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Thanksgiving is a great time to discuss your family's heath history.

The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends taking advantage of having your relatives around this holiday season to discuss health issues.

It's important to talk to your blood relative about issues  like high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and sickle cell anemia.

These diseases are common and often run in families.

You should start with your immediate family such as parents, brothers and sisters and children.

Then you should move outward to aunts and uncles, grandparents and other members of the family.

Click here to find a tool from the U.S. Surgeon General that will help you organize your family's health history.