Latest news with #Aging
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
‘SuperAgers' are blessed with a different brain, according to 25 years of research
Chronic diseases Dementia Getting older Genetics FacebookTweetLink The human brain shrinks as it ages, affecting the ability to remember — it's part of life. Yet there are a lucky few, called 'SuperAgers,' who possess a brain that fights back. For these people, memories stay as sharp as they were 30 or more years in the past. Carol Siegler, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Palatine, is a SuperAger. At 82, she won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament for her age group, which she said she entered 'as a gag.' 'I've auditioned twice for 'Jeopardy!' and did well enough on it to be invited to the live auditions. Then Covid hit,' Siegler told me in 2022, when she was 85. Today, Siegler is still going strong, well on her way to her 90th birthday, said Tamar Gefen, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease at Northwestern University in Chicago. Gefen conducts research at Northwestern's SuperAging Program, which is currently studying 113 SuperAgers. Over the past 25 years, however, 80 SuperAgers have donated their brain tissue to the program, which has led to some fascinating discoveries. CNN spoke to Gefen about those decades of work. She is a coauthor of a new analysis of the research that was published Thursday in Alzheimer's & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. CNN: How do you define a SuperAger, and what have you found out about their behavior over the years? Tamar Gefen: To be a SuperAger in our program at Northwestern, a person must be over 80 and undergo extensive cognitive testing. Acceptance in the study only occurs if the person's episodic memory — the ability to recall everyday events and past personal history — is as good or better than cognitively normal people in their 50s and 60s. We have screened close to 2,000 individuals who think they may be a SuperAger and less than 10% meet the criteria. Over the past 25 years, we have studied about 300 SuperAgers — a number of whom have donated their brain for research. One key trait of SuperAgers is that they seem to be highly social people. They value connection and are often active in their communities. This is interesting because we know isolation is a risk factor for developing dementia, and so staying socially active is a known protective feature. Another common thread in all SuperAgers is a sense of autonomy, freedom and independence. They're making decisions and living their lives the way that they want to live. I feel very strongly that successful aging is not just about sociability. If a person feels trapped, tethered or burdened, especially in a vulnerable state like poor health or older age, I think it can encroach on their entire psychosocial being. But as far as healthy behaviors, SuperAgers run the gamut. We have SuperAgers with heart disease, diabetes, who aren't physically active, who don't eat any better than their similar age peers. There is one SuperAger who drinks four beers every night. He laughs and says, 'Maybe it's done me wrong, but I'll never know.' He doesn't have an identical twin to compare his behavior to, so would he have lived to 108 instead of 98? We don't know. CNN: Many of your most intriguing discoveries have come from studying donor brain tissue. What have you discovered about the memory center of the SuperAger brain? Gefen: Our studies have shown that an area of the brain that is responsible for attention, motivation, and cognitive engagement — known as the cingulate cortex — is thicker in SuperAgers, even compared with those of people in their 50s and 60s. In the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain, we found SuperAgers have three times fewer tau tangles when compared to their 'normal' peers. Abnormal formations of tau proteins are one of the key signs of Alzheimer's. In Alzheimer's disease, tau also targets the neurons of the primary neurons of the cholinergic system — which is responsible for sustaining our attention in daily life. But that doesn't happen in the brain of a SuperAger. Therefore, the cholinergic system appears to be stronger, and likely more plastic and flexible for reasons that we're not sure about. That's interesting, because I see SuperAgers as focused. They can pay close attention, engage and actively listen. How else could they recall 13 out of 15 random words after 30 minutes? I picture them engraving the words on their cortex with a chisel. SuperAger brains also have bigger, healthier cells in the entorhinal cortex, an area essential for memory and learning, that has direct connections to the hippocampus. The entorhinal cortex, by the way, is one of the first areas of the brain to get hit by Alzheimer's disease. In another study we examined every layer of cells within the entorhinal cortex of SuperAgers, and we painstakingly measured the size of the neurons. We found that in layer two, which is the layer that is most important for information transmission, SuperAgers had humongous, plump, intact, beautiful, gigantic entorhinal cortex neurons. It was an incredible finding, because their entorhinal neurons were even larger than those in individuals who are much younger, some even in their 30s. That told us there is a structural integrity component at play — like the architecture, the bones, the skeleton of the neuron itself is sturdier. We're expanding the studies of these neurons to understand their biochemical signatures, determine what makes them special, and see if these signatures are found in other types of neurons in the