6 Midlife Health Mistakes A Doctor Sees Over And Over Again

If you want to have a happy older age, taking care of yourself might be especially crucial in midlife. 

For instance, this seems to be the most important life stage for lowering dementia risk. Sleeping well, controlling your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, and staying physically active during these decades can all help. 

But speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Asiya Maula, a private GP at The Health Suite, said she often sees middle-aged people making the same health mistakes.

Here are just a few patterns she sees over and over:

Midlife health mistakes a GP says to avoid 

1) Waiting until something’s wrong to check your heart health 

Though blood pressure affects millions in the UK, it’s been described as a “silent killer” because it usually has no telltale signs. 

High blood pressure and elevated cholesterol “often cause no symptoms, so feeling well does not tell you what your numbers are,” Dr Maula said.

“People can spend years looking for the perfect supplement while putting off a blood pressure check.”

So, she advised, those who are eligible for an NHS Health Check should accept the invitation. And  “if you have a family history of heart disease or are worried about your risk, speak to your GP rather than waiting until the next check is due”.

2) Not taking sleep seriously

You might think that it’s normal to be exhausted – after all, everyone seems to constantly talk about how tired they are. But given that one study deemed sleep duration a better longevity predictor than even diet or exercise, GPs think it should be treated a little more seriously.

“Poor sleep, constant pressure and low mood can become so familiar that people stop mentioning them. I often ask, ‘When did you last feel rested?’ because the answer can reveal how much someone has been coping with,” the expert told us.

“A difficult fortnight is different from months of struggling to sleep, concentrate or enjoy things you usually like. You do not have to wait until you reach a crisis to ask for help, and it is worth discussing persistent tiredness rather than assuming stress is the only possible cause.”

3) Blaming every new problem on hormonal changes

Menopause, which usually begins in midlife, is associated with a whopping 62 symptoms – and the average woman experiences about 11 of these.

“Perimenopause can affect sleep, mood and concentration, and those symptoms deserve to be taken seriously,” Dr Maula said. 

But “The mistake is assuming that every new problem must be hormonal, or that there is nothing you can do about it”. 

No matter what you think its cause may be, you should tell your GP about changes to your health and how these are affecting you. That way, they have the chance to spot anything that might warrant further investigation.

4) Doing cardio ’til the cows come home – but ignoring strength training

Don’t get us wrong – running, walking, cycling, and sports like tennis are great for your heart health and can even add years to your life. 

Still, the doctor said she often meets “people who walk or run regularly and are surprised when I ask how they maintain their strength.

“Aerobic exercise is valuable, but muscle also supports mobility and independence as we age.” 

Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, can render us more frail and may even increase dementia risk. Happily, strength training can help to reverse this trend.

“You do not need to become a gym person overnight,” Dr Maula pointed out.

“Two manageable strength sessions a week could involve weights, resistance bands or exercises such as getting up from a chair. Start at a level that suits you and build from there.”

5) Ignoring a health change because a screening test was clear

Home health tests and other screening tools have made it easier than ever to investigate issues you’re concerned about at home. This, the doctor said, can be “valuable, but it does not replace telling a GP about symptoms.

“If you notice blood in your stool or a persistent change in your usual bowel habit, get it checked even if a previous screening result was normal,” she continued.

This isn’t to say you need to panic about each last twinge, though: “My message is not to become anxious about every ache.

“It is to know what is usual for you, keep up with routine checks, and speak up when something has genuinely changed”.

6) Chalking everything down to age or being busy 

Finally, Dr Maula ended: “The pattern I see most often in midlife is people explaining away a change because they are busy or getting older.

“A symptom may have a straightforward explanation, but if it is new, persistent or affecting your life, it deserves a conversation rather than an assumption”.