Guest Article Written & Contributed by Dr. Angela Glasnapp, MD, FACS, FASMBS
We’re excited to feature insights from Dr. Angela Glasnapp, who shares her expertise on investing in your health today for a healthier, stronger future.
Investing in your health doesn’t have to mean spending money on the newest supplement, test, wearable or wellness trend. Sometimes the most important investments are much simpler: understanding your risks, keeping up with the screenings that matter and, perhaps most importantly, finding a physician who truly knows you and has the time to understand the whole picture of your health.
Know Your Numbers
Most women know that mammograms, Pap smears, colonoscopies and skin checks are important parts of preventive care. But as women approach midlife, metabolic health screening should also become a priority. Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and other cardiovascular risk factors is an important part of building a healthy foundation for the years ahead.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States, responsible for about 1 in 5 female deaths, which is why metabolic health deserves our attention well before menopause. Your late 30s and 40s are an important time to know your numbers and establish habits that support long-term health. As women move into perimenopause, which can begin years before the final menstrual period, visceral fat may increase, lean muscle may decrease, and cholesterol and other cardiometabolic risk factors can shift. Paying attention early gives us an opportunity to address these changes before they become bigger problems.
Midlife gives us an important window to understand our risks and make changes that can protect both our lifespan and our healthspan—not only how long we live, but how well we live.
Protect Your Muscle and Bone
Bone and muscle health deserve that same attention. The habits we establish in our 30s and 40s help determine how much strength and bone we carry with us into menopause and beyond. As estrogen declines, bone loss accelerates, which is one reason approximately 1 in 2 women over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture. Strength training, regular movement, adequate protein, calcium and vitamin D can help support muscle and bone health well before menopause. Thinking about these things early isn’t premature, it’s preventive.
Focus on the Fundamentals
Midlife is also a good time to take inventory of how you’re sleeping, nourishing and moving your body, managing stress, maintaining muscle, staying connected and keeping up with the preventive care that’s right for you.
These fundamentals are some of the most valuable investments we can make in healthy aging, and they don’t necessarily require spending money on the latest wellness trend, expensive test or new technology. Most importantly, none of these aspects of our health exists in isolation. Hormonal, metabolic, physical and emotional health are deeply interconnected, particularly during midlife, and our approach to women’s health should reflect that.
That is also why I believe one of the most important investments you can make in your health is finding a physician who has the time to know you, understand your individual risks and goals, and help you connect all of these pieces.
Find a Physician Who Knows You
This brings me to something I have always valued deeply as a physician: the relationship I have with my patients.
Women in midlife don’t always walk into the office with one specific complaint. Maybe you’re not sleeping well, your body composition is changing, your energy isn’t what it used to be, your periods or mood are different, or you simply don’t feel like yourself. These concerns often overlap, and they don’t always fit neatly into a 15-minute office visit.
Finding the right physician may be one of the most valuable investments you can make in your health. Look for someone who listens to you, asks questions and actually wants to hear the answers, takes your concerns seriously and cares about how you feel, not just whether your lab results fall within the “normal” range.
It is essential to feel validated, understood, supported and advocated for, and to have someone in your corner who can see the bigger picture and help you navigate a healthcare system that can often feel fragmented. This is particularly important in midlife, when hormonal changes, metabolic health, muscle and bone health, sexual health and emotional well-being can intersect.
Care That Goes Beyond the Appointment
For me, good healthcare is also about more than what happens during a scheduled office visit. Your health continues to evolve between appointments, questions come up, symptoms change and treatments may need to be adjusted. There is tremendous value in having a physician who already knows you, understands what matters to you and has the time to help you decide what deserves your attention.
Unfortunately, the structure of traditional healthcare doesn’t always give physicians the time or flexibility to provide that kind of relationship. This is what has drawn me to a more personalized, concierge-style approach to women’s healthcare. It’s not simply about longer appointments or easier access to a physician. It’s about having the time and continuity to understand the whole person, connect the different pieces of her health and build a relationship that evolves with her over time.
Decide What’s Worth It for You
Once you have that foundation, the other investments in your health become much more personal. For one woman, that may mean working with a nutritionist or trainer, while another may benefit from a therapist, pelvic floor physical therapist, menopause specialist or obesity medicine specialist. For someone else, the best investment may be a gym membership, a supportive community or simply creating more space in her life to take care of herself.
There is no universal list of women’s health “essentials.” What deserves your time, money and energy should be individualized to your health, your risks and your goals.
The point isn’t to spend more on your health. It’s to understand where your time, money and energy will make the greatest difference for you.
And for me, that starts with having a physician who has the time to know you, understands what matters to you and is there for you beyond the appointment.
This article was contributed by Dr. Angela Glasnapp, a Certified Menopause Practitioner and Bariatric Surgeon, for Sweat for Smiles, sharing her expertise and insights to help our community live healthier, happier lives.
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