As we age, it’s important to maintain healthy habits — including proper nutrition, regular exercise and quality sleep — and to follow recommended preventive care, such as cancer screenings and vaccines.
Keeping it simple, here are the two key things women should do each decade to stay healthy.
Internists generally start seeing patients between the ages of 18 and 25.
At these visits, you’ll undergo a physical and baseline bloodwork and review your medical, surgical and immunization history, as well as your family’s medical history.
If there are diseases that run in your family, we may need to start monitoring you or do specific testing at a younger age.
Young women should see a gynecologist beginning in high school, or no later than college.
Your 20s are when you should adopt good habits around nutrition, sleep and exercise. The earlier you establish these patterns, the better chance you have at maintaining them for life.
Some of the worst things you can do in this decade are to smoke cigarettes, vape, use drugs or abuse alcohol. Try to quit with the help of friends, family and medical professionals.
In your 30s, if you are considering having children, you should talk with your internist or gynecologist about family planning. It may be appropriate to discuss egg preservation.
Pap smears begin at 21, with additional HPV testing at 30. The interval for subsequent testing depends on several factors, including the test result.
The HPV vaccine series is approved for use up to 45 years old.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or other significant medical problems, you should be seeing an eye doctor yearly.
Consider seeing a dermatologist for a total body skin exam.
All women should start undergoing yearly mammograms at 40 to screen for breast cancer. If you have extremely dense breasts, your doctor may recommend an additional ultrasound.
Get your first colonoscopy at 45 if you’re at average risk for colorectal cancer. You may need to be screened earlier if you have a family history or certain other medical conditions.
At 50, it is time for the shingles vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine, currently Prevnar 21, which protects against bacterial pneumonia.
You should have had a tetanus series as a child, and we recommend a booster every 10 years.
Every woman has a bell curve of symptoms around her menopause, and each one is unique. Symptoms may last for months or many years — they may be mild, moderate or severe.
They can include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, palpitations, mood swings, brain fog and very commonly, weight gain. Make a diet and exercise plan with your doctor or you will likely gain weight during menopause.
Hormone therapy may help with many menopausal symptoms and is recommended for qualifying patients within 10 years of their menopause and before age 60.
Menopause accelerates bone mineral loss, weakening bones and increasing fracture risk. That’s why it’s important to get a bone density scan after menopause. Management includes adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing exercise and sometimes medication.
I want every adult to have a blood pressure machine at home, starting in their 30s. The complications of untreated high blood pressure include heart disease, stroke and blindness.
A healthy blood pressure is generally less than 120-130/80 mmHg. If you take it twice a week, that’s eight readings a month, which is a good record to provide your doctor.
Search online for the Mini Mental Status Exam. The 15-question test hasn’t changed in 50 years — I use it on all patients regularly after 65 years of age.
When a patient reaches 70, I ask them three questions every year — are you mentally active? Physically active? Socially active?
Many people over 70 stop eating healthily and exercising. You should still do those things and get good sleep. Learn a new language, find new hobbies, make new friends!
It’s never too late to quit smoking. Limiting alcohol at this age will also help you live a longer, healthier life.
In your 70s, designate a healthcare proxy and start planning for possible care needs.
Continue all your routine health screenings and annual doctor visits.
Living a long, healthy life requires consistency across the decades, and your primary care doctor is there at every stage to support and help you.
Caren F. Behar, MD, is co-director of the Mignone Women’s Health Collaborative and medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Health. She sees adult patients across all stages of life, with a focus on preventative care and health maintenance.
