• Kroger says older women generally do not need to continue pap smears if they have had a hysterectomy for benign reasons or after they have had three normal pap smears in a row after age 65.
  
• Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women over age 35, Kroger says. And since heart disease symptoms present themselves differently in men and women, they are sometimes harder for women and their doctors to recognize. The most common warning sign of heart disease is chest discomfort, but according to the American Heart Association, women are more likely than men to experience some of the less common symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
  
• Although heart disease impacts men and women differently, Kroger still gives the same advice for keeping your heart healthy: exercise, maintain a healthy diet, control your blood pressure, and stop smoking.
  
• He prescribes Kegel exercises to help control bladder leakage, and says topical estrogen creams and increased sexual activity may also alleviate symptoms.
  
• As for that nagging belly fat, Kroger says it is often harder for older women to keep their midsection toned because of the natural loss of muscle mass. "You can do all the sit-ups you want, but if the muscle isn’t there, it’s not going to do anything," he says. The good news is that in addition to a healthy diet, yoga and Pilates can help older women maintain a healthy body overall and build muscle mass.

The doctor is always in
Sedgebrook resident Ginger Kotz is one of many women who attended Kroger’s lecture on women’s health. Kotz says she has attended several of the past lectures and always appreciates Kroger’s medical advice.

"He’s so informed and informative," Kotz says of Kroger.

Kotz still sees her own doctor but appreciates having Kroger on-site at Sedgebrook.

"I have seen him sometimes when I didn’t feel like going out to my primary doctor," she says.