Cedars-Sinai Summer 2022

CEDARS-SINAI NEWS | LIFE | HEALTH

What women need to know about perimenopause P. 4

BUILT TO LAST A former semipro football player overcomes pain and arthritis after dual hip replacement P. 6

SUMMER 2022

A Tarzana breast surgeon finds balance through movement, meditation P. 12

A new Cedars-Sinai location opens in Los Feliz P. 15

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Laura Grunberger SENIOR EDITOR

Sarah Spivack LaRosa ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Cassie Tomlin Nicole Levine

PROJECT MANAGER

Karen Link DESIGN

DISTINC_ CONTRIBUTORS

Victoria Pelham Carrie St. Michel Rosanna Turner EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL NETWORK

John E. Jenrette, MD

VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC INTEGRATION, CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL NETWORK

Mary Clare Lingel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRAND STRATEGY AND CREATIVE SERVICES

Jennifer Fagen

cedars-sinai.org/csmagazine Cedars-Sinai is published three times a year.

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CEDARS-SINAI NEWS | LIFE | HEALTH

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SUMMER 2022

HERE & NOW

RIGHT THERE WITH YOU

A Tarzana breast surgeon finds balance through movement and meditation

2 NEWS FEED

Stories from the Cedars-Sinai landscape

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6

PREPARE & PREVENT

LIFE & HEALTH

What women need to know about perimenopause

A former semipro football player overcomes pain and arthritis after dual hip replacement

MIDLIFE CYCLE

BUILT TO LAST

14 AT-AGLANCE

Making peace with your fitness tracker, a new location in Los Feliz, working toward health equity, and more

@CEDARSSINAI

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NEWS FEED

STORIES FROM THE CEDARS-SINAI LANDSCAPE

TORRANCE

In 2015, Dustin Varela (center) spent six months in the burn unit at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai, under the care of nurse Naiwei Hsu-Chang (left) and Dr. Matthew Reiss. Varela now volunteers at the hospital weekly, helping patients when they’re discharged.

PASADENA WEST ADAMS

Anahi Luna, a graduate student intern with the Cedars-Sinai Healthy Habits program, teaches weekly nutrition and physical activity lessons to second graders at Marvin Avenue Elementary, where she herself attended school.

Throughout the year, nurses from Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, provide free health counseling and screenings at Jackie Robinson Community Center and other community locations.

UNIVERSITY PARK

Toni Perez celebrated the six-month anniversary of her double lung transplant at the American Lung Association’s Fight For Air Climb at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

WEST LOS ANGELES

Patients and caregivers at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, enjoyed hand massages and haircuts compliments of the Beauty Bus Foundation.

ENCINO

Cedars-Sinai employees helped collect trash during the Friends of the Los Angeles River Earth Day cleanup.

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CEDARS-SINAI — SUMMER 2022

WEST HOLLYWOOD

Cedars-Sinai employees and their friends and families marched in the inaugural WeHo Pride Parade and the 52nd annual L.A. Pride Parade in Hollywood. Cedars-Sinai volunteers shared health education resources at Pride street fairs.

INGLEWOOD

Cedars-Sinai hosted a “kid zone” featuring an obstacle course and breathing exercises during Every Kid Healthy Week, which is part of Hollywood Park Moves presented

by Cedars-Sinai, a series of free workout classes held every Saturday through August at Hollywood Park.

GLENDALE

Dr. Nicholas Nissen (center), director of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at CedarsSinai, walked with a team in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s PurpleStride at the L.A. Zoo in Griffith Park.

MARINA DEL REY

CALABASAS

Competitive gymnast Molly Neinstein developed pain and weakness that sidelined her training.

Dr. David Skaggs diagnosed her with the spine condition spondylolisthesis and performed corrective surgery. Neinstein, on the cusp of her senior year in high school, is out of pain and back on the mat.

Blood donations lagged during the pandemic, causing a critical shortage. Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital recently collected 60 lifesaving pints at a community blood drive. Visit donatebloodcedars.org to find an upcoming blood drive near you.

