As we age, prioritizing our health becomes increasingly important, but it can also become increasingly complex. From evaluating family history to rising rates of chronic conditions, cutting through the noise and managing health concerns along the way is enough to send anyone into a tailspin.
To help us get down to brass tacks, we spoke to Dr. Joseph Wu, a primary care physician and the founder of Brightmark Health in Birmingham, AL, to break down health essentials through the decades.
Our Q&A covers 30s through the 70s. To skip to a specific decade, you can use the links below!
- 30s: Developing Healthy Habits
- 40s: Maintaining Healthy Habits
- 50s: Taking Charge of Your Health
- 60s: Protecting Your Health
- 70s and Beyond: Optimizing Quality of Life
30s: DEVELOPING HEALTHY HABITS
What can people in their 30s do to benefit them as they age?
Getting somebody to change habits they’ve had for 60 years is very difficult, so it’s important to start developing good lifestyle habits now. Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week and paying attention to your eating habits are priorities. If you’re smoking, quit now! If apps and devices can help motivate you, use them!
Also, pay attention to your mental health. Younger people are not well-screened for things like depression and anxiety. Get in tune with yourself and consider how what’s going on in your head could be affecting how you feel physically.
What family history concerns should people in their 30s keep an eye on?
Any family history of early cancer diagnoses. If you had a first-degree relative who was diagnosed with colon cancer, you will want to get a colonoscopy 10 years before that relative developed cancer. If you have a first-degree family member who has breast or ovarian cancer or a genetic link for either of those, talk to your primary care doctor or OBGYN about genetic testing to determine your risk for those cancers.
Rheumatologic illnesses, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as heart disease, also have a significant genetic disposition. Talk with your doctor about early interventions, such as starting cholesterol medication or managing other risk factors for heart disease now, like diabetes and hypertension.
Are there any other health concerns to be aware of during our 30s?
Weight is a big one in your 30s. Diabetes is so prevalent, and a lot of young people — meaning people under 50 — are not going to the doctor regularly. But we need to start screening for diabetes now if you’re overweight because establishing care earlier often leads to better outcomes.
What are some questions to consider asking the doctor at this stage?
- Does my family history warrant early testing or screening for certain conditions?
- Should I be screened for diabetes?
- What lifestyle adjustments should I make now to help my health in the coming decades?
40s: MAINTAINING HEALTHY HABITS
What can you share about the rising rates of cancers in people under 50?
Research is being done, but we don’t understand the reason for the rising rates of cancer in patients in this age group.
What we do know is that colon cancers are eminently treatable if you catch them early. We also know early breast cancers tend to be a lot more aggressive, but we don’t know the complete answer to why that is quite yet. It’s certainly at the forefront of the conversation right now, so I’m hopeful those answers will come soon. For now, requesting early screening if you have a family history is a good proactive step.
What lifestyle changes do you recommend for people in their 40s?
People in their 40s should be aware of their alcohol consumption, as there is more alcohol use now than there was 10 or 20 years ago. Current recommendations are less than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. But we’re also seeing a lot of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, especially in overweight people. So, if you are overweight, diabetic, or drinking more than the recommended guidelines, it’s reasonable to request liver function tests, also known as a hepatic panel, to evaluate your liver health.
Cirrhosis (liver scarring) takes decades to see the consequences, so staying on top of your liver health is important.
I also recommend regular blood pressure checks because it’s a silent killer. Use one of those blood pressure cuffs in the grocery store to get an estimate of your baseline. I always recommend taking a few deep breaths to calm your heart rate so you get as accurate a reading as possible.
What early warning signs for chronic conditions should people not ignore in their 40s?
Don’t ignore any big changes in exercise tolerance. Suddenly being unable to climb two flights of stairs anymore without having to stop halfway through, for example, could indicate heart disease, even without any chest pain.
Don’t ignore changes in bowel habits either. For instance, if you’re having more constipation, it’s worth talking to your physician. You may just need more fiber, but it could be a harbinger of something else.
What are some questions to consider asking the doctor in our 40s?
- Does my family history warrant early cancer screenings?
- Should I get a hepatic panel done?
- Are the changes in my bodily endurance, bowel habits, or blood pressure cause for concern?
50s: TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH
What health considerations become nonnegotiable for people in their 50s?
Yearly checkups, regardless of how healthy you are. Many health screenings we recommend begin regularly after age 50, like blood pressure checks, diabetes testing, colonoscopies (every 10 years after 45), and mammograms for women.
What lifestyle habits do you recommend for people in their 50s that will benefit them most in the coming decades?
In terms of lifestyle habits, things don’t change much at 50. I’m still recommending exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, eating healthy, and limiting alcohol intake.
