This holiday season, many of us would probably like to avoid discussing politics at family gatherings. So here’s an idea: Talk family health history instead.

Since many health problems run in families, a holiday gathering is a good time to delve into a discussion about the health of your blood relatives, both living and deceased. This exercise can offer a glimpse of any conditions or illnesses to which you and your family may be predisposed, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers (including breast, ovarian, and colorectal), osteoporosis, and asthma.

Having a family history of a disease doesn’t mean you’ll also develop the same condition. But, since some diseases do run in families, you can share your genetic background with your doctor, who can advise you of any measures that could prevent or decrease the risk of a particular disease or detect it at an early stage when therapy is likely to be most effective.

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