Staying healthy as a woman over age 40 starts with asking the right questions, doctors say. Females in this age group face new health challenges and can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the traditional health care system, according to Dr. Alexa Fiffick, a family medicine physician and menopause practitioner at Concierge Medicine of Westlake in Cleveland, Ohio.
Those include proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, a type of medication that prevents acid reflux. 'They can help degrade bone if you're on them for a very long time,' Fiffick warned. Some studies have suggested that metformin, a medication that is used to help lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, could also impact bone density, according to the doctor. Other threats to bone health include significant alcohol or tobacco consumption, she said.
If a woman comes into my clinic and I have her walk me through an average day of eating, even if she’s a meat eater, she’s likely only getting around 50 grams,' Fiffick said. 'With the average body weight exceeding 130 or 140 pounds, that’s not nearly enough.' Fiffick encourages her patients to start tracking their protein to get a baseline, and then look for ways to augment that.
But it's not cheating,' the doctor said. 'For some people, it's the right fit and can help them see significant improvement.' As every patient’s needs and goals are different, Fiffick said it’s essential for each woman to talk to her doctor and weigh the risks and benefits of medicinal or surgical options. Some of the most important weight-loss strategies include getting enough protein and drinking enough water, according to the expert.