Healthy Aging With a Preventive Medicine Specialist
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Regarding health, wouldn’t it be better to build a fence at the top of a cliff than park an ambulance at the bottom? -Dr. Dennis Burkett [1]
Modern (allopathic) medicine is an extraordinary use of applied science, that has produced many benefits in treating injury and disease. Coronary bypass surgery, for example, is a procedure that has extended many lives. Sometimes though, modern medicine does seem to catch problems a bit downstream from their source. Better lifestyle and diet choices can prevent coronary arteries from requiring to be bypassed. Preventive medicine tries to catch issues before they arise and preserve the health of the patient, while still using all the scientific knowledge of conventional medicine.
My new doctor, Sepideh Moayed, is a preventive medicine specialist. She had decades of experience as a successful radiologist, and made a mid-career pivot into her new practice because she wanted to help prevent illness.
To be fair, conventional GPs are practicing preventative medicine to a degree, screening for common ailments like cardiovascular disease. hypertension, diabetes, and some lung problems. For example, my aortic stenosis was identified by my GP at the time hearing a murmur. The initial bloodwork is usually a lipid panel (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.) and blood sugar (e.g. A1c). If a GP does find a problem, the typical result is a prescription for something or a referral to an expert. There is usually not a lot of counseling on diet. I have had several fine GPs over the years who have helped me a lot, and I don’t mean to criticize their work. But as I’m aware the exercise and other lifestyle factors, as well as nutrition, play such a major role in healthy aging, I am glad to find a practitioner that emphasizes them.
Dr. Moayed is very knowledgeable about aspects of health like nutrition, and genetic and epigenetic (influence of lifestyle and environment on gene expression) factors. I’m an avid reader on these topics but there is a lot of conflicting information and only so much an amateur in the field can learn. I’m delighted to have found an expert in these areas to work with.
My first impression with Dr. Moayed was that the initial screening performed was very thorough, it looked like she was checking the box for every test on the form. We’ll have a lot to talk about when we review these at my next visit. But I’m looking forward to be counseled on what lifestyle and diet changes I can make instead of just “you have high xxx so I’m putting you on yyy” (although she is perfectly capable of prescribing drug therapies if appropriate).
My other main impression was how much time she spends with her patients, both carefully explaining and listening.
References
- Bryan, N, Ph.D., Functional Nitric Oxide Nutrition: Dietary Strategies to Prevent and Treat Chronic Disease, Crescendo Publishing LLC, 2018.
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