Forty is a magical number for women’s health. Your career, friendships and relationships may all be flourishing . Yet turning 40 also means your chance of developing illnesses like cardiovascular (CVD) disease, osteoporosis or a thyroid condition increases significantly. You might not even be aware of the risks associated with these diseases. For instance, according to the American Heart Association, 23% of women 40 and above die within 1 year of having a heart attack compared to 18% of men.

Many diseases simply become more common as we grow older. And certain lifestyle habits, such as smoking or poor diet, begin to take their toll by age 40. You can’t turn back the clock, but you can learn how to protect yourself from the health problems that could destroy your quality of life. Along with the help of your physician, you need to focus not only on prevention, but on early detection of certain medical conditions.

Regular health checks are considered a good practice for everyone, but they do become increasingly important as we get older. Once you hit 40, it is recommended that you visit your doctor or healthcare specialist regularly for health checks and tests. These checks can prove beneficial in detecting, preventing and managing major health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.