brain of SuperAgers. Are these same neurons particularly vulnerable in those with Alzheimer's disease, and if so, how and why? CNN: What have you learned from your research about how the brain of a SuperAger reacts to injury, disease and stress? Gefen: We're looking at the inflammatory system in the brain of SuperAgers, with the goal of understanding how the immune cells in their brain respond to disease and adapt to stress. Inflammation, once it crosses a certain threshold, is a major component of cell loss in Alzheimer's disease and nearly all other neurodegenerative diseases. Compared with the brain of same-age peers, SuperAgers have fewer activated microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, in their white matter. White matter is the brain's super highway, transporting information from one part of the brain to another. Here's how it works: Microglia are activated because there is some kind of antigen or disease, typically something destructive in the brain. In some cases, however, microglia and other immune cells become hyperactive and go into overdrive, thus causing inflammation and possible damage. The brain of a SuperAger, however, has fewer activated microglia. In fact, the levels of microglia were on par with people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. That could mean there is less junk or disease in the brain of a SuperAger so the microglia have no need to be active. Or it could mean microglia are responding efficiently to in clearing out disease or toxins, and because they are more plastic and adaptable, the microglia are able to activate, respond and then calm down. All of this is fascinating — it may be that at the cellular level, the immune system of a SuperAger brain could be stronger or more adaptive, much like the layers of cells we found in the entorhinal cortex. CNN: Whether or not you were born with the right genes to protect your brain sounds like the luck of the draw. What does that mean for the future? Gefen: Genetics are tricky. It's not just whether you have a gene or not, it about how your internal and external environment works together to influence how a gene is 'turned on,' or expressed — some may be more highly expressed, some will have lower expression. This is the epigenetic part of the puzzle. There is a list of candidate genes that we are starting to study very carefully, these are genes that also have a role in aspects of longevity, senescence, cell repair and cognitive reserve to name a few. I'm excited about that, not only for the genetics that are heritable from parents, but also genetics at the cell level, that enable each neuron or immune cell to carry out its respective job within the brain. With the technology that's advancing so rapidly, I'm certain we're going to get to a point where prevention or modification at the genetic level will be part of the playbook. Clearly, there is not a one target resolution for Alzheimer's disease. I know we all want that one easy fix but it's just simply not going to happen. It's going to take many teams and many specialists to come together and create a kind of personalized cocktail for prevention or treatment. I think it's possible, but it's going to take time.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
I've helped hundreds of men overcome erectile dysfunction. Here's how
Erectile dysfunction: it's a fact of getting old, along with sagging skin and achy knees, we've been led to believe. But that's false, says Dr Ben Davis, a GP and clinical sexologist at Central Health London. Erectile dysfunction (ED) 'is not necessarily inevitable,' Dr Davis says. 'Plenty of men in their 70s and 80s continue to have satisfying sex lives, including good erections. Ageing doesn't have to mean the end of sexual pleasure.' After 10 years spent helping men to improve their sex lives at his clinical practice on Harley Street, he would know. Dr Davis wants to be clear that ED ' is common, whether it starts later in life or has been present for years'. Half of all men will experience it at some point in their lives, and it's a condition that is on the rise in Britain, in fact. Superdrug Online Doctor, which provides prescriptions to help with ED through online pharmacists, saw a 68 per cent rise in demand for its services here last year. That came with a 46 per cent increase in men aged 18-29, the age group least likely to experience ED for reasons strictly related to physical health. While 'it doesn't mean there's necessarily something wrong with you', ED can be an important indicator of your overall wellbeing. Erection problems 'can predict a heart attack or stroke by five years' as well as being 'a possible sign of testosterone deficiency and diabetes,' says Dr Davis. It works the other way round, too. 'There has been an increase in things like metabolic disease and obesity in the past decade, both of which can make erectile dysfunction more likely,' says Dr Davis. 'But it's just as true that life has become more stressful. I see more anxiety generally in patients, and there's less work security, a part of life that lots of men draw validation from.' Then there is the precarious British housing market, which has led to a third of men aged under 35 living with their parents, and a number more with their in-laws. Whether you're the returning child or the loving but frustrated parent, 'it's very hard to be sexual when you don't have real privacy'. If any of this sounds familiar, the good news is that ED can be reversed with the right treatments. Here is what you need to know, from the man who really has seen it all. You probably don't need testosterone therapy Men's testosterone levels tend to decrease as they age, at a rate of about 1 per cent every year after 30, according to the NHS. 