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Executive Health
Executive health: A decade by decade guide
YOUR 50s
Treat Symptoms Now
This is the decade to hone in on any medical issues and treat them before they worsen because the risk for many health problems increases with age. ”You need to pay more attention to signs you have blown off before,” says Dr. Eudene Harry of Oasis Wellness and Rejuvenation Center in Orlando. “If you meant to make a change in your 40s and didn’t get around to it, this is when you could see the physical manifestation of it.”
Physicians advise having a colonoscopy, a CT scan of the lungs (for smokers), a screening for prostate cancer and a bone density scan. “With bone density, you want to establish a good baseline in your 50s, particularly if you are someone who has risk factors,” Kallas says. Rippe often gives his patients at the Rippe Lifestyle Institute in Orlando a high speed CT scan of the coronary arteries. “We are looking to see if there is calcium in the arteries for anyone who is smoker or former smoker. It can help detect lung cancer early,” Rippe says.
Dr. Dario Pancorbo, medical director for Baptist Outpatient Services’ Executive Health and Wellness program in Miami, says the 50s are when his patients begin to realize they may have symptoms of diseases that need to be treated. “It is the time when mildly uncontrolled cholesterol becomes coronary disease and when mildly uncontrolled sugar levels become diabetes,” he says. “It’s also the time when patients have to go on medication to control those illnesses.”
Pancorbo finds patients often need to change their diets in their 50s, when the reality of a slowing metabolism and high stress lead to increased body fat and lower energy levels. “We recommend meeting with a nutritionist and having a customized diet that works for you.”
In scrutinizing calorie intake, consider drinking alcohol in moderation only, Moon at Mayo Clinic advises. “This is one area where executives can make headway in cutting calories. Oftentimes when conducting business over dinner or attending functions, you might have a glass of wine or cocktail or two and that adds up. Those are empty calories. If you want to slow down weight gain and cut calories, alcohol is a great place to start.”
Women may experience hormonal imbalance as a result of menopause in their 50s and some may need hormone supplementation to help bring their bodies back into balance.
