A patient came to see me last year feeling completely fine. No complaints. He only booked the visit because his wife nagged him. His blood pressure was high, and a routine lab showed his cholesterol heading the wrong way. He had no symptoms at all. Neither of those things hurts until, one day, they do something that does.
That visit is the whole point of preventative medicine. It's the quiet work we do when you feel well — the physicals, the lab work, the screenings, the honest conversations about sleep and stress and that extra glass of wine. I'd much rather find a small problem early than meet a big one in an emergency room. In my Los Angeles practice, this is where I spend a lot of my energy, because it's where I can do the most good.
What does preventative medicine actually include?
Preventative medicine is the set of regular check-ins and screenings designed to catch health problems before you feel them. It isn't one test. It's a rhythm.
For most adults, the core pieces look something like this:
- A comprehensive physical exam to set a baseline and track changes over time
- Routine lab work — a lipid panel for cholesterol, HbA1c for blood sugar, and a basic metabolic and blood count
- Age-appropriate cancer screening, like mammograms, Pap smears, and colon cancer screening
- Mental-health check-ins for mood, anxiety, and sleep
- A look at your vaccines, your medications, and your family history
Which of these you need, and how often, depends on your age, your sex, and your history. That's the part I tailor to each person. A 35-year-old marathon runner and a 60-year-old with a family history of heart disease don't get the same plan.
Why do I need a physical if I feel fine?
Because some of the most common conditions I treat are completely silent in their early stages. That's exactly why we screen for them.
High blood pressure rarely announces itself. Neither does high cholesterol or early type 2 diabetes. You can feel terrific while these quietly raise your long-term risk. A yearly physical and a simple blood draw are how we catch them while they're still easy to manage — often with lifestyle changes alone, before anyone needs medication.
I tell patients to think of it like a smoke detector. You don't wait to smell smoke before you check the battery.
What screenings do I need at my age?
The short answer: it depends, and that's a conversation worth having with your own doctor. But there are some general anchors.
In your 40s and 50s, colon cancer screening usually begins, breast and cervical screening continue on their schedules, and bone health starts to matter more. We also keep a closer eye on the heart. Cardiovascular disease prevention is one of the biggest levers we have, and most of it comes down to numbers we can track over years — blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight.
The timing of each screening has nuance, and guidelines shift as new evidence comes in. That's part of what I keep up with so you don't have to.
Is mental health part of a check-up?
Yes — and in my practice it's not an afterthought. How you sleep, how you handle stress, and how your mood has been are health information, just like your blood pressure.
I screen for depression and anxiety as a normal part of a visit, the same way I'd ask about chest pain or headaches. There's no shame in it, and there's no pressure. Sometimes the most useful thing that comes out of a physical isn't a lab result at all — it's finally talking about the thing you've been carrying alone.
The membership model and why it helps prevention
One reason I built a small, membership-based practice is time. Prevention is hard to do well in a rushed seven-minute visit. It needs room to actually talk.
When I'm not racing the clock, I can sit with you, look at the whole picture, and build a real plan — a lifestyle plan for diet and movement, a follow-up schedule that makes sense, a clear path if something needs a specialist including Cedars-Sinai. Smaller panels mean I know your story, and I notice when something's off.
If you've been putting off a check-up because life is busy, or because nothing hurts, I understand. Most people do. But the best time to look after your health is while it's still good. If you'd like to talk about getting a baseline or just have questions about what you might need, I'd be glad to hear from you — please reach out, and let's start the conversation.