Cedars-Sinai Health Forecast: Prevention 2026

Distinguished medical experts from across our institution offer insights intohow to stay healthy as we navigate 2026.

A Priority on Prevention

The health conditions on our radar shift as wecycle through the seasons of the year. Yet, as the threats emerge and recede,doctors say one thing should remain constant: a focus on proactive prevention.

“Preventive care is the single best way tomaximize and maintain our health, no matter where we are on the calendar,” said Piyumika de Silva, MD, an internist and medical director for Primary Care Education at Cedars-Sinai. “There are steps we all can take to ensure we are setting ourselves up for success.”

Those steps include scheduling an annual preventive visit to check in on wellness goals and discuss age-appropriate strategies for disease prevention.

“Talking with your doctor about personalized preventive care is important as we take ownership of our health as adults,” deSilva said. “Cardiovascular disease prevention is particularly crucial. It remains the biggest killer in the United States. Knowing your numbers—bloodpressure, cholesterol, blood sugar—and mapping out a prevention plan earlybased on your personal risk factors can save lives.”

Stamping Out Stigma

Prevention is the holy grail across disease types, and modern medicine is increasingly able to provide us with the tools we need. This is certainly the case with HIV, which has gone from a fataldiagnosis to a preventable and treatable condition over the past 30 years.

“Today, there are multiple options for people at increased risk of contracting HIV, including pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP,” said John Wear, DO, an internal medicine doctor at Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate. “It’s usually taking one pill once a day and is very easy and low risk.”

For preventive treatment of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, Wear pointed to highly effective post-exposure prophylaxis treatment with doxycycline.

“This can be taken on an event-triggered basis. Let’s say you’vegone out on a weekend and had unprotected sex and are worried you might have been exposed to an STI. Immediately after, you can take a drug to prevent one from even developing or becoming contagious,” he said.

According to Wear, in the case of STIs, one of the most significant barriers to effective patient-centered prevention is not science, but stigma.

“There’s often a lot of hesitancy surrounding these issues. People are embarrassed and concerned about coming to see me,” Wear said. “I reassure them they are not alone and there is a place for every individual in the healthcare system. My goal as a physician is to help them beas healthy and as happy as possible.”

Moderating Mood

Taking precautions to safeguard our emotional health is just as critical as protecting our bodies from harm, noted Logan Ramsey, MD, a Cedars-Sinai primary care doctor located in Beverly Hills. Patients may be affected by moodand anxiety disorders regardless of the season—and some patient populations areespecially vulnerable.

“Data show that LGBTQIA+ individuals are more than twice as likely as heterosexual men and women to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime,” Ramsey said. “But no matter your sexual orientation or gender identity, you should feel comfortable raising the issue with your doctor. It’s something we need to normalize. When we’re able to talk about it, we can plan ways to alleviate anxiety and depression or even avoid them altogether.”

“There are things we can do to help us feel emotionally well, including exercise—we recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week—meditation, yoga and journaling,” Ramseysaid. “It’s also a good idea to practice proper sleep hygiene and limit screentime. Everyone’s doom scrolling in bed these days, and it can have real deleterious impact.”

People who are already experiencing mood-related symptoms may benefit from medication such as a selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitor (SSRI), a commonly prescribed type of antidepressant.

“The exact medication will be individualized foreach patient and should be part of your discussion with your primary care doctor,” Ramsey said.

Valuing Vaccines

Of course, one tried-and-true approach to staving off—or reducing the intensity of—a wide variety of illnesses is relying on scientifically sound and proven vaccines. When it comes to potentially dangerous diseases such as the flu and COVID-19, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

“The current flu season is instructive because it’s been pretty rough for many, many people,” said Sam Torbati, MD, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cedars-Sinai and theLevin/Gordon Chair in Emergency Medicine in honor of Joel M. Geiderman, MD. “For patients who are older, frail or immunosuppressed or who have underlying medical conditions, flu can be lethal. It’s crucial we all get vaccinated to protect ourselves and our neighbors and to minimize community spread.”

Torbati pointed out there is broad consensus in favor of vaccines in the scientific community.

“Flu vaccines have been around for a very longtime and are extremely safe,” he said. “When you look at the value of the vaccine in light of the 30,000 to 50,000 people who die from complications offlu every year, there’s just no denying how vital it can be.”

As with any kind of respiratory illness, spread of flu can also be tamped down with common sense measures that reduce exposure.

“Good hygiene practices, such as thorough handwashing, go a long way toward keeping people heathy,” Torbati said. “If you do get sick, it’s smart to isolate and avoid contact with others.”

Go With the Guidelines

The timing of preventive screenings is often linked to an individual’s age, though other considerations can also shapepersonal prevention plans.

“Factors like medical history, family history and lifestyle will all influence the initiation and frequency of the screenings your doctor recommends, so it’s important to update your doctor with your medical history every year,” de Silva said. “But there are general guidelines people can look to as a gauge for when specific disease screenings should be on their radar.”

Some of those include:

Pap smears: women 21 or older

Mammograms: women beginning at age 40

Prostate cancer screening: men 55 orolder

Colonoscopy: men and women age 45 and above