If you smoke, there are real benefits to quitting smoking at 50. You can still have another 30 years or more of life expectancy, and the harmful effects of smoking become attenuated with time. It’s worth it.
What chronic health concerns do people need to start thinking about in their 50s?
While people don’t tend to think of dementia in their 50s, the seeds of dementia can start now. We still don’t know enough about what causes dementia, but optimizing your health through healthy eating and exercise habits are cornerstones for protecting cognitive function.
What are the most common chronic health conditions affecting people in their 50s?
I tend to think of chronic conditions in two categories: issues that affect overall health and how patients feel. So, for people in their 50s, chronic conditions affecting their health are commonly diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Then there are those chronic conditions people struggle with, like arthritis and chronic back pain. All are important, and as a physician, I want to keep an eye on those silent issues in addition to the conditions disrupting daily life.
What issues should women in their 50s be mindful of?
Of course, menopause. Not only that, but hormonal changes also cause bone density loss, which can lead to osteoporosis down the line. So, women should have a conversation with their physicians about things like vitamin D and osteoporosis screenings, especially after menopause, to get a baseline of their bone density.
What are some questions to consider asking the doctor in our 50s?
- What lifestyle changes do I need to make to protect my health in the coming decades?
- What resources and options are available to support me through menopause?
- What should I do to protect my bone density through menopause and beyond?
60s: PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH
What lifestyle habits do you recommend for people in their 60s?
I know I’m a broken record, but again, eating healthy and getting regular exercise. I encourage even more exercise in your 60s — as much as possible — to keep the joints limber. If you get to a point where you hurt too much to move, you don’t want to exercise, and mobility becomes difficult.
How should health priorities shift in our 60s?
At this age you should be looking at your social support system — your network. Do you have friends and family around to help support you mentally and physically? That sense of community is so important as you get older.
Making an end-of-life plan is also paramount. Having a durable power of attorney and a living will is essential so you and your family are clear on your wishes should you become incapacitated. In my experience, so many people never have this discussion because they don’t want to think about the inevitable. But it benefits everyone to be on the same page.
What health concerns become more pronounced for people in their 60s?
If you have had diabetes since your 40s, for instance, and it’s been well controlled, now you may start to see some of the effects become more pronounced, and it’s the same with high blood pressure or the effects of smoking. We may see kidney function decline in the 60s due to these conditions, and it affects the types of medications we can use for treating patients.
How can we protect our quality of life in our 60s and beyond?
In Okinawa, Japan, where people have longer-than-average lifespans, there’s this concept of “ikigai,” which basically refers to maintaining some sort of purpose in life. That’s important for people in their 60s and entering retirement who say they’re going to have fun and enjoy life. You need something you can look forward to each day that keeps you driven. Societies that prioritize this seem to be happier, and many live longer.
What are some questions to consider asking the doctor in our 60s?
- How might retirement factor into my health?
- Given my health history, what should be my health priorities at this stage of life?
- What can I do to protect my quality of life from here on out?
70s AND BEYOND: OPTIMIZING QUALITY OF LIFE
As a physician, how do you prioritize and promote quality of life for those in their 70s and beyond?
We can start by assessing mobility and comfort in daily life. What are you able to do yourself? If you need assistance walking, like a cane, are you using it? One fall could change your life forever. Are you waking up to use the bathroom several times a night? We pay attention to all those things that affect daily life and encourage independence and assistance in balance.
As a physician, I also look at the medications a patient is on. They may have been on them for decades, but are they still necessary? We can also assess whether certain tests and screenings are truly required and which aren’t worth the discomfort.
How can families support their loved ones in their 70s and beyond?
In my experience, people want to stay as independent as possible for as long as possible, but they often don’t realize that they cannot physically do the things they used to do anymore. Things like driving and living alone are hard discussions that need to be had. The patients and families who seem to do the best are the ones who are open and honest about this. There are no easy answers, and there needs to be a team approach.
What can people in their 70s and beyond do to support their mental health and cognitive function?
Some medications may help delay the progression of dementia, but they are expensive and difficult to access. Still, there are other things to do to support cognitive functions as much as one can. Optimizing nutrition is number one. We know vitamin deficiencies like B12 and folic acid can hinder cognitive function. There could be other underlying problems like alcohol or certain medications that could be clouding cognition, so we might consider cutting them out or changing them. If you are depressed, you may not be concentrating well. If you suffer from hearing loss, you can’t retain what you can’t hear. Because cognition depends on how the brain processes various inputs to produce an output, we need to optimize all these things to help the brain work to the best of its ability.
What are some questions to ask the doctor in our 70s and beyond?
- Which of my medications and tests are necessities, and what can we reconsider?
- How can my support system help me maintain my quality of life?
- Might any of my medications be interfering with my cognitive abilities?
Thank you for answering our questions. Dr. Wu!
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