FAMILY TRAITS LOOKING CLOSELY AT YOUR ANCESTORS CAN BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH TODAY.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

The baby boomers are the first generation to embrace healthy living - giving up cigarettes, changing their diets and exercising. Yet as they get older, many are being diagnosed with conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

And they're wondering why.

``Middle age is when things start to happen, so it's natural that baby boomers are scared and gathering data,'' says Frank Brew of Northridge, who started tracing his family history in the 1970s, after reading ``Roots.'' He was most curious about his father's death at the age of 32.

``I'm not a genealogist; I've just dabbled in it and made notes in family files and discovered my father died of pneumonia, but no one else had those health problems,'' says Brew. ``In fact, I've not found a pattern of any disturbing illnesses, so the research in a sense has been encouraging.''

Fortunately for Brew and others, tracing a family history is easier today

because people are living longer. It also could help extend their lives.

Scientists now know that as many as 3,000 of the 10,000 diseases and conditions - including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell anemia and Huntington's chorea - have a genetic link. And they know genetics affects a person's susceptibility to other conditions such as Alzheimer's, breast and colon cancer, depression and multiple sclerosis.

``A family medical history, done correctly, can be as important as a person's own record of surgeries and illnesses,'' says Dr. Timothy Horita, a family practice physician at Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills.

For Clyda Murray of North Hollywood, family medical records explained a lot.

The retired school teacher says she has low blood sugar (considered a precursor to diabetes) and asthma - conditions neither of her parents had. She traced her family health history back to pension records from the Civil War, and learned that many relatives on her mother's side had asthma, diabetes and even flat feet.

``Once you learn your medical roots, you can start trying to take better care of yourself, but my real goal was to gather enough data to get my insurance company to do more testing on my health,'' Murray explains.

Healthy implications

Carol Daus, author of a book on genealogy called ``Past Imperfect,'' says she became interested in the importance of family health histories when her own extended family began to display unusually high patterns of heart disease and cancer.

``Like others, I was reaching a stage in my life where I was facing my own mortality. My father died at age 59 of congestive heart failure; then my mother got breast cancer at 60. And I knew some of my relatives had died in their 30s and 40s of other forms of cancer, so I became concerned for myself and my children,'' says Daus, 42, a Huntington Beach health-care writer for Health, Parenting and Coping magazines.

Her research included interviews with relatives who shared their health problems and memories of past relatives and helped build a genogram, a medical term for a family tree with emphasis on what people died of and at what age. Her genetic detective work took her to the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., local genealogy societies, genealogical libraries and also to a genetic counselor, someone who helps interpret genograms and advises couples who are contemplating parenthood.

``For some, this type of study might seem like a death sentence, but it encouraged me to watch what I eat and to exercise five days a week, using aerobics and also yoga for stress reduction,'' Daus says.

It helps physicians heal their patients, too.

According to Dr. Irvin Benowitz, chairman of general and family practice at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, ``Creating your own health family tree has tremendous importance, especially in cardiovascular disease. For instance, I had a new patient with high cholesterol who had a family history of people having heart attacks before age 50, so I sent him for tests and sure enough he was a candidate. So, when I see a new patient, I have them fill out a form on themselves and go back two generations. Then, I ask questions.''

Horita said that whenever a patient is changing doctors or insurance companies, he always dictates a summary of the person's health story and history. He lists medications and drug allergies, and also any conditions he was monitoring as an aid to the next physician in charge, and advises the public to ask their doctor for one.

Where to begin

To begin your own personal family health history, Brew says to start interviewing your immediate relatives. ``Don't stop at grandparents or great grandparents. You want to look at aunts and uncles and cousins to fill out the picture,'' he says.

Then check written records. Death certificates are a good place to start. According to Brew, baby boomers just beginning their search will have it a lot easier because death certificates are more extensive than they were at the turn of the 20th century. He says to start looking at their age as well as their cause of death, which may offer a clue to the family genetics.

He also suggests brushing up on medical terminology, as names for diseases have changed. ``For instance,'' he explains, ``tuberculosis used to be known as consumption.''

There are a number of genealogical reference libraries. One that Brew and Murray used is the Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library in Burbank. Not only does it have 30,000 books available, but there are genealogists like its past president, Jan Jennings of Valencia, who volunteer their services.

Jennings created her own genogram when she discovered several people in her family died of Parkinson's disease.

According to Jennings, ``Although I've traced the disease back to the Civil War and learned that at least two people in every generation have had it, including my dad, his brother and my sister, doctors still claim it's not hereditary ... yet they know there's a genetic tendency that runs in families.''

In Los Angeles, one of the busiest places for health history hunting is the Los Angeles branch of Utah's Family History Library, where office manager Kay Sanders sees as many as 200 people a day.

