Canadian women 55 and older believe their doctors are on top of testing them for such potential killers as heart disease, stroke and breast cancer, but many feel other important health concerns are given short shrift, a study suggests.

In a survey of more than 2,500 women across the country, researchers at the University of Montreal found that respondents' top-three health priorities as they age are memory problems, the side-effects of medications and vision loss.

And while up to 97 per cent recalled being adequately screened for heart attack and stroke risk factors as well as receiving mammography or physical examination for breast cancer, "there were definitely some areas that could be improved on," said lead researcher Dr. Cara Tannenbaum of the university's Geriatric Research Institute.

"For instance, only 11 per cent of women reported that they had had counselling for concerns about memory loss or end-of-life issues," Tannenbaum said Monday from Montreal. "And other issues of importance to them, such as urinary incontinence or depression or falls, were only talked about in less than 25 per cent of cases."

The study, entitled What Older Women Want, involved a questionnaire that was mailed to 5,000 Canadian females aged 55 to 95. About 52 per cent of the women responded to the 30-page survey, which asked them to rank the importance of 26 "health priorities."

Women were asked how important - very, somewhat, a little or not at all - it is to prevent or to stop the progression of, for instance, memory problems, osteoporosis and loss of muscle strength.

They were also asked to respond to a number of statements by marking them as true or false, including: "I have been told by at least one of my health-care professionals what I can expect from normal aging."

"So if someone had said it was very important to them to learn what to expect, but then they checked off 'false, no one's ever talked to me about this,' " said Tannenbaum, "then that would be an indication that they had a health priority that wasn't being attended to."

Overall, post-menopausal women are focused on preventing disease, promoting independence and ensuring good quality of life, concluded the study published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Tannenbaum said she was struck by the fact that women of all ages within the study group seemed to share the same health concerns.

Immediately post-menopausal women in their mid-50s "had the foresight" to identify concern about loss of muscle strength, falls and maintaining a good quality of life, she said. "They're thinking about promoting their health.

"I think that there's a window of opportunity between menopause and age 80 or 85 . . . when women can start being proactive about maintaining their health and optimizing their function."

Still, she was surprised how little value most women attached to exercise to address some health concerns, especially when it's known that physical activity has been linked to retaining muscle strength, improving cardiovascular and bone health as well as being a means of staving off some cancers.