Women & Aging Spring 2022: Exam #2 Objectives

Menopause
• Define menopause and perimenopause
• Describe the physical events that underlie perimenopause and menopause
• Indicate the age that women tend to go through menopause
• Describe the symptoms that occur during perimenopause
• Describe the changes that tend to occur after menopause
• Indicate who is likely to experience mood changes during perimenopause
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of taking HRT
• Describe how menopause and advancing age can affect sexuality
Osteoporosis
• Recognize the description of osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis—some bone loss, but
not enough to be considered osteoporosis)
• Recognize the description of osteoporosis
• List at least three signs of osteoporosis (bone fractures readily, loss of height,
protruding abdomen, hunched upper back/shoulders)
• List the genetic (older age, white women, prevalent in family members) and
lifestyle risk factors (low lifetime intake of calcium, underweight, sedentary, high
alcohol consumption, poor nutrition) for osteoporosis
• Describe the role of weight-bearing exercise and nutrition in managing
osteoporosis
• Describe the role of hormone replacement therapy and other medications in
managing osteoporosis
Exercise and Aging
• Describe the recommended levels of exercise for adults
• Describe the barriers to regular exercise for women
• Describe the advantages to regular exercise for women as they age
• Indicate the range for a healthy BMI
Breast Cancer
• Describe what cancer is
• Indicate the main risk factor for breast cancer (being female…advanced age is
second)
• List at least three "non-modifiable" risk factors for breast cancer
• List at least three "modifiable" risk factors for breast cancer
• Describe the benefits as well as the drawbacks for genetic testing for the breast
cancer genes
• List the American Cancer Society's guidelines for early detection of breast cancer
• List at least three signs of breast cancer
• Indicate the only way a doctor can determine if you have breast cancer (biopsy)

• Describe what it means to have a lower (like stage 0) vs. higher (like IIIB) stage
of breast cancer (you do NOT have to describe each stage)
• Differentiate breast sparing surgery (lumpectomy) from a "mastectomy"
• Briefly describe the non-surgical treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, hormone
therapy, tamoxifen)
• Describe the effects of mastectomy on emotional health and sexual function.
Cervical Cancer
• Describe how pap smears assist in the diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer
• Indicate who should get a yearly pap smear
• List three risk factors for cervical cancer
• Indicate the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer
• Describe the recommendations regarding the new HPV vaccine
Ovarian Cancer
• Explain why ovarian cancer is hard to detect and treat, and why 5 year survival
rates are poor
Cognitive Changes:
• Describe the normal changes that take place in attention, working memory,
memory retrieval, speed of processing, general knowledge
• Indicate how practical knowledge and expertise change with age
Alzheimer’s Disease:
• Define dementia and cite at least two causes of dementia, other than Alzheimer's
Disease
• Explain how normal memory changes differ from the changes in memory that
take place in Alzheimer's Disease
• Indicate the percentage of people over 65 (10-15%)who suffer from Alzheimer's,
and the percentage of people over 85 (about 33-45%) who suffer from the disease.
• Indicate the prevalence of the disease in men as compared to women.
• List the important risk factors associated with A.D.
• Describe how the diagnosis of A.D. would be made.
• Describe the changes in the brain that cause the progression of A.D.
• Describe what happens during early (stages 1-3) middle (stages 4-5) and late
(stages 6-7) stages of A.D.
• Describe the standard treatments for A.D. (for memory loss and behavioral
changes) and indicate whether there is a cure.
• Describe how caregivers are affected by A.D., and what they can do to minimize
the stress (we will discuss this in class)