FOLLOW US @CEDARSSINAI cedars-sinai.org/csmagazine

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PREPARE & PREVENT

MIDLIFE CYCLE

by Carrie St. Michel illustration by Erin Maala

P

erimenopause is having a moment.

It’s appeared on the covers of more than a dozen recently published books, and perimenopause-branded products—from hot-flash-cooling mists to mood-swing supplements—are turning up on store shelves.

Every woman eventually goes through perimenopause, yet many have never heard the word before or do not understand the full scope of this reproductive rite of passage. In a 2021 survey of American women ages 45 to 60, nearly half were unfamiliar with the term.

Perimenopause is the extended time of transition leading to menopause, which is reached when a woman hasn’t had a period for one year. Perimenopause can start

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CEDARS-SINAI — SUMMER 2022

as early as the mid-30s and lasts an average of four years, but it also can span more than a decade. It is punctuated by fluctuating hormones, irregular periods, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness and a laundry list of other significant physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms.

Perimenopause and menopause are not interchangeable terms, and women need to know and discuss the distinction, say Cedars-Sinai OB-GYNs Alyssa Quimby, MD, and Sara Twogood, MD. Here, they help demystify perimenopause and share how physicians can change “the change” conversation to better prepare women for this universal transition.

Q: Why is perimenopause not on most women’s radar?

Q: What treatments are available for perimenopause symptoms?

Alyssa Quimby: Part of the problem is perimenopause isn’t easy to explain. Menopause has a straightforward definition, but perimenopause is a complex process, and no two women experience it in the same way.

Another part of the problem is there’s little focus on perimenopause and menopause in medical school.

ST: We tailor therapies to each patient’s situation, but there are several established methods for managing symptoms. For irregular bleeding, we often recommend birth control pills because they make periods more predictable, lighter and less painful.

We consider hormone replacement therapy for women whose common symptoms—such as hot flashes, mood swings or vaginal dryness—have become intolerable.

Antidepressants also can alleviate hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbances and night sweats.

Sara Twogood: The reproductive transition can be confusing because a woman doesn’t stop menstruating overnight. It’s a gradual and often unpredictable process.

Even when you haven’t had a period for 12 months and are officially menopausal, the symptoms you experienced during perimenopause can continue. Some patients in their 70s and 80s have lingering symptoms that started when they were perimenopausal. People probably find it easier to use “menopause” as an umbrella term, even when they actually are in perimenopause.

Q: What are the signs and symptoms of perimenopause?

AQ: Changes in menstruation are a hallmark of perimenopause—a shorter cycle, a longer cycle, a heavier period, or a lighter period than is usual for a particular woman. Many women are unaware of perimenopause, so they assume a medical condition, such as fibroids, is to blame when they experience changes in their periods. We evaluate every patient for their concerns, but often what they’re experiencing are normal perimenopausal symptoms.

ST: A lot of women aren’t aware that perimenopausal symptoms can start in their early 40s or even earlier.

They also often are surprised by the range and severity of some symptoms, including trouble sleeping and changes to mood and sex drive.

Q: When a woman has perimenopausal symptoms, what should she share with her doctor?

AQ: It’s a good idea to track your cycle and symptoms.

There are many apps women can use, or they simply can log their symptoms in a notebook, including when symptoms occur and how long they last, the start and end dates of each period and whether it’s heavy or light, and anything else they notice. This information tells your doctor what’s happening with your hormones and how your symptoms are impacting you.

Q: What can clinicians do to better prepare women for perimenopause?

AQ: We see firsthand the knowledge gaps around important women’s health topics. Clinicians in the women’s health space need to help fill those gaps by educating women about their bodies and reproductive medicine. Knowledge is empowering, and we want women to enter this new chapter of their lives with confidence.

ST: We saw that factual, accessible information wasn’t reaching enough women, so, in 2020, we created Female Health Education, an online platform offering courses on important subjects for every stage of a female’s life—from puberty to menopause. We’re particularly passionate about increasing awareness of perimenopause because it’s universal and its symptoms can be debilitating and protracted. We want women to view perimenopause as the natural transition it is.

“A lot of women aren’t aware that perimenopausal symptoms can start in their early 40s or even earlier.

