Particular Information about Women's Health and Fitness

What is Particular About Women’s Health and Fitness?

PUBLISHED ON September 23, 2019

Eat well, exercise regularly and avoid high-risk behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking and unnecessary drug use. This is common sense that applies to virtually everyone. In other words, practice Active Wellness.

What is particular to women’s health and fitness? Women’s health includes a range of specialties, such as birth control and gynecology, breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers, menopause and hormone therapy, osteoporosis, pregnancy and childbirth, heart disease specific to women and more.1

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women. If you have a family or personal history of breast cancer, your risk for developing this condition is higher. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women of average risk have a mammogram screening every two years between the ages of 50 and 74. They also recommend for women with an average risk of developing breast cancer to have their first screening in their 40s. Many doctors and medical groups recommend yearly mammograms starting at age 40. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your doctor may recommend you start earlier. These medical professionals also encourage women to conduct self-exams on a monthly basis starting at age 20.

Health practitioners generally advise women to get a Pap test to check for cervical cancer every three years when 21 or older. Between 30-65, women can get both a Pap test and HPV test every five years. Women older than 65 may be able to stop testing if the doctor determines you are low risk.2

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, and women are more likely than men to die following a heart attack. Women are known to exhibit symptoms leading up to a heart attack that are less well known than men—often this results in ignoring the symptoms until it’s too late. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.3 In fact, women may experience a heart attack without chest pressure—instead, they may feel a shortness of breath, pain in the abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.4 A heart attack can be misconstrued as acid reflux, the flu or normal discomforts related to aging.

Men and women share many of the same risk factors for stroke, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, women have several unique risk factors that make them more likely to have a stroke than men. Risk increases with the use of birth control pills, pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy.5 A healthy Mediterranean diet and a consistent exercise regimen are preventative measures. Choose supplementation with Kenzen Bergisterol® and Kenzen® Omega Green+DHA to help support heart health.

Women also are more at risk than men for developing osteoporosis, due to their tendency to have smaller, thinner bones. Estrogen, a hormone in women that protects bones, decreases sharply when women reach menopause, which can cause bone loss. Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, about 80% are women, and a woman’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.6 The good news is that osteoporosis can be prevented—denser, stronger bones can be built by getting enough calcium and vitamin D, exercise and practicing Active Wellness. The key is to start early in life, from childhood through the teen years and onward. The Kenzen® Bone Health Pack with Kenzen® Calcium Complex and Kenzen® BDZ is exceptional. Partner products deliver naturally sourced calcium and minerals complemented by a formula that actively binds calcium to the bone matrix.*

Look for other aspects of women’s health and fitness in future blogs. For now, remember to eat well, exercise consistently, get regular physicals with your health practitioners and keep your bones strong!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.