Sibling rivalry

When you're considering your disease risk factors, family history is almost always at the top of the list. We've all been taught that if you have a close relative with a particular disease, your risk of that disease also goes up. But what if I told you your risk of a certain condition is higher if you have a relative with a completely different disease? It sounds unbelievable (and a little confusing). But new research from the University of Michigan has shown just that.

Specifically, the researchers looked at family history of disease and prostate cancer risk in African American men. Their findings confirmed what previous studies have shown, that having a brother with prostate cancer significantly increases risk. But this study also found that African American men with sisters who had breast cancer were also at increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

The researchers concluded that "collecting a family history of prostate and breast cancer, especially among siblings, could be a key component of assessing prostate cancer risk among African-American men."

But why stop there? I think the real take-home message here is clear: Regardless of your gender or race, if you don't know your complete family health history, make it a priority to put one together. What you find out could very well save your life.

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