As families around the country gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving, the surgeon general has encouraged everyone to take some time to talk about medical history.

While the topic of past generations’ health problems probably isn’t high on people’s list of things to talk about, the conversation can potentially save one’s life in the future.

On Monday, Acting Surgeon General Dr Steven K Galson declared Thanksgiving 2008 the fifth annual National Family History Day with the hope that knowing one’s medical history could lead to preventative healthcare.

"Tracing the illnesses your grandparents, parents, and additional blood relatives have suffered from can help your healthcare provider predict diseases and disorders from which you could be at risk," said Galson.

To facilitate the conversation, the surgeon general has provided a web-based tool for families to organize their medical history. My Family Health Portrait is free and available off the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

Preventative healthcare is one of the reasons death rates from heart disease and cancer continue to decline. In some cases, people have kept certain conditions at bay through homemade remedies and herbal medicines.