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ABOUT THE DOCTOR  |
Aging Gracefully What Women Over 40 Need to Know
For women over 40, the aging process has a way of nudging us to think about our health. The
signs might be as innocent as a few wiry gray hairs, a rogue whisker sprouting on the chin,
thickening of the waistline or deepening laugh lines.
Or they may be more serious, such as the onset
of osteoporosis, heart disease, depression or
breast cancer. What is happening to me? many
women wonder."This is such a unique time for women," says Barbara DePree, MD, gynecologist and certified menopause provider with Holland Hospital's Women's Midlife Services. "Women are faced with aging parents, young adult children, career questions and health issues. Add in the hormonal changes, and there's a lot less predictability. It's sort of a 'perfect storm' for women of this age." Most of the physical changes occur from declining estrogen levels. Think of estrogen as women's "fountain of youth." It keeps muscles and bone strong, and hair, nails and skin healthy. In fact, after age 30, 10 percent of lean muscle mass is lost each decade in women who are inactive. Women going through menopause begin losing bone at the rate of up to 6 percent a year, which can lead to osteoporosis. That's why it's important for women to "bulk up their bones" by getting 1,200 mg of calcium daily beginning in their 30s. Declining estrogen is also partly to blame for weight gain around the midsection. "Fat has the ability – although not very efficiently – to convert hormones into estrogen. It's a way for the body to try to maintain estrogen levels," explains Dr. DePree. "The 40s are really a wake-up call," she continues. "Women find that the diet and exercise routine they've followed for 20 years is no longer successful, so they have to find new strategies." New strategies While you can't stop the aging process, you can head it off with daily aerobic and weightbearing exercise to burn fat and build muscle mass. Instead of skipping meals to lose weight (which actually has the opposite effect), a good diet is one that incorporates frequent small meals for more efficient use of calories. "I recommend women eat six small meals daily, or every four hours," says Sandi Purdy, a clinical registered dietitian at Holland Hospital. And start your day off right. "Eating within the first hour of waking jump-starts your metabolism," Purdy says. "Recent research shows that people who skip breakfast regularly are four and a half times more likely to be overweight." Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might also be an option for midlife women. It can ease menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, trouble concentrating, irritability and depression. Because estrogen improves connective tissue, HRT also helps women retain a more youthful appearance. The life expectancy for American women today is 79.7 years. This means women have nearly one third of their lives yet to live after menopause. Remaining active and vital – and reducing the risk of disease – are possible with daily exercise, a healthful diet and getting recommended health checks such as mammograms, bone density screenings and cholesterol tests. Change can be good. "We tend to totally underestimate the value of exercise and diet as a way of managing our health better," says Dr. DePree. "Small changes in lifestyle can produce big rewards." FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit Our Services. To schedule an appointment for a health check, call (616) 355-3865. "The 40s are a wake-up call.
Women find that the diet and exercise routine they’ve followed for 20 years is no longer successful."
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