Women's Health Archive

Start a conversation with your doctor about your risk factors.

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Statistically speaking, your heart is the biggest threat to your health. In 2014, more women died from cardiovascular disease than from cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes combined, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

But have you talked with your doctor about your risk factors? Many women haven't, according to a pair of surveys published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). The surveys also show that this top-ranked threat to women's health isn't getting nearly the attention it deserves from many women and their doctors.

Ask the doctors

Q. I've found that I bruise more easily as I've gotten older. Is that normal?

A. If you're noticing more black-and-blue marks on your body, it's most likely not a skin or blood problem. Age-related changes to your skin and underlying blood vessels can make you more prone to bruising.

A daily low-dose aspirin may help prevent stroke and certain cancers, but the therapy carries certain risks you'll want to discuss with your physician.

It used to be that you would reach for an aspirin only if you had a headache or an achy joint, but current research shows that low doses of the drug may reduce your risk of stroke and even help prevent colorectal cancer.

So, does this mean you should head to the pharmacy, grab a bottle, and pop a tablet every morning to ward off disease? The short answer is, maybe — but only after you have a detailed conversation with your doctor about the potential benefits and risks. A low-dose aspirin regimen is certainly not appropriate for every woman.

Gender differences in the brain's reward system could mean that women who need help kicking alcohol may need different types of treatment.

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Men and women aren't created equal — at least when it comes to drinking alcohol. If you drink a glass of wine, you will typically have a higher blood alcohol level than a man who drinks the same amount, because of differences in the way your body processes alcohol. And if you drink more than the recommended amount, you may also be more susceptible to health problems — including liver disease and brain changes — than a man who does the same.

A new study from researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University has added another potential concern to that list, by showing that alcoholism may also have different effects on the reward systems in men's and women's brains.

Soaps that strip away microbes aren't good, but it may be too soon to try products that add bacteria back.

You may have noticed that antimicrobial skin cleansers have disappeared from the shelves. In September 2016, the FDA ruled that over-the-counter antiseptic soaps and wash products containing triclosan, triclocarban, or 17 other antimicrobial agents could no longer be marketed because their manufacturers didn't demonstrate that the ingredients were both safe and effective in preventing the spread of infections. Moreover, the widespread use of antimicrobials is thought to promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can cause infections that are difficult to treat and even life-threatening.

You may also have noticed some new sprays, creams, and lotions whose purpose is just the opposite. Rather than eradicating microbes from our skin, these products, called probiotics, are designed to aid the growth of certain beneficial skin bacteria.

Research we're watching

It was once thought that hearing loss in older women might be linked to loss of estrogen and progesterone following menopause and that hormone therapy might reduce that risk. Recent results from the Nurses' Health Study II indicate just the opposite — that late natural menopause and the use of oral hormone therapy are linked to a higher risk of hearing loss.

Researchers enrolled 80,972 women ages 27 to 44 in 1991. All completed periodic questionnaires on their health status and lifestyles. By 2013, 18,558 participants had reported hearing loss. When the researchers analyzed the results, they found that women who underwent natural menopause at age 50 or older had a 10% greater risk of hearing loss than women who reached menopause before 50. Compared with nonusers, women who used hormone therapy — either estrogen alone or estrogen and progesterone — had a 15% greater risk of hearing loss if they used hormones for five to 10 years and 21% higher risk if they used them 10 years or longer.

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Although bone-weakening osteoporosis is quite common among older people, it isn't an inevitable part of aging. There's a lot you can do to shield your bones from this disease.

The best insurance against osteoporosis is building the highest bone density possible by your 30s and minimizing bone loss after that. But if you you're already in midlife or beyond, there is still much you can do to preserve the bone you have and perhaps even to replace lost bone. Daily weight-bearing exercise, like walking, is the best medicine. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D are two other critical strategies for keeping bones strong.

Building strength and power is key to healthy aging, both physically and mentally. It may be easier than you think.

We probably don't need to remind you that your body changes with age. Age-related muscle loss begins at around age 35 and progresses slowly — at about 1% per year. But after about age 60, muscle loses mass more rapidly, so that adults who don't do regular strength training may lose 4 to 6 pounds of muscle per decade. Moreover, the lost muscle is usually replaced by fat.

Studies show that strength training not only can slow muscle loss, it can also help prevent or control conditions as varied as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. And recent research indicates that it can also improve cognitive function, especially when added to aerobic exercise. As we age, strength training helps to preserve mobility and reduce the risk of falling. "What has been shown is that if you're looking at mobility problems, the most beneficial exercises that are those that focus on progressive training for strength and power," says Dr. Jonathan Bean, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.