They also often are surprised by the range and severity of some symptoms, including trouble sleeping and changes to mood and sex drive.” ­— Sara Twogood, MD

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LIFE & HEALTH

BUILT TO LAST A former semipro football player turned contractor overcomes pain and arthritis after dual hip replacement

by Cassie Tomlin photos by Matthew Odom

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CEDARS-SINAI — SUMMER 2022

@CEDARSSINAI

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J

ohn Wharton put his first set of hips through the wringer. But even after a semipro football career spent slamming his body full force into other players, 30 seemed too young to hurt so much.

Despite a diagnosis, he reasoned it was too soon for arthritis. For 15 years, he tolerated the debilitating pain that kept him home from parties and reduced him to relying on others at work. He got by on yoga breathing and borrowed pain pills, and eventually he qualified for hip-replacement surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.

Finally, a path out of suffering opened. He just had to choose to take it.

A YOUNG GUY’S “OLD MAN” DISEASE

Wharton, who is now 46, grew up in Brooklyn, where he and his brothers trained in karate and leapt between four-story rooftops for thrills. He played middle linebacker and fullback on his high school’s football team.

Late at night, after team practice, he trained alone to get quicker. A semipro coach noticed and recruited him to the Brooklyn Chargers. He played for a few years—about as long as anyone can in a sport that’s so rough on the body.

“When you’re young, you like doing stuff that destroys you,” says Wharton, who also crashed six motorcycles in his younger years.

Post-football, he launched into a full-time job as a contractor. He earned a plumbing license and got to know basement boiler rooms across the five New York 8

CEDARS-SINAI — SUMMER 2022

City boroughs. He started his own firm and bought his first home.

But after a family tragedy, Wharton gained 100 pounds, stressing his already hulking frame. He developed pain and stiffness in his left leg, and at 30 he was diagnosed with bone spurs caused by osteoarthritis, the inflammation of the joint when cartilage wears down.

Wharton’s life should have been perfect: His business was thriving, and he and his family had just moved into an eight-bedroom dream home in Atlanta. In reality, his arthritis had worsened. After work, he’d park in his garage and just sit there mustering the strength to hurl himself out of his sports car and scoot up the stairs.

In 2016, he told his daughter he felt like he was losing the use of his legs entirely. She encouraged him to see a doctor.

He stretched, self-medicated and lost weight, but the pain persisted and spread to his right leg. By the time he was 40, he often abandoned plans because it took him too long to get his shoes on. His relationships deteriorated. The arthritis had whittled him down to a recluse.

“Nobody really knew what I was going through,” Wharton says. “Nobody understands when you’re young and you feel like you have an ‘old man’ disease. I felt like a complete loser.”

ACCEPTANCE AND A NEW PATH

Finally, in 2020, Wharton ended up in an emergency room in Baltimore after being in too much pain to board

a flight home. There, physicians told him his movement was so limited and his pain so great that he qualified for hip replacements.

“I’d been suffering and moping around for years, and I guess I didn’t want to accept what I needed,” he says.

“I finally decided to get it together.”

Around that time, he met Shyla Darensbourg at a friend’s Christmas party. They talked about their children, and he was struck by her nurturing and warm nature.

After a whirlwind romance, they wed.

Darensbourg was invested in his health and insisted he consult with experts at Cedars-Sinai, where she was born and where doctors had successfully treated her cancer. Wharton was determined to find a sports injury specialist closer to home, even after he’d been discouraged by rote conversations with local doctors in staid clinics.

To appease his bride, he flew across the country from his home in Atlanta for an appointment at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe. In the bright Santa Monica clinic, Wharton immediately felt at home. Jeffrey Zarin, MD, projected a calm confidence and—most importantly—asked Wharton a lot of questions.

Zarin says he needs to get to know his patients: It’s crucial he understands their lives so he can help them make decisions. He adds, “We make sure to decompress the mystery of the surgery and the frightening aspects.”

Joint replacement surgeries are performed exclusively to improve quality of life—to take away people’s pain so they can sit, walk and sleep again. Wharton was a young

EXPERT ORTHO CARE SPANS THE SOUTHLAND John Wharton traveled cross-country for hip-replacement surgery at Cedars-Sinai, which is ranked #3 in the nation for Orthopaedics according to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2021-22” analysis.

