The most common cancer in women second to skin cancer, is breast cancer, both in the U.S. and worldwide. In 2021, the US experienced an estimated 281,500 new diagnoses of invasive breast cancer and an additional 49,290 cases of in situ breast lesions.

On my recent 74th birthday, I’m thinking about aging. So far, I am grateful for the gentle impact it has had on me as far as vital body parts go. I thank my genetics, good fortune, privilege, long term good choices, education, and a 41-plus-year career in naturopathic medicine as a naturopathic physician.

Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal and terrifying condition. And it goes on my list of top women’s health concerns. Almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women. Of the 7.4 million people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 4.5 million are women.

One of the most common chronic health concerns I see in my patients is hair thinning. The first step in the evaluation of this is to determine the cause. This includes testing for hypothyroidism, iron deficiency anemia, iron deficiency, scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis, stress (which can cause telogen effluvium), and dietary factors such as low protein intake or malnutrition.