“The menopause transition is a ‘portal to the second half of life,’ providing a critical window to adopt lifestyle behaviors to be your healthiest, best self.”
— Cynthia Stuenkel, MD, NCMP
The menopause transition is a ‘portal to the second half of life,’ providing a critical window to assess lifestyle, identify health concerns, and reinforce a proactive approach to future wellbeing. Preventive measures — particularly lifestyle measures — promote cardiovascular, cognitive, and bone health while combatting obesity and associated issues, including cancers. Midlife is such a crucial period that the National Institute on Aging and the National Academy of Medicine now prioritize health longevity — extending the lifespan and improving the quality of health.
At the Translational Science Symposium on Midlife Wellbeing held in advance of the 2021 Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society, expert Dr. Cynthia Stuenkel, Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, shared with healthcare providers a framework to address lifestyle benefits and strategies targeting heart, brain, cancer prevention, and bone health at every visit.
Key Midlife Health Risks
- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
CVD is the primary killer of women and starts a decade or more following the transition to menopause. However, CVD risk factors often emerge during the menopause transition. Women shouldn’t wait for the transition, though, to focus on heart health. Women approaching menopause can ‘pay it forward’ and, as a result, stave off weight gain, an expanding waistline, deterioration of lipids, and progression of cardiovascular disease. - Cognitive Decline
What is good for the heart is good for the brain. The World Health Organization 2019 guidelines to reduce cognitive decline recommends regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, regulating blood sugar levels, and keeping cholesterol within recommended limits while giving up unhealthy habits such as drinking and smoking. A study from the United Kingdom Biobank program suggested that lifestyle measures could reduce the risk of cognitive decline, even in those at high genetic risk for dementia.