But Angelenos are never far from Cedars-Sinai’s trusted orthopaedics experts at 11 locations throughout the city, from Thousand Oaks to Anaheim.

The Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute‘s Santa Monica office provides full-service orthopaedic care, including pediatrics, regenerative medicine and trauma. Now, surgeons in Santa Monica can perform roboticassisted procedures at the outpatient center, so patients can go home the same day.

Please refer to the map insert in this magazine to find Kerlan-Jobe Institute location addresses.

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candidate, but his life was so limited that hip replacement was his only option.

Historically, joint replacement wasn’t an option for younger patients, since they’d need additional surgeries after their implants wore out in 10 years. But today’s implants last twice as long, and surgeries have evolved to accommodate younger people. Minimally invasive techniques allow surgeons to avoid muscle and tendons, and medications more effectively reduce postoperative pain and swelling.

“People think of arthritis as something that only affects older people, but the average age of people whose quality of life is compromised by this condition is younger than it used to be,” Zarin says. “I see patients from 40 to 90.”

Wharton was impressed with Zarin’s expertise in robotic-assisted surgery, which allows him to place implants precisely where they need to go in each patient’s body. The two decided to move forward with dual hip replacement in two surgeries that would be spaced out enough to support Wharton’s recovery.

THE BIGGEST LITTLE THINGS

In March 2021, on the day of his first surgery that would replace his left hip, Wharton was nervous.

But the operating room team played music, which took the edge off. He went under and awoke anew.

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CEDARS-SINAI — SUMMER 2022

“

People think of arthritis as something that only affects older people, but the average age of people whose quality of life is compromised by this condition is younger than it used to be.

”

­— Dr. Jeffrey Zarin

“As soon as I woke up, I didn’t feel that pain anymore,” he says. “It was almost surreal. That’s all I had to do was a two-hour surgery, and just like that I was back.”

Two months after Zarin performed the second surgery to replace his right hip, Wharton was healed.

Most patients can expect to resume their normal activities six to eight weeks after a hip replacement. But the mind is more reluctant than the flesh.

“Part of the recovery is retraining your brain to think that things are stable and better, and the longer you’re disabled, the longer it can take for you to feel normal,” Zarin says.

Month by month, Wharton says, he gingerly shed his limitations. Now at hot yoga, he can stretch his legs the length of the mat. He and Darensbourg recently moved from Atlanta to Houston, where they spend weekends mountain biking and kayaking—low-impact activities endorsed by Zarin to keep joints conditioned. This year, Wharton hopes his construction business, Mr. Handy, will take on even more projects now that he can do much of the work himself.

But the most life-affirming abilities are the everyday ones, Wharton says, like tying his shoes and sitting comfortably in his truck—normal stuff he’s grateful to have back and eager to keep.

“My last hips I had, I downplayed them,” he says. “I’m not going to beat these hips up. I know what it’s like not to have the use of your legs, and I value these.”

JEFFREY ZARIN, MD Jeffrey Zarin earned his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed an internship, residency and fellowship at Harvard University. He moved to Los Angeles from Boston in 2019 and joined Cedars-Sinai in 2021. He and his wife, a urogynecologist, live in Santa Monica with their 14-year-old twins, who love the beach, biking and skiing.

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HERE & NOW

RIGHT THERE WITH YOU Dr. Lauren DeStefano holds her patients’ hands in the operating room and throughout their treatment.

by Nicole Levine photos by Bill Pollard

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E

very breast cancer surgery is a little different, depending on the needs of the patient. For Lauren DeStefano, MD, there’s one moment that’s always the same.

Just before she begins each surgery, while she waits with her patient for the anesthesia to take effect, DeStefano holds their hands and says, “I’m right here with you.” It’s something she learned early in her surgical residency, and it’s stuck with her.

“This is a privilege,” says DeStefano, a breast surgical oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s Tarzana location.

“I have to remember that every single time.”

DeStefano knows firsthand what it means to face a cancer diagnosis. Her grandmother, who is now in her 90s, and her mother are both breast