Creating a complete genogram takes diligence and patience. ``Past Imperfect'' author Daus says it can take from a few months to many years to complete.

Is it worth it? Daus believes it is.

``I feel like it's a daily reminder not to let my guard down.''

Where to go gene hunting

If you're hot on the trail of a disease or condition, check out these resources provided by Carol Daus, author of ``Past Imperfect'' (Santa Monica Press; $12.95) to help you create your own genogram, a graphic depiction of your relationship with your ancestors.

And don't forget to start with your own medical records.

Most physicians will happily give you copies of blood tests and other tests, and Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills has a special department for record inquiries, says staff physician Dr. Timothy Horita. He adds that community hospitals will be able to help you with hospital records, but it may be difficult to find records prior to 1960.

National Archives and Records Administration: Write to them at Pennsylvania Avenue at Eighth Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20408 with your request and they'll provide you with as many as 10 pages about a specific relative for a small fee. You can also visit the archives and do your own research. To order the free publication ``Aids for Genealogical Research'' call the publications department of the national archives at [phone] or [phone]; or fax your request to [phone].

National Archives, Pacific Southwest Region: 24000 Avila Road, First Floor, PO Box 6719, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. This regional branch serves most of Southern California as well as Arizona and parts of Nevada. There is no phone listing.

Vital Records: To find reports of births, deaths and marriages dating as far back as 1905, contact the Vital Statistics Section, Department of Health Sciences, 410 N. St., PO Box 730241, Sacramento, CA 94244. Phone is [phone]. You can order certified copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates through its Web site at www.bhs.ca.gov/chs. Prices range from $5 to $30.

National Genealogical Society: This organization has more than 15,000 members throughout the U.S., offering newsletters, a library, study courses and a Web site at www.genealogy.org/-ngs. Mailing address is National Genealogical Society, 4527 17th St. N., Arlington, VA 22207. Phone is [phone].

Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library: This privately run center for finding your family history is located at 417 Irving Drive, PO Box 4477, Burbank, CA 91504-2048. Phone is [phone]; Web site is www.scgsgenealogy.com. The society holds regular meetings for members, as well as seminars with guest speakers. Library is free to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Historical Society of Southern California: It's located at 200 E. Avenue 43, Los Angeles, CA 90031. Phone number is [phone].

Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles Write to them at 4530 Woodley Ave., Encino, CA 91436. Phone number is unlisted.

Los Angeles Westside Genealogical Society: PO Box 10447, Marina del Rey, CA 90295. Phone number is unlisted.

Genealogical libraries: One of the largest in the country is the Family History Center at the Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 35 North West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150. The phone number is [phone] and the library's Family History Center Web site can be found at www.familysearch.com.

There are several local Family History Centers affiliated with the LDS genealogical library; the largest is located at 10741 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles; phone [phone]. Here, you'll find the complete census from 1790 to 1920 as well as European data. It is open to everyone, and there is no fee for research. Hours are 9 a.m to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. Other genealogical libraries in Southern California include: Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino 91108; Los Angeles Public Library, 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles 90071; UCLA, Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, Floor A, Los Angeles 90024-1575.

- Compiled by Barbara De Witt

Ask the right questions

Your genealogy study should be limited to blood relatives and should include four generations to be the most accurate. When interviewing a living relative about your ancestors, bring along a tape recorder and consider asking the following questions about each relative:

1. Relative's name and relationship to you.

2. What year did they die, and at what age?

3. Where were they born and where did they live most of their life?

4. What was the cause of death?

5. What was the age of onset of that specific illness?

6. Did this relative have any other known diseases? Do you recall how old he or she was when the disease was contracted?

7. Did they smoke? Abuse alcohol or drugs?

8. How many children did they have? Were there any known miscarriages or stillbirths?

9. Any history of mental illness? Was anyone ever institutionalized?

10. What were the person's general physical characteristics, such as height, weight and coloring? Do you know the blood type?

11. Did they have glasses? A hearing aid? False teeth?

12. What was their race and religion?

13. Can you recall anybody in the family that suffered from a disease, or allergies to food, medicines or anesthesia? Or had a learning disability?

14. Did anybody in the family commit suicide? Marry a cousin?

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) DIFFERENT KIND OF FAMILY TREE

Mapping your relatives' health history can help you and your doctor

Illustration by Jorge Irribarren/Staff Artist

(2) Jan Jennings, past president of the society, displays one of the ancestral charts she has compiled in her personal genealogical work.

John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News

(3) no caption (books)

Box: (1) Where to go gene hunting (see text)

(2) Ask the right question (see text)

(3) BUILDING A FAMILY GENOGRAM