Preventive healthcare is a healthcare approach where the focus is on maintaining health, preventing diseases before they occur, and detecting diseases early1. By minimizing the risk of serious diseases and catching diseases before they have progressed, this approach not only results in the maintenance of long-term health but also reduces healthcare costs.
This blog will discuss the importance of preventive healthcare in women, including recommended screenings, hormone health, and personal health timelines.
Understanding Your Changing Health Through Age
The Importance of Women’s Preventive Care
Women’s preventive medical care is critical at every life stage. With the evolving nature of our bodies, health risks change over time. Our overall wellness is determined by a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and reproductive health factors. Genetic factors are often among the highest risk factors for many diseases2. Although these cannot be altered, an awareness of your personal risk of developing diseases can allow preventive healthcare measures to be put in place to catch diseases as early as possible or to prevent them from developing3.
How Health Risks Evolve Over Time
As our bodies age, we experience different major health risks:
20s-30s – Cervical cancer is the major health risk when women are in their 20s-30s. It is rare for it to develop in women younger than 20, but the risk does not disappear with age – it is most frequently diagnosed between 35-44 years of age, and over 20 percent of cases are in women aged over 654.
40s – Heart disease is the major health risk for women in their 40s. This is the leading cause of death among women in this age group and is heavily dependent on lifestyle factors5.
50s+ – Osteoporosis is a major health risk for women over 50. A decrease in estrogen levels after the menopause decreases bone mineral density6. Lifestyle factors can further increase the risk of osteoporosis7.
Women’s health preventive care can lower the risk of these major health risks and can be put in place to catch the development of any of these diseases early.
The Role of Healthcare Providers
As women age, implementing routine preventive healthcare solutions to monitor key health indicators can help to prevent the development of diseases. These solutions can evolve to address increasing risks at different ages. The implementation of a personalized health plan can be discussed with your healthcare provider.
Essential Screening Milestones by Age
Screenings for Women in Their 20s
Women in their 20s are at a lower risk of developing many age-associated diseases, however, they should put preventive healthcare screening measures in place to reduce the risk of developing diseases as they age and to catch the early signs or risk factors of diseases. Screenings may include:
- Annual well-women exams – involve a physical exam, documenting lifestyle habits and health history, and setting health goals8.
- Cervical cancer screening – can involve a pap test and an HPV test. In the pap test, cells are collected from the cervix and tested for any abnormalities. In the HPV test, doctors check for the presence of HPV, a virus that can increase the risk of developing cervical cancer9.
- STI screening – regular screenings are recommended for those at a higher risk of developing STIs. Untreated STIs can significantly increase other health risks, including cancer10.
Screenings for Women in Their 30s
The risk of developing certain diseases rises as women enter their 30s due to changing hormone levels.
- Continued cervical cancer screening
- Cholesterol checks and blood pressure monitoring – to identify the early signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD)11. These are particularly important if a family history of CVD is present.
- Breast cancer screening – regular screenings are recommended for those over 45, however, those with increased risk (eg. a family history of the disease) may be advised to start in their 30s12.
Screenings for Women in Their 40s & Beyond
As women enter their 40s and above, significant hormone changes occur due to perimenopause and menopause. These can increase the risk of developing certain diseases.
- Breast cancer screening – yearly mammograms are recommended for those over 4512.
- Colon cancer screening – regular screening is recommended from the age of 45. This can either be a stool-based test or a visual examination.
- Bone density screening – screening is recommended over the age of 65. Those at higher risk may be recommended for screening at an earlier age. The test generally involves an X-ray of the bones most likely to break due to osteoporosis13.
Hormone Health Monitoring
Understanding Hormonal Changes by Decade
As we age, our hormone levels undergo significant changes. During your 20s-30s, estrogen and progesterone fluctuate according to your menstrual cycle. From your mid-30s to early 50s, the body produces less progesterone and estrogen (although levels can fluctuate widely from month to month) and you enter perimenopause14. Menopause is the point when your body only produces very low levels of estrogen, resulting in your ovaries no longer producing eggs; this generally occurs in your 50s15. These evolving hormone levels affect fertility, metabolism, mood, and the risk of developing diseases.
Testing & Managing Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalance can result in a variety of symptoms, including irregular periods, skin problems, weight changes, and perimenopause symptoms16. It is possible to test for hormone imbalances using blood tests, urine tests, saliva tests, and, in some instances, symptom tracking16.
Lifestyle Strategies for Hormonal Health
In some instances, underlying health conditions resulting in hormonal imbalance, such as thyroid disease, can be treated with synthetic hormone pills. Your healthcare provider may also recommend lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and getting sufficient sleep, all of which can assist in keeping hormones balanced17.
Creating Your Personal Screening Timeline
Why a Personalized Approach Matters
A woman’s health timeline can be influenced by family history, lifestyle, and genetics3. Therefore, it is important to personalize preventive healthcare plans to the individual. Lab tests can be used to assess personalized risk factors, such as genes that may increase the risk of developing cancer, and these risk factors can be used to guide preventive healthcare plans. For example, if lab tests show an increased risk of developing breast cancer, then individuals should undergo regular mammograms starting at an earlier age12. Personalized preventive healthcare plans are, therefore, essential to provide recommendations on when the most effective time for individuals to start routine screenings for specific diseases is.
Using Health Apps & Digital Tools for Tracking
An increasing number of digital tools and health apps are becoming available to track your screenings and health markers. These enable you to keep all of the relevant information about risk factors, screening results, vaccinations, and symptom tracking in one place18. Not only do these tools empower individuals to become proactive about their health, they also help them to make informed decisions about their health and when to see medical attention.
How Ezra Can Support Proactive Health Management
Ezra provides full-body MRI scans to screen 13 organs for signs of disease, such as the presence of tumors. These scans can detect abnormalities and early signs of disease, potentially before the development of symptoms. Early detection enables an early diagnosis and improves the likelihood of successful treatment outcomes. Not only does this help in maintaining long-term health but it also helps to reduce healthcare costs in the long run, as later diagnosis when diseases have progressed further results in more expensive treatments and an increased risk of hospitalization.
Summary: Preventive Healthcare for Women Across Life Stages
Women’s bodies undergo large alterations in hormones throughout their lives, resulting in an increased risk of different diseases at different life stages. Therefore, it is important for women to implement preventive healthcare at every stage of life, with a personalized preventive health plan ensuring that necessary screenings are carried out at the appropriate time. Preventive healthcare services ensure that diseases are caught at the earliest stages, when at their most treatable, or are prevented through medication and lifestyle alterations. Therefore, it is essential that women keep up-to-date with all of their recommended routine checkups and screenings to maintain their long-term health.
Take control of your health with proactive screening. Book an Ezra full-body MRI today to detect potential health risks early and stay ahead in your wellness journey. Book your scan now.
