Mood swings, dry skin, and irregular periods: Joyce seemed to have every sign on the Menopause Checklist. What was also bothersome was her weight gain. She had gained weight during her pregnancies and hadn’t been able to lose those pounds. Over the years she had tried and failed at dieting. Exercise took a backseat to the demands of work and family. Eventually, Joyce gave up and bought larger sizes. But now, she was adding even more pounds. It didn’t seem fair.
Joyce’s health care provider was concerned, too. He was already treating Joyce for high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, both related to her weight. She was approaching obesity, If she continued to gain, her risk of other conditions, including arthritis, cancer, and stroke. The physician knew that she was in danger of developing heart and lung problems, too.
One of the women at Joyce’s book club told her about a low-dose CT scan she’d just gotten from HeartLung™. The woman said she scheduled her scan because she’d been experiencing many of the same symptoms as Joyce and wanted to find out more about her health. After menopause, women are at higher risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, urinary problems, breast cancer… and weight gain. Getting a complete evaluation provides a baseline to compare future scans with. It can also determine if anything abnormal is present so health care providers can start treatment as soon as possible.
Joyce was convinced to get a HeartLung™ scan. She made her appointment, downloaded the HeartLung™ app, answered a few questions about her health history, and went to a convenient location for the scan. There was no need to change into a gown. She was in and out within half an hour; the actual scan took about two minutes.
The scan was compared to thousands of others and analyzed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) before a final reading by a radiologist physician. Results were sent to Joyce and her health care provider by the end of the day.
Joyce’s doctor explained the results to her and got straight to the point: Joyce had to change her lifestyle. The HeartLung™ scan showed mild heart disease. She also showed signs of osteopenia, a condition with weak and thinning bones. And the fat she was gaining was visceral fat, unhealthy fat that is stored in the abdominal cavity. Her years of weight gain and inactivity had done some damage, but because her doctor now had a clear picture of what was happening in Joyce’s body, he could accurately treat her. He could prescribe a statin for her heart disease and calcium with vitamin D3 for her osteopenia.
But Joyce had to be responsible, too. She had to become more active, with regular exercise and weight training. Her diet had to change to address her conditions and to promote weight loss. Losing just 5-10% of total body weight has great benefits: lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and lower blood cholesterol. This translates to a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes complications, and broken bones.
Seeing the results of her HeartLung™ scan made a life-changing impression on Joyce. It was no longer a matter of how her clothes fit. Now she had a real reason to lose weight and become fit. She wanted to be healthy for her family and for her future.
REFERENCES
https://www.womenshealth.gov/menopause/menopause-basics
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html