Surgeon General Urges Families to Track History

Officials have also developed a new computer-based program to help patients better organize their medical histories and present them to their doctors, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said.

While many people know their family's health can indicate possible problems with their own, "relatively few people have tried to collect it in an organized way," Carmona said, adding that common behavior, environments and cultures are also factors that influence health.

Such information is cheaper than costly genetic tests and can help patients seek preventive health screenings or get diagnosed earlier, officials said.