If you are new to genealogy research, and even if you are just new to looking at records that go quite a ways back, you may find yourself looking at a death record and wondering what to make of it. You see, causes of death today are not the same as they once were – or even if they are, they may have had a different name. For example, your father’s grandfather may have died of consumption. It is only natural to wonder, then, what he had been consuming – was he an alcoholic? Did he eat excessively and therefore … Continue reading →

You already know that family history can play a role in your health. You may even have made a family medical history to share with your doctor so that they can work with you to reduce your disease risk. Genetics certainly does play an important role in determining our health and forecasting potential health risks. There is another layer to the whole health and heritability thing, though. Epigenetics is the study of whether or not inherited genes are expressed, and it could provide powerful information about disease risk and prevention. Epigenetics deals largely with the effect of environmental factors on … Continue reading →