Running head: FAMILY TREE 1

Family Tree and Diseases

[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees]

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Author Note

[Include any grant/funding information and a complete correspondence address.]

FAMILY TREE 2
FAMILY TREE 3

Key

Diseases

Our family has several chronic diseases running within the family line. However, these

diseases do not seem to be automatically passed on. But, there are chances that predisposing

factors may make them be transmitted or acquired during the lifetime of family members.

Therefore, due caution needs to be taken in form of healthy lifestyles to reduce the chances of the

diseases being acquired. From the family tree, Diabetes, Hypertension, Lung cancer and asthma

can be seen to exist in the family. Some of these diseases have claimed lives such as lung cancer,

loss of limbs such as amputation of my half-sister and loss of a baby as a result of Hypertension.

Some diseases are more common than the others. For example, diabetes seems to affect more

members of the family than any other disease. To that end, prevention seems like a better option

than treatment. Some of the unhealthy lifestyles affecting my family include alcoholism, obesity,

smoking and lack of exercise. Poor die is also a problem especially for those members who like

eating a lot of meat.

Diabetes

Diabetes is characterized by increase in blood sugar due to malfunctioning of the pancreas.

The disease affects about 422 million people worldwide (Mathers & Loncar, 2006). From our
FAMILY TREE 4

family history, we are a contributor to this shocking statistics. Some of the risk factors associated

with the disease are family history of which we qualify. Another risk factor is obesity and lack of

exercise. The risk factors in our family are very high and some family members have acquired

the disease over the years. This includes my brother and half-sister who had to undergo leg

amputation. The risk factors to her include, being overweight, ethnic background, in that she has

African American heritage. The hereditary aspect in that it runs deep in my family from my

mother’s side and to a certain degree it also exists on my father’s side. Therefore risk of

developing this condition is high to be ignored.

Prevention of Diabetes
Weight is one of the most dangerous predisposing factors to diabetes. Reducing the body

weight by 10% leads to a reduction in the chances of getting the disease by 50% % (“Simple

Steps to Preventing Diabetes | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public

Health,” n.d.). Additionally, exercising can also help reduce the chances of developing diabetes

disease. It helps the muscles to absorb glucose hence reducing the concentration levels thus

lowering the risk (“How Does Exercise Reduce the Risk of Diabetes? | LIVESTRONG.COM,”

n.d.). Eating a healthy diet is another way to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. According

to American Diabetes Association, healthy eating has more benefits than any other preventive

measures in prevention of diabetes (“Improving Diet Quality Reduces Risk for Type 2 Diabetes:

American Diabetes Association®,” n.d.).

Hypertension

This condition is characterized by increase in the blood pressure. This leads to stroke or

heart attack. This condition runs in our family. Currently, there are two members suffering from

it while my paternal grandfather died of heart attack while driving under the influence of alcohol.

The maternal grandmother who we consider as a fighter is also suffering from a stroke that
FAMILY TREE 5

resulted from hypertension. The condition also led to my cousin having a stillbirth. It is a very

serious and life threating condition which has already taken one of our family member. Some of

the predisposing factors include smoking and alcoholism which is prevalent in my family.

Prevention of hypertension

Some of the methods of preventing hypertension include quitting smoking, reduced alcohol

intake, and reduced salt intake. Balanced diet also helps prevent the risk of hypertension.

Physical activity also helps prevent hypertension as well as regulate weight (“Preventing High

Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Healthy Living Habits | cdc.gov,” n.d.).

Lung Disease

Our family also seems to be plagued by lung diseases. My paternal grandmother died of

lung cancer, while my father died of asthmatic attack. Despite being faced by the eminent danger

of developing lung diseases, there are various factors predisposing my family members to this

disease. The major risk is smoking which is a prevalent problem in the family. Not only do the

smokers risk themselves, they also endanger others through secondary smoking. Asthma is

caused by obstruction of the windpipe. The disease affects about 4-8% of patients over the age of

65 years (Akgun, Crothers & Pisani 2012). Heavy smoking can cause the development of the

condition as well as other natural factors such as Gastroesophageal reflux.

Prevention of asthma includes treatment and vaccination from pneumonia, and avoiding

allergens that trigger an attack. Although you cannot prevent lung cancer, you can reduce the

risk by quitting smoking. Quitting smoking is also beneficial because it allows the damaged lung

to repair itself. For non-smokers, keeping away from smokers can help reduce the impacts of

secondary smoking. In most places there are rules against smoking in public and therefore,

avoiding smoking zones can greatly help reduce the amount of exposure to tobacco.
FAMILY TREE 6

References

Akgun, K. M., Crothers, K., & Pisani, M. (2012). Epidemiology and Management of Common

Pulmonary Diseases in Older Persons. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological

Sciences and Medical Sciences, 67A(3), 276–291. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glr251

How Does Exercise Reduce the Risk of Diabetes? | LIVESTRONG.COM. (n.d.). Retrieved

March 19, 2018, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/84099-exercise-prevent-diabetes/

Improving Diet Quality Reduces Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: American Diabetes Association®.

(n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from http://www.diabetes.org/newsroom/press-

releases/2014/improving-diet-quality-reduces-risk-for-type-2-diabetes.html

Mathers, C. D., & Loncar, D. (2006). Projections of Global Mortality and Burden of Disease

from 2002 to 2030. PLoS Medicine, 3(11), e442.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030442

Preventing High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Healthy Living Habits | cdc.gov. (n.d.).

Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/healthy_living.htm

Simple Steps to Preventing Diabetes | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of

Public Health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/disease-prevention/diabetes-

prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story/#weight-control