagnoses. An example is below:
This example points to common problems among this generation on both sides of the family. Consider the implications this would have for the adult participant’s health if these were that person’s family members.
Complete the family genetic history form below. Indicate if any information is N/A (not applicable) or unknown. Indicate any information the person did not want to disclose by noting “Does not want to disclose.”
2. Evaluation of family genetic history (25 points)
Evaluate the impact of the family’s genetic history on your adult participant’s health. For example, if the adult participant’s mother and both sisters have diabetes, hypertension, or cancer, what might that mean for the adult participant’s future health?
The genetic history demonstrates that certain heritable disorders are present in the family.The peripheral arterial disease (PAD) which manifested in the adult’s participant mother at the age of 60, was diagnozed in the participant’s brother in significantly younger age (40 years) perhaps due to the presence of additional disorders which might have triggered the disease progress in the earlier age (obesity and possibly metabolic syndrome). Cigarette smoking as a main risk factor for the peripheral arterial disease has undoubtedly played its role. As PAD increases the risk of cerebrovascular accident and heart attack; especial attention should be paid to both the adult participant’s siblings’ and the adult participant’s health. They have additionally increased cardiovascular risk due to the family history of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and abdominal aortic aneurysm from paternal side. The risk should not be underestimated due to the fact the maternal grandparents are / were relatively healthy, as they had completely another lifestyle. The maternal grandfather worked in the forestry; with the job associated with great deal of physical effort and quite another diet primarily based on natural food from his own garden, as well as maternal grandmother had been gardening and harvesting the plants during all her life. They used no modified food, maintained excellent levels of physical activity and normal weight and thus kept healthy without paticipation in any health promotion activities.
The adult participant has been working in another environment, with her work associated with great levels of stress and sedentary way of life, so her coronary heart(CHD)\cerebrovascular disease risk is increased.The metabolic syndrome which definitely has genetic determinants from paternal side (present in the father’s brother and possibly in the participant’s father though that had no obesity) additionally increases this risk, and the pulmonary hypertension in the paternal grandparent can possibly be considered another risk factor, as its signs and causes are multifactorial. It could have been a result not only of congenital heart disorder, but of associated comorbidities.Those can surely be supposed in the paternal grandfather due to his increased cholesterol level and hypertension. Given the additional risk factors the adult participant has (hyperestrogenism, weight increase and borderline cholesterol at the age of 42) she is also at least at moderate risk of metabolic syndrome which clinical features can be sometimes “masked” in women. Cigarette smoking can contribute to this risk gradually increasing it from moderate to high. Also, the untreated hyperestrogenism can contribute to the risk of breast and endometrial cancer for the adult participant. All the participant’s children demonstrate the same risk of metabolic syndrome development, but of a higher grade, due to the risk factors inherited from both paternal and maternal side. The participant’s husband has severe obesity and poorly controlled cholesterol levels; the children are demionstrating tendency to putting on weight (BMI is within normal boundaries only in the elder daughter) and the older children, both the daughter and the son, have impaired glucose tolerance. The risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 and CVD is increased for all the children and should be thoroughly assessed.
3. Planning for future wellness (35 points)
Plan changes based on the evaluation of the adult participant’s family’s health history that will promote an optimal level of wellness both now and in the future. Include what information you would provide to the adult participant regarding the results of the family genetic history.
Based on the family genetic history and individual assessment results, the adult participant can be recommended a step-by step plan aimed at decreasing the risks of CHD\CVD, metabolic syndrome (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity), as well as peripheral arterial disease. Separate tests are suggested to find the reason of hyperestrogenism and to decrease the risk of estrogen-related cancers. The plan will cover several main areas:
Patient education: evaluation of risks based on the family history, assessment of these risks for the participant, explanation of the need of managing weight and changing the life style, with the focus on the reduction of sodium intake and blood sugar control.
Suggested life style changes. Though cholesterol level itself is not the main issue which guides the treatment today certain lifestyle changes will definitely help to reduce it to normal. These will include: regular physical activity – about 60 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity (aerobic exercise) 3-4 times a week; a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with especial focus on whole-grain, high-fiber foods, high content of oily fish (twice a week) and limited intake of sodium and saturated fat. Smoking cessation as one of the major risk factors for CVD\CHD as well as avoidance of environmental tobacco smoking (in professional environment) will be strongly recommended.
Weight maintenance. The participant adult will be advised to regularly track and try to maintain the optimal weight balance by combination of physical activity, diet, and behavioral style.
Additional tests. Additional tests for hormone levels (sex and thyroid hormones) and routine gynecologic screening will be recommended to define the reason of hyperestrogenism (primary or secondary due to metabolic disorders). The additional treatment might be necessary based on these tests results. More detailed lipid profile and HbA1c level is required to have a full picture of metabolic changes.
Regular screening. Regular screening of blood glucose levels, blood pressure measurement (to maintain normal values) and weight control will be recommended.
The patient will be informed in case the life style modification does not reduce weight\cholesterol levels to target ones, drug treatment may be needed. The information on optimal lipid\blood sugar\BMI levels will be explained to the patient.
These measures, in case of the patient’s compliance and desire to implement them, would probably reduce the risks of all abovementioned diseases for the adult participant.