Genetic research is creating new ways for people to take action and prevent disease and new ways to treat disease through personalized medicine. Why is my family health history important? We have known for a long time that common diseases like heart disease, asthma, cancer, and diabetes can run in families. Rare diseases like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia also run in families. For example, if a parent has high blood pressure, his or her child is more lik