'Testosterone is a key hormone for sexual desire and arousal. It influences key brain areas linked to sexual stimuli, as well as being important for the erections and erectile health,' Dr Davis says. 'Key symptoms of testosterone deficiency are low sexual desire, loss of morning erection, and other erection difficulties.' While testosterone does tail off with age, there is a difference between this gradual decrease and actual testosterone deficiency. 'It's both hugely under and over-diagnosed,' says Dr Davis. 'About one in four men have the symptoms associated with testosterone deficiency' – fatigue, low mood and low sex drive, as well as erectile problems – 'but this doesn't necessarily mean that their symptoms are caused by testosterone deficiency'. Only 2 to 5 per cent of men actually have abnormally low testosterone levels, recent research from Bupa suggests, and this natural decline isn't enough to cause erectile dysfunction on its own (though if you're having trouble for other reasons, it may be a contributing factor – more on which below). Despite this, 'testosterone is sold as a cure-all for a whole range of men's sexual difficulties,' Dr Davis says. 'But if you have normal levels of testosterone, then your ED is being caused by something else, and increasing your testosterone levels is unlikely to solve the problem.' You might be prescribed testosterone therapy by a doctor after a full blood test, taken on more than one occasion. It's important to see a professional to explore all of the options first, especially if you're planning to pay for treatment yourself. 'Some online clinics label men's testosterone levels as being suboptimal if they're less than 18 nanomoles per litre [nmol/L], which is well above average and unlikely to be causing symptoms,' Dr Davis explains. 'Many online clinics are focused on turning initial consultations with patients into regular testosterone subscriptions. Testosterone also has a significant placebo effect, and so men may feel better injecting testosterone, even if testosterone is really not the cause of the issue.' The key message: don't buy testosterone through online pharmacists alone. 'The risk is that men spend money on something that doesn't address the root causes of their problems, which can also make them feel more desperate if things don't improve,' says Dr Davis. Viagra might help, but it isn't necessary for everyone Viagra was a wonder when it was approved for use in the UK in 1998. It's now commonplace in bathroom cabinets and much less stigma-laden than it was 30 years ago. Viagra, Cialis and other similar medications improve blood flow to the penis and, therefore, 'can be very helpful, particularly where the problem is being caused by damage to blood vessels,' Dr Davis says. This is something that midlife men may well face, as it's an issue often caused by poor cardiovascular health over a course of years or decades. However, if you're taking Viagra to patch over relationship problems or a lack of attraction to your partner, expect its effects to wane. These medications can help by 'improving erection strength, giving you more confidence and reducing the anxiety you might have around your erections, but in the long term, if there are other underlying issues then Viagra won't solve them,' says Dr Davis. Although it can be helpful, Viagra on its own isn't enough to stop heart disease. 'I've previously had patients who have started taking Viagra in their 40s or 50s, but didn't have a full work-up from a doctor, who went on to have a heart attack 10 years later –not because of the Viagra but because they had underlying cardiovascular disease affecting the arteries in the heart as well as the penis,' Dr Davis recalls. 'The blood vessels in the penis are smaller and the effects are noticeable earlier than in those around the heart. A man with erection problems is in a key window of time to prevent future heart attacks, but too often men are too ashamed to seek help.' The little blue pill does also come with side-effects when taken in the long term. Regular headaches can cause nausea, dizziness and stomach cramps. If vascular disease is your main problem when it comes to your erections, 'there are other treatments like shockwave therapy which can help to stimulate the blood vessels, as well as new home devices like the Vertica, which can improve things in the medium term,' says Dr Davis. Diet and exercise will likely help – but may not be a cure Erectile dysfunction can be managed through diet and exercise. 'In some cases, changes here might be enough to rectify the problem,' says Dr Davis. 'Becoming more active and improving your diet can improve your cardiovascular, metabolic and pelvic health, which in turn can improve the blood flow to your penis.' The best foods to eat to prevent or reduce erectile dysfunction are the ones that make up the Mediterranean diet, being rich in fibre, nitrates and omega 3: fatty fish, oil, nuts and seeds. 'There's also some evidence that lycopene, found in tomatoes, can be helpful for prostate health, while we know that ultra-processed and high-sugar foods can worsen metabolic health,' Dr Davis says. Exercise can also give you a much-needed boost by benefiting overall circulation, improving your confidence and supporting your mental health. That said, if the damage to your blood vessels from cardiovascular disease is extensive, then diet and exercise alone are unlikely to be enough. 