A Conversation with Dr. Jennifer Bettenhausen
What drives your work at Colorado Mountain Medical (CMM)?
The relationships I cultivate with patients drive my work at Colorado Mountain Medical and bring me joy. I have served as a family physician at CMM for 26 years. Babies I once delivered are now young adults, and women I cared for as young adults are entering menopause. I enjoy navigating life’s changes with my patients. Often, I care for entire families, even seeing three generations, and have to build in time to catch up on how other family members are doing. Family relationships play a significant role in a person’s health.
How do you integrate traditional Western medicine with lifestyle approaches in your practice?
I am passionate about integrating lifestyle changes with Western medicine. I believe that lifestyle should be the foundation of health, prioritizing lifestyle measures before resorting to medications. By emphasizing nutrition, exercise, quality sleep, and stress management, we can greatly improve our overall health. I appreciate that Vail Health is increasingly focusing on lifestyle and behavioral health, as it is much more rewarding to prevent and manage health conditions through lifestyle changes rather than relying solely on medications.
As May is Women’s Health Month, what advice do you have for women looking to improve their health and wellness?
Women’s health, particularly in helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause, has become a significant focus of my practice. This area has been uncertain for the past 23 years, especially since the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Study, published in 2002, raised concerns about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). However, when experts re-evaluated the data from the WHI Study and analyzed it in different groups, they uncovered several issues. It became evident that women who began HRT early in menopause experienced positive outcomes, whereas complications were mostly seen in women who started HRT after the age of 65. Today, we feel much more confident in treating women with hormones early in menopause, which not only alleviates menopausal symptoms but can also significantly benefit heart health, bone and joint health, and even brain health.
I advise women of all ages to prioritize a healthy lifestyle and manage stress effectively. It’s essential to consider what life may look like in 10 or 20 years. At age 30, your lifestyle choices can greatly influence your risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or osteoporosis. By the time you reach 50, the decisions you make can have a significant impact on whether you experience broken bones or other age-related diseases. I encourage women to focus more on being strong rather than being thin. Strong women who eat well and manage stress tend to age gracefully.
What’s your training and background in the field?
Over the past 12 years, I have completed 100 hours of additional coursework on Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy. These evidence-based courses have significantly helped women thrive after the age of 45. In the coming months, I am planning to take two more 20-hour courses. This area of medicine brings me great joy and can be a game-changer for the women I treat.
