Midlife is a good time to take stock of your health.
Nutrition, strength, sleep, heart health, metabolic health, bone health, menopause, sexual health, stress, and family history can all change what you need from primary care. I like looking at these things together and deciding what is worth paying attention to now.
Your 40s
Blood pressure, cholesterol, metabolic health, cancer screening, sleep, stress, nutrition, strength and exercise, reproductive health, and family history often deserve a more deliberate look.
Your 50s
Menopause, bone health, heart health, strength, sleep, nutrition, body-composition changes, sexual health, and screening choices can all become part of the same conversation.
Your 60s and beyond
Strength, mobility, heart and bone health, nutrition, sleep, prevention, and maintaining the life you want to live matter. The goal is not simply to collect more tests; it is to make thoughtful choices about what will help you stay healthy and active.
Menopause belongs in primary care.
Hot flashes and periods are only part of the conversation. Sleep, mood, sexual health, bone health, cardiovascular risk, body composition, medications, and quality of life can all matter.
Treatment should be individualized. Some people want symptom treatment. Some are deciding whether hormone therapy is appropriate. Some mainly want a physician who can separate evidence from noise and help them make a decision that fits their history and preferences.
I like the idea of healthspan. I am less interested in hype.
The useful question is not how to chase every new longevity test. It is how to improve the odds of staying healthy, strong, independent, cognitively engaged, and able to do the things you care about.
Good prevention is usually less glamorous than the internet makes it sound. It is also more useful when it is tailored to the person rather than copied from a checklist.
Want someone thinking ahead with you?
Midlife and healthy aging are not separate specialties. They are part of the long arc of good primary care.
Become a patientIs menopause part of primary care?
Yes. Menopause belongs in primary care because it can affect symptoms, sleep, bone health, heart health, sexual health, mood, metabolism, and preventive decisions. I prefer to look at those issues together rather than treat menopause as a separate topic.