'Here, Viagra, or those alternatives to, it really do come in handy,' says Dr Davis. Remember that it's not all about penetrative sex Some men struggle with erections even when they are alone and want to masturbate. Others struggle only in the presence of a partner. This is often a stressful and upsetting situation for both parties. It might sound counter-intuitive, but Dr Davis suggests 'pressing pause on penetrative sex for a while'. When facing sexual difficulties, many men find that masturbation can feel more relaxed and less pressured than partnered sex. 'This can be a way to reconnect with your own pleasure without performance anxiety,' says Dr Davis, but porn can 'reinforce social scripts around sex that often make men feel pressured or inadequate, and make it much harder to get an erection in the moment'. It is something to be consumed with caution. Sexual difficulties 'can actually give more room to explore what really excites you and turns you on,' says Dr Davis. While a lot of men believe that penetrative sex is really important to women, 'most women don't orgasm from penetrative sex and it's often not as important to them as many men believe,' Dr Davis advises. This is the perfect time to 'experiment with different kinds of sex other than penetrative sex, as well as different kinds of touch,' for heterosexual and same-sex couples alike. Maintaining desire Dr Davis says: 'For some men, their sexual drive is good, they've just lost desire for their partner, which is very common.' This can be even tougher, and sometimes it's down to the 'doublepause', with women going through menopause and men dealing with declining testosterone at the same time inside of a relationship. 'Maintaining sexual desire in long-term monogamous relationships can be a challenge, but there are lots of great resources out there,' says Dr Davis, who recommends the books Mating in Captivity by psychologist Esther Perel, and Mind The Gap: The Truth about Desire and How To Futureproof Your Sex Life, by Dr Karen Gurney. Sexual difficulties don't have to mean the end of a relationship. 'This is a really good time to have open conversations about both of your fantasies and erotic worlds, and to see which overlaps you have that you haven't yet explored,' says Dr Davis. 'It's likely that there are some remaining even when you've been together for decades, if you are open to being curious about you and your partner's sexual selves. A new level of intimacy can often emerge.' In the end, that could be more fun, after all.
New York Post
31-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Hidden sleep danger could increase risk of 172 diseases, major study reveals
Experts agree that seven to nine hours of sleep is ideal for most adults — but when it comes to your health, the total number of hours might not be the most important factor. In a major new study led by teams from Peking University and Army Medical University, sleep irregularity has been linked to an increased risk of 172 different diseases. The researchers analyzed nearly seven years of UK Biobank sleep data from 88,461 adults averaging 62 years of age, focusing on multiple traits that included nocturnal sleep duration, sleep onset timing, sleep rhythm and sleep fragmentation, according to a press release. They then compared that data to disease outcomes from the National Health Service, the Cancer Registry and the National Death Index. They found that for 92 diseases — Parkinson's disease and acute kidney failure — 20% of the risk was tied to poor sleep behavior. 5 In a major new study, sleep irregularity has been linked to an increased risk of 172 different diseases. Rene La/ – Forty-two diseases were linked to at least double the risk. Those included age-related frailty, gangrene, and fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Poor sleep traits were linked to 1.5 times the risk of 122 diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, respiratory failure, certain bone fractures and urinary incontinence. Inflammatory pathways were identified as one possible link between irregular sleep and disease. 'Some common diseases showed considerable attributable risk, such as Parkinson's disease, pulmonary heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism) and urinary incontinence,' the researchers wrote. The results were published in the journal Health Data Science. 5 They found that for 92 diseases — Parkinson's disease and acute kidney failure — 20% of the risk was tied to poor sleep behavior. New Africa – 'Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity,' said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study, in the release. 'It's time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration.' Ashley Curtis, PhD, assistant professor and director of the Cognition, Aging, Sleep, and Health (CASH) Lab in the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida, was not involved in the research but shared her reaction to the findings. 'This study contributes to the growing evidence supporting the critical role sleep plays as a key modifiable risk factor across a range of medical disorders, particularly in mid- to late-life,' she told Fox News Digital. 'However, this study also emphasizes that how we measure sleep matters in terms of what conclusions we make regarding its impact on health across the lifespan.' 5 Poor sleep traits were linked to 1.5 times the risk of 122 diseases. Andrii Lysenko – Curtis highlighted the difference between self-reported sleep patterns versus objective measurements captured by wearable devices. 'Better understanding these patterns is important, because it can impact recommendations regarding what aspects of sleep we should be monitoring more closely in terms of assessing the risk of future declines in health,' she said. 