- With Mayo Clinic genetic counselor
Carrie A. Zabel, M.S., C.G.C.
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Carrie A. Zabel, M.S., C.G.C.
Carrie A. Zabel, M.S., C.G.C.
"We must begin now to prepare for the future; we cannot wait until the details are known or fully understood."*
— David B. Schowalter, M.D., Ph.D., former Mayo geneticist, (*posthumous)
Carrie A. Zabel, M.S., C.G.C., is a board-certified genetic counselor who specializes in hereditary cancer syndromes. One of her main professional interests is the family medical history.
"Recognizing features in the family history which may suggest an underlying single gene disorder can have a huge impact on families," she says. "Identifying a genetic susceptibility gene can allow family members to more accurately understand their risk of disease and empower those who have an increased genetic susceptibility to take control of their medical management and lifestyle factors which may influence this risk."
She received her B.S. in biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2002 and M.S. in genetic counseling from the University of Minnesota in 2004.
She was a clinical genetic counselor at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wis., before joining Mayo Clinic in August 2006 as a genetic counselor and educator for the grant-funded Mayo Eisenberg Genomics Education Program. During her time in Wisconsin, she was also an active member of the metabolic subcommittee of the state Newborn Screening Program and co-facilitated a phenylketonuria clinic.
At Mayo Clinic, she provides physician and staff education about clinically relevant topics in genomics. She also manages multiple education projects championed by Mayo Clinic physicians and is a faculty member for Mayo Medical School. In addition to her education roles, she sees adult patients in the Department of Medical Genetics.
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Genetics blog
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Nov. 18, 2008
Family medical history important tool
By Carrie A. Zabel, M.S., C.G.C.
In 2003, the U.S. surgeon general announced that Thanksgiving Day would also be recognized as the first annual "National Family History Day."
As we move closer to the 5th anniversary of this celebrated event, I hope to provide you with information about how to take and interpret your own family medical history.
This month, we will review the right questions to ask, how to ask them and how to put the data into a format that can be more easily interpreted by your health provider.
We have long known that diseases run in families and thus, your family medical history is an important tool which enables you to better understand your health risks. However, understanding those risks is only a part of the health solution.
Medical professionals hope that, by recognizing what diseases you may be at risk for, you may be more inclined to alter any unhealthy lifestyle habits that also increase your risk to develop disease.
When reviewing your family medical history, it is important to know which diseases to focus on. Diseases which are known to run in families include:
- Cardiovascular disease (hypertension and stroke)
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Mental illness
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Obesity
Professionals generally suggest that you collect at least three generations of medical history. Relatives whose medical history has the most impact on you include your first- (children, siblings and parents) and second-degree relatives (grandchildren, nieces/nephews, aunts/uncles and grandparents).
Record any of the above medical diagnoses and the ages when people were diagnosed. Also, pay attention to possible environmental contributors in affected relatives. For instance, if someone developed diabetes, what were their exercise and eating habits?
Links to additional information about family medical history can be found below. Please share your stories about your personal family history and how it has impacted your health and lifestyle!
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