Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - CH - 31

The Brain Connection

Most of us know that if we have family members with mental health
issues, we are at higher risk for those issues as well.
"We get a lot from our parents-intelligence, resilience and humor,
and also anxiety and depression," Pinkerton says.
Understanding the mental health conditions your mother has had
throughout her life will help you better understand the conditions you
might encounter and give you a leg up on treating them if they arise.
For example, if you discover your mom went through frequent periods of low mood and crying during your childhood but didn't seek
help, you might be quicker to spot signs of depression in yourself and
get help early.
It also matters if your mom ends up with a neurological disorder,
such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
"You might not care about those things when you're young, but
there are some patterns of heritability for Alzheimer's and certain
types of dementia," Pinkerton says. "And, again, this means there are
lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your risk."
Those lifestyle changes are the same ones mentioned for preventing cancer: Maintain a healthy weight, eat healthy foods, manage
stress, limit alcohol and quit smoking.
With the combination of knowledge of your mom's health history
and commitment to good habits, you-and your daughters-can live
your healthiest lives. ■

Nearly 1 in 4 women
suffer with anxiety

Genetic Testing
May Offer Answers
Through genetic counseling and testing, the hospitals
of Community Healthcare System can help those at
increased risk for breast, thyroid or other types of cancer find out about their options and gain peace of mind.
The Cancer Genetics Risk program works with the
Women's Diagnostic Centers of Community Hospital,
St. Catherine Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center to
provide cancer risk assessments, genetic consultations and genetic testing.
"Genetic testing may help some individuals learn
whether or not they have an increased likelihood of
developing a certain type of cancer or whether inherited factors have contributed to their cancer," says
Janice Zunich, MD, medical geneticist on staff.
For many people, cancer risk assessment can be provided through genetic counseling alone without the use
of genetic tests. However, in some cases, testing may
help the patient and his or her physician make important decisions about medical care.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions,
genetic counseling may be useful for you:
3 Have you or a close relative been diagnosed with
cancer before age 50?
3 Do you have more than one blood relative with
the same type of cancer? If yes, is the same type of
cancer found in more than one generation?
3 Has anyone in your family had more than one
type of cancer, not including basal cell or squamous
cell skin cancers?
3 Has anyone in your family had cancer on both
sides of the body: breasts, kidneys, eyes?
3 Are you related to someone known to have an
inherited mutation that can cause cancer?

in a given year.

Women are twice as
likely as men to be
diagnosed with
depression.

Have you ever dealt
with a mental health
issue?

WEBSITE

Know Your Risk
For more about genetic consultation
and testing at Community Healthcare
System's High Risk Breast Clinics at the
Women's Diagnostic Centers (located
in East Chicago, Hobart, Munster and
Valparaiso), visit COMHS.org or call
219-934-8856.

FALL 2019

31
http://www.COMHS.org
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - CH

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