'Additionally, these findings provide insight into the specific physiological sleep-related mechanisms that may be driving comorbid disease trajectories.' Potential limitations 5 Inflammatory pathways were identified as one possible link between irregular sleep and disease. Sergey – The researchers noted several major limitations in this research. The most prevalent is that the study is not representative of the nationwide population, as the participants were mainly middle-aged or elderly and therefore more susceptible to certain diseases. The sleep data was also captured at only one single point in time. There is also a chance that external factors or 'reverse causation bias' affected the results, they stated. Curtis echoed these limitations, noting that sleep was only measured across one seven-day time period and did not consider variability in sleep patterns over time. 5 Curtis highlighted the difference between self-reported sleep patterns versus objective measurements captured by wearable devices. Serhii – 'Further, there was a lack of consideration of sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea,' she told Fox News Digital. 'Given that both of these sleep disorders are highly prevalent in aging populations, there is a need for future studies that include a more comprehensive clinical assessment in order to fully elucidate the link between sleep disorder profiles and the risk of other medical comorbidities.' The research team plans to conduct future studies to confirm causality and to measure how sleep interventions may impact chronic disease outcomes. The study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Beijing Municipal Health Development Research Fund.
Fox News
30-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Hidden sleep danger could increase risk of 172 diseases, major study reveals
Experts agree that seven to nine hours of sleep is ideal for most adults — but when it comes to your health, the total number of hours might not be the most important factor. In a major new study led by teams from Peking University and Army Medical University, sleep irregularity has been linked to an increased risk of 172 different diseases. The researchers analyzed nearly seven years of UK Biobank sleep data from 88,461 adults averaging 62 years of age, focusing on multiple traits that included nocturnal sleep duration, sleep onset timing, sleep rhythm and sleep fragmentation, according to a press release. They then compared that data to disease outcomes from the National Health Service, the Cancer Registry and the National Death Index. They found that for 92 diseases — Parkinson's disease and acute kidney failure — 20% of the risk was tied to poor sleep behavior. Forty-two diseases were linked to at least double the risk. Those included age-related frailty, gangrene, and fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Poor sleep traits were linked to 1.5 times the risk of 122 diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, respiratory failure, certain bone fractures and urinary incontinence. Inflammatory pathways were identified as one possible link between irregular sleep and disease. "Some common diseases showed considerable attributable risk, such as Parkinson's disease, pulmonary heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism) and urinary incontinence," the researchers wrote. The results were published in the journal Health Data Science. "Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity," said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study, in the release. "It's time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration." "It's time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration." Ashley Curtis, PhD, assistant professor and director of the Cognition, Aging, Sleep, and Health (CASH) Lab in the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida, was not involved in the research but shared her reaction to the findings. "This study contributes to the growing evidence supporting the critical role sleep plays as a key modifiable risk factor across a range of medical disorders, particularly in mid- to late-life," she told Fox News Digital. "However, this study also emphasizes that how we measure sleep matters in terms of what conclusions we make regarding its impact on health across the lifespan." Curtis highlighted the difference between self-reported sleep patterns versus objective measurements captured by wearable devices. "Better understanding these patterns is important, because it can impact recommendations regarding what aspects of sleep we should be monitoring more closely in terms of assessing the risk of future declines in health," she said. "Additionally, these findings provide insight into the specific physiological sleep-related mechanisms that may be driving comorbid disease trajectories." The researchers noted several major limitations in this research. The most prevalent is that the study is not representative of the nationwide population, as the participants were mainly middle-aged or elderly and therefore more susceptible to certain diseases. The sleep data was also captured at only one single point in time. There is also a chance that external factors or "reverse causation bias" affected the results, they stated. Curtis echoed these limitations, noting that sleep was only measured across one seven-day time period and did not consider variability in sleep patterns over time. "Further, there was a lack of consideration of sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea," she told Fox News Digital. "Given that both of these sleep disorders are highly prevalent in aging populations, there is a need for future studies that include a more comprehensive clinical assessment in order to fully elucidate the link between sleep disorder profiles and the risk of other medical comorbidities." For more Health articles, visit The research team plans to conduct future studies to confirm causality and to measure how sleep interventions may impact chronic disease outcomes. The study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Beijing Municipal Health Development Research Fund.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts Reveal 14 Life-Saving Health Screenings You Need If You're Over 40
