West LA Family Physician Recommends Prevention Today to Protect You Tomorrow
An excerpt from Dr. David Schechter’s upcoming book, Ask Your Family Doctor: Practical Guidance for Healthy Living, to be published in 2026.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a family physician is helping people stay healthy—not just treating illness after it appears.
Over nearly four decades practicing family medicine in West Los Angeles, I’ve learned that many of the conditions we worry about most—heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and some cancers—often develop quietly over many years. By the time symptoms appear, the underlying process may already be well established.
The encouraging news is that we have tremendous opportunities to reduce those risks long before disease develops.
Prevention Starts Earlier Than Most People Think
Many people think preventive care means getting an annual physical or having routine blood work.
Those are certainly important, but prevention really begins with the choices we make every day.
Regular exercise, healthy nutrition, adequate sleep, stress management, avoiding tobacco, and maintaining a healthy weight all work together to improve long-term health. None of these habits has to be perfect. What matters most is consistency.
Healthy older cyclist enjoys coast view while cycling
Small changes, repeated over months and years, often produce remarkable results.
Know Your Numbers
One of the simplest ways to stay ahead of disease is to understand a few important health measurements.
Talk with your physician about:
- Blood pressure
- LDL cholesterol
- Blood sugar (including Hemoglobin A1c when appropriate)
- Weight and waist circumference
- Your family history and personal risk factors
These numbers and indicators often provide early warning signs long before symptoms develop, giving you the opportunity to make changes while they’re most effective.
Prevention Is Personal
There isn’t one prevention plan that fits everyone.
Your age, family history, medical conditions, lifestyle, and personal goals all influence which screening tests, laboratory studies, and preventive strategies make sense for you.
That’s why having an ongoing relationship with a trusted primary care physician remains so valuable.
Looking Ahead
One of the goals of my upcoming book, Ask Your Family Doctor, is to answer the practical questions patients ask every day—questions about prevention, nutrition, exercise, common medical problems, medications, healthy aging, and navigating today’s healthcare system.
I hope the book serves as an extension of the conversations I’ve had with patients throughout my career and helps readers become informed, confident partners in their own healthcare.
Doctor’s Note
The best time to prevent disease is before it begins. Small, consistent healthy habits today can make an enormous difference in your health ten or twenty years from now.
— David Schechter, M.D.
📘 Ask Your Family Doctor: Practical Guidance for Healthy Living
This article is adapted from Dr. David Schechter’s forthcoming book, Ask Your Family Doctor, to be published in 2026. The book provides practical, evidence-based answers to the questions patients ask most often during office visits.