We’ve all heard the saying that “prevention is the best medicine.” And this is true. There’s a reason why we are urged to take care of our health from an early age. We go to the doctors once a year for checkups, even if there’s nothing visibly wrong. This is a good way to identify issues before they become big. Small health hiccups are much easier to resolve than bigger issues are.
In the same light, identifying current health issues early on can help people to avoid bigger health issues during their senior years. This isn’t always easy, but having a good team of professionals that you can rely on is helpful. Staying ahead of your care and health needs can make your senior years a lot less problematic and even help reduce the need for extra help. It’s safe to say that avoiding the need for care altogether because of good health is a far better goal than using a care service.
Addressing certain health factors earlier in life can often lead to better health outcomes as people age.
So, with that said, we’ve looked at a few of the factors that current research has pointed to when it comes to identifying and maintaining long term health in women. Identifying these trends early on in life can help to better identify what needs might be later on in life, and even help doctors to take steps to help individuals improve their odds of a healthy and long life.
For middle aged women, the four main predictors of future health are body mass index, depression, arthritis, and smoking, according to a recent study. By looking at these factors earlier in life, medical experts can make a fairly accurate assumption of what future health will look like–if no changes are made to that individual’s lifestyle.
The good news is that all of these things can be treated, with varying degrees of success. Smokers have more options than ever before if they would like help quitting. Depression can be treated through medication or counseling. Access to these things online is easier than ever before. Body mass issues can be addressed through diet, exercise, and other factors. Arthritis might be one of the more difficult things to treat, but there are methods of treatment that can help make life better for most everyone, especially if things are detected and treated early on.
The big thing to remember about this information is that nothing is set in stone. Just because someone struggles with health issues at an earlier stage in their life does not mean that they are doomed to have even more complications as they age. Being aware of these issues can be a good start toward improving health and compensating for areas of need as we age. As always, if you have concerns about health and would like to learn more about what you can do to help improve your quality of life as you or a loved one ages, please speak with a doctor. A medical professional will be able to give you pointed and accurate advice regarding steps that you can take to make your senior years more enjoyable and healthy.
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