Aging brings with it a range of changes—some pesky, some refreshing, and all exciting in their own way. And turning 40, in particular, marks a major milestone: It's time to start getting regular mammograms. Experts say 40 is also the perfect time to ask about other life-saving health screenings, as the risk for heart disease, hypertension, skin cancer, and more increases as you age. And catching these conditions early is key to preventing serious outcomes. 'Women must always remain proactive about their health at every age,' says Taz Bhatia, M.D., a board-certified integrative medicine physician and women's health expert. Here are the 14 health screenings experts recommend for women over 40. Consider asking your doctor about them at your next annual exam.'Starting at age 40, routine mammograms are a must,' says Jessica Shepherd, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN. Catching abnormalities early can save your life. If you have a family history of breast cancer, you may want to ask your doctor about starting mammograms even earlier—before you've hit the big (high blood pressure) often has no obvious symptoms. Since the condition can creep up on you without you even realizing it, Dr. Bhatia recommends blood pressure evaluations to all her patients in their 40s. 'It's important to stay on top of [it],' she explains.'[Heart disease] is the most common cause of death in American women,' says Kecia Gaither, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN and women's health expert. And your risk gets higher as you age. Because of this, Dr. Gaither strongly recommends that women in their 40s get cardiovascular Shepherd, Dr. Bhatia, and Dr. Gaither all agree that routine pap smears are important—especially as you hit middle age. Pap smears screen for cervical cancer, and just like any cancer, early detection is key. 'Cervical cancer can affect any woman who is or has been sexually active,' Dr. Gaither says. 'But it primarily occurs in women who have had HPV, are immune-compromised, have poor nutrition, and don't get pap smears.'As we age, our vision and hearing often gets worse. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll go blind or deaf. But getting your sight and hearing checked annually can help you discover if you need glasses or a hearing consistent colonoscopies are recommended for women over 50, your 40s are a good time to talk to your doctor about the routine health screening—especially if you have a family history of colon cancer or women age, they tend to lose bone density and strength, which can lead to osteoporosis. Because of this, Felicia Stoler, R.D.N., a nutritionist and healthy living expert, recommends getting a bone density screening every 10 years starting at age 40. This is especially important if you show risk factors for osteoporosis or frequently fracture your immunizations are always important. But since our immune systems can weaken as we age, getting routine vaccinations—like the flu shot—is especially essential as you get everyone will benefit from a diabetes screening. But if you're nearing middle age and you live with obesity, you're at higher risk of developing diabetes. 'Obesity is a predisposing factor to diabetes development,' Dr. Gaither says. Your doctor can screen you for the condition and help you treat or prevent it, depending on your and menopause are full of hormonal ups and downs. And while common symptoms—like hair loss, insomnia, low sex drive, and brain fog—are often caused by the condition, they may also signal something more serious. Checking your hormone levels routinely can give your doctor more insight into what you're experiencing.A complete lipid panel—or a cholesterol test—is important in assessing your risk for heart disease, which increases as you age. It's usually part of a routine annual exam. But if your doctor doesn't mention it, you can ask to have one your moles checked by a dermatologist is a good idea at any age. But as you enter your 40s, your risk for skin cancer increases, simply because you've gotten decades of cumulative sun exposure. Remember, an estimated 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. And when caught early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%.As women age, they're more likely to develop mental health conditions than men. 'Anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's, and cognitive decline are most common,' Dr. Gaither says. There are many reasons this may happen, including fluctuating hormone levels. But getting screened for mental health conditions—especially if you don't feel like yourself—can help you get the support and treatment you need.'Thyroid dysfunction is the most common hormonal imbalance in women,' Dr. Shepherd says. That's why she recommends getting screened routinely. Thyroid dysfunction can cause weight gain, exhaustion, brain fog, and more. And when left untreated, it can lead to serious—and potentially life-threatening—health problems. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
