The demographics of aging –whether differences in life expectancy or shouldering the burden of care for our aging populations—reflect that aging is indeed a women’s issue. In the field of Aging and Public Health, there are many highly influential and successful women who are contributing to the field and tackling important questions about risk factors for successful aging as well intervention strategies for promoting health and quality of life across the life-course.

This collection is part of a recurrent series- Insights in Aging and Public Health: 2021. Our global society is changing. Now in the third decade of the 21st Century, the achievements made by scientists have led to major advancements in the fast-growing field of Aging and Public Health. As indicated by the United Nations Declaration of the Decade of Healthy Aging (2021-2030), there is global interest in understanding determinants of healthy aging and strategies to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live. As such, the field of public health and aging must constantly evolve and adapt alongside the ongoing changes in population growth and demographics, social and physical environments, and policy and other drivers of health-related costs. Further, the indicators of risk and markers of success have assumed new meaning as new societal needs/challenges

The Science of Menopause is an informative, practical, and engaging guide to understanding what happens to women's health from your 40s onward. As we understand more each day about what hormone changes mean for women's long-term health, there is an urgent need for an evidence-based book that helps women understand what is happening to them so that they can make informed decisions. Should you take HRT? How common is early menopause? What causes brain fog? Can herbal supplements help? Menopause is not just about hot flashes, and it isn't something to "sail through" or pretend it isn't happening. Featuring the latest research and backed up by informative infographics and illustrations, The Science of Menopause tells you everything you need to know about menopause is, the symptoms to watch out for, and the treatments that may be able to help.

In 2020 over 1 billion of the world’s population were over the age of 60 years old, and it is expected to double by 2050 according to WHO. Due to the growing population of older adults, there is a focus on healthy aging that will benefit the individuals and the wider communities as older adults will be able to support family members and partake in paid or voluntary work for a longer period of time. Currently a large number of older adults are unable to work, increasing the likelihood of economic instability with fewer streams of income. Economic instability has been proven to have health impacts including declining mental wellbeing, malnutrition, and the inability to afford prescribed medications. Social isolation proves to be another important factor in the overall health of older adults. The CDC reports that poor social interactions have been linked to a higher risk of developing multiple serious medical conditions.

Healthy aging is defined as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. As population aging accelerates rapidly worldwide, healthy aging has become a major public health challenge. However, in later life, several metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and their complications (cardiovascular and renal diseases et al.) impose significant barriers to healthy aging. These conditions are influenced by various metabolic risk factors, such as smoking, high-calorie diet, and obesity. Moreover, these risk factors can also affect the aging process itself, by disrupting the balance of metabolic regulation in the body. Therefore, understanding the complex interactions between aging and metabolic diseases is essential for improving public health outcomes in older populations. This Research Topic aims to explore the links between metabolic risk factors, chronic and metabolic diseases, and healthy aging. We wish to unveil evidence on how to prevent, treat, and manage metabolic risk factors and diseases in older adults, in order to offer recommendations for future research and policy interventions toward healthy aging and public health.