We often think ageing is what we see in the mirror – the wrinkles, thinning hair, expanding waistline. But the real story lies beneath the surface, at a cellular and metabolic level.
Midlife symptoms such as flagging energy, poor sleep, brain fog and low libido are not just annoyances to be shrugged off. They’re often early clues your body is changing and may be on a path to diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis or cognitive decline.
I discovered early in my career that if we recognise these warning signs soon enough, we can change our future health trajectory and stay healthier for longer.
In my clinic, I analyse patients’ biomarkers, hormones, genes and wider health patterns, including sleep, diet, exercise, personal and family medical history, to identify the earliest signs of disease – often years before conventional medicine would diagnose a problem.
Genes are not our destiny. With the right mix of targeted lifestyle changes and hormone support, it’s possible to influence how genes are expressed, and slow – or even reverse – biological ageing.
Here are the seven common patterns of ageing I see. Most people recognise themselves in at least two. Once you’ve identified your pattern, follow the targeted advice to stop the slide into disease and live a longer, healthier life.
1. You’re gaining weight around the middle
Many of us gain a few pounds in midlife, but if your waistband is steadily tightening, it may be one of the earliest visible signs your metabolism is ageing faster than it should.
Weight gain around the middle, known as visceral fat, often means your body is becoming less efficient at managing blood sugar. This deep abdominal fat releases inflammatory chemicals linked to age-related conditions including heart disease, stroke and dementia.
How to fix it
The good news is this ageing pattern is highly reversible. The key is to be strategic.
Think protein first: eating protein at the start of a meal or snack can steady your blood sugar and curb appetite. Try nuts before a sandwich, or eggs before toast, and swap refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice and sugary cereals, for wholegrains and fibre-rich vegetables which slow glucose release.
Building muscle is one of the most effective ways to improve insulin sensitivity and restore metabolic health. Regular strength training (two to three times per week) is best.
Then focus on two overlooked drivers: sleep and stress. Even one poor night’s sleep can worsen insulin resistance, while chronic stress prompts the liver to release extra sugar. A study published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine found stress-relieving activities such as meditation, yoga and tai chi can lower blood sugar levels nearly as effectively as diabetes drugs.
You can also try wearing a continuous glucose monitor. While mainly used for diabetics to monitor their sugar levels, this device will uncover how your glucose responds to food, sleep, exercise and stress. My patients have lost weight and reversed their slide into diabetes and ageing disorders by seeing what spikes their sugar.
2. You have a family history of heart disease
Heart disease is often described as a silent killer. But the warning signs usually develop years before a heart attack or stroke as the cardiovascular system ages beneath the surface.
A family history of heart disease is one of the clearest clues. I think of family health history as a poor man’s genetic test. A family history of diabetes counts too, because blood sugar problems and cardiovascular disease are closely linked. In fact, having diabetes can put you at a similar risk of heart attack as someone who already had one.
How to fix it
Genetics account for only part of the picture. Much of your future risk of heart disease or stroke is still shaped by how you live now.
I put my patients on a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, oily fish such as salmon, nuts and olive oil. Countless studies have found this diet helps lower inflammation, improves cholesterol and protects blood vessels. I also recommend targeted anti-inflammatory supplements, including turmeric (taken with a sprinkle of black pepper to aid absorption), fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids), vitamin D with K2, and green tea extract.
Walk after meals whenever you can, to help control sugar levels (which can contribute to heart disease) while improving cardiovascular fitness, and avoid late-night eating, which can disrupt sleep and raise stress hormones.
Add short bursts of intensity to your exercise – walking faster or sprinting for 20-30 seconds at a time. Even small gains in aerobic fitness can significantly reduce your cardiovascular risk. My own favourite exercise is rowing or Peloton. I go at a steady pace, then 30 seconds hard, on and off.
3. Dry skin and thinning hair
Many of the symptoms we put down to menopause or simply getting older – thinning hair, dry skin, fatigue and unexplained weight gain – can actually point to a thyroid problem, which becomes more common with age.
This small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck is the body’s throttle, setting the pace your system runs at. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is especially common in later life, particularly in women. You can feel tired, sluggish, foggy and cold, while skin and hair become dry and brittle. Left untreated, it can raise cholesterol, increase cardiovascular risk and impair cognitive function.
Because the symptoms overlap with other conditions – and standard tests often miss it – thyroid problems frequently go undiagnosed. Many of my patients tell me, “My doctor said my thyroid is fine because it’s within range”, when, in reality, it’s far from optimal.
How to fix it
Ask your doctor for a full thyroid panel, including TSH, free T4 and free T3, to get a clear picture of your thyroid function. Problems are usually manageable with medication.
Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production – good sources include milk, Greek yogurt, cod, shellfish and seaweed. Selenium, found in Brazil nuts and broccoli, also supports thyroid health.
I also recommend the supplement Coenzyme Q10 to all my thyroid patients. It supports mitochondria, your cells’ energy factories.
4. Changes in female sex drive
We tend to blame a drop in libido on stress, busy lives or relationship problems. But in midlife it’s often one of the clearest signs that the hormonal changes of ageing are underway.
As oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone decline during perimenopause and menopause, sleep can worsen, mood may dip, and vaginal dryness or discomfort can make intimacy less appealing.
Low sex drive is rarely the true problem itself – it’s often the clue that wider hormonal health needs attention. These changes affect far more than libido, influencing bone and muscle strength, heart health and cognitive function.
How to fix it
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be transformative for symptoms and may help prevent age-related disease. If loss of libido is affecting you, speak to your GP or a menopause specialist about whether HRT is appropriate.
I don’t believe women should automatically be told to stop HRT at 60. We’re living longer, and the goal should be to stay strong, sharp and well for longer too. Declining testosterone can also affect libido, energy and mood, so addressing low levels may help.
5. Erectile dysfunction
Struggling to get or maintain an erection isn’t just a sexual issue. It is often one of the first signs of vascular and hormonal ageing.
As testosterone levels begin to fall in midlife (sometimes referred to as andropause), sexual function is often one of the first things to suffer, alongside energy, mood and motivation. Low testosterone is linked to obesity, insulin resistance, raised cholesterol, diabetes and cognitive decline. It can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Erectile dysfunction is often one of the earliest clues. The blood vessels supplying the penis are smaller than those feeding the heart, so if your arteries are narrowing, problems may show up here first. In many of my male patients, further checks reveal high blood sugar, high cholesterol or raised blood pressure.
How to fix it
Start with a proper health check. Ask for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tests, along with a review of your testosterone levels.
If testosterone levels are significantly low, tailored hormone therapy can help. I’ve found it helps my patients sustain peak performance, mental sharpness and sexual vitality well into later life.
6. You can’t do 10 push-ups
Can you get up from the floor without using your hands? Balance on one leg with your eyes closed? Manage 10 push-ups with good form?
If you struggle with these simple tests, it may be a sign that you’re losing muscle mass – one of the clearest markers of biological ageing.
Muscle does far more than keep us strong. It’s the organ of longevity because it helps regulate blood sugar, lowers blood pressure, burns fat and protects against age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dementia.
From our 50s onwards, age-related muscle loss – known as sarcopenia – accelerates, driven by declining hormones, inactivity and not eating enough protein. Unless you act, you can lose four to six pounds of muscle mass per decade.
The loss affects bone health too. When muscles weaken, the stimulus on your bones decreases, reducing bone mineral density and increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
How to fix it
It’s never too late to rebuild strength. I added regular strength training to my own routine years ago. Aim for two to three sessions a week using bodyweight exercises including squats, lunges and modified push-ups, alongside weights or resistance bands for the upper body, doing exercises such as bicep curls, rows and triceps dips.
Grip strength is another powerful marker of longevity. You can build grip strength by squeezing a tennis ball or carrying heavy shopping bags.
Protein is vital for preserving muscle. Aim for around 1g of protein per kilogram of your body weight daily, increasing towards 1.5 to 2g if training. Choose eggs, fish, dairy, lean meat and beans.
7. Brain fog
We all forget names or misplace our keys from time to time, especially when we’re tired or distracted. But when forgetfulness becomes regular or words become harder to find, it can be a sign the brain may be ageing faster than it should.
From midlife onwards, the brain naturally begins to shrink, and this process accelerates with age. Levels of key neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine decline, affecting mood, memory and focus. Insulin resistance is another major driver. Poor sugar control can increase inflammation, impairing cognition.
How to fix it
Start with the foundations of cognitive health: protect your sleep, stay active and keep your sugar steady with regular, protein-rich meals.
Check your blood pressure too. Over time, hypertension can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain. Book a hearing test as well – even mild hearing loss can increase mental strain.
Regular aerobic exercise such as running or cycling is one of the most effective ways to sharpen memory and concentration. It boosts blood flow to the brain and stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports new neural connections.
I also recommend B vitamins, particularly if levels are low. They support brain power and may help prevent neurodegenerative conditions. If brain fog persists, ask your GP to check thyroid function, iron levels and hormone status.
Dr Florence Comite, is a clinician-scientist, endocrinologist, and leading expert in healthy longevity and precision medicine. She is founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Healthy Longevity in New York City, and author of Invincible – Defy your Genetic Destiny and Live Better, Longer .
Invincible: Defy Your Genetic Destiny and Live Better, Longer by Dr Florence Comite (Cornerstone Press, £22) is published on April 30