Knowing which diseases run in your family can save lives, so the government is working to make medical family histories easy for anyone to put together, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, General Richard H. Carmona. According to Florida's Herald Tribune, Carmona told people at the 170th anniversary gala for Tulane University's Health Sciences Center that many people who should be getting early checks for cancer or heart disease aren't doing so because they don't realize what diseases run in their families. "Knowing your family's medical history can help you know whether you are at risk or not," he said.