THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
From fertility care to healthy aging, why earlier intervention matters more than ever
By Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, FACOG, DABOM, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Carrot
Fertility challenges are often not an isolated reproductive issue and can be the first signal of underlying health risks for both men and women.
As a leader in fertility and family care benefits, Carrot focuses on expanding access to proactive, personalized support that goes beyond treatment alone. While IVF is often seen as the center of fertility care, outcomes are heavily influenced by underlying drivers, such as lifestyle, weight and metabolic health. By helping members build healthier habits across nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management, Carrot aims to address reversible drivers of subfertility and infertility.
This is an approach that aligns closely with Teladoc Health, and we’re proud to be a connected care partner. We both recognize the value of equipping people with trusted tools to support meaningful behavior change and the positive impact that can have on fertility outcomes and long-term health.
When fertility challenges arise, metabolic health factors like insulin resistance, hormonal regulation and obesity may already be impacting reproductive outcomes.
Carrot has identified this as a crucial time to engage and optimize health for improved outcomes. Carrot calls this critical window the “Premester,” which is the three to 12 months before pregnancy because metabolic health plays a key role in fertility success, pregnancy outcomes and lifelong well-being.
Through programs like Carrot’s Sprints—a hyper-personalized, metabolic-fertility optimization program—members receive daily guidance across nutrition, physical activity, sleep support and stress management to build healthier habits before getting pregnant.
These same factors don’t just influence pregnancy but are directly tied to long-term health. In fact, women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men. At the same time, despite being at higher risk for some chronic conditions than men, women aren’t getting the preventive care they need.
At every phase of a woman’s life, from early reproductive years to menopause and midlife, making consistent lifestyle choices plays a critical role in shaping healthy outcomes.
By adopting healthy behaviors and appropriately managing metabolic health risks, such as insulin resistance and obesity, women and men can improve fertility outcomes during their reproductive years. Those same interventions, as well as managing blood pressure and cholesterol, are foundational to better outcomes tied to metabolic and cardiovascular health. Research from the American Heart Association shows that managing these factors can cut the risk of heart disease by up to 50%.
This is where connected care matters. By integrating fertility and metabolic health support early, we can move from reactive treatment to proactive prevention and help women build a foundation for better health at every stage.
Fertility is one of the earliest moments where metabolic health challenges can surface. It creates an opportunity to intervene before those risks compound over time. Early insights from Carrot’s Sprints program suggest a promising path forward. Member engagement has been strong, with early indicators pointing to improvements in metabolic health, increased eligibility for fertility treatment and reduced risk of pregnancy complications.
Within Carrot’s member population, 50% of women and 70% of men of reproductive age are overweight or obese. Earlier intervention can make a meaningful difference by helping many individuals avoid more invasive fertility treatments, increase the success rates for the treatments they pursue and thus, reducing downstream costs for plan sponsors.
Simply put, small changes made earlier can have outsized impacts later.
Metabolic health is a reflection of a broader gap in how women access and experience care. Despite facing higher risks for chronic conditions, many women delay care due to time constraints or past negative experiences, or simply not knowing where to look for support. In fact, eight in 10 women report putting off care altogether, and 60% of men don’t seek medical care.
Closing this gap requires a shift toward more accessible, personalized and proactive care. As the leading global fertility and family care platform, Carrot is committed to expanding that access by partnering with organizations like Teladoc Health to support women at every stage of life. By focusing on earlier metabolic intervention, we can improve fertility outcomes today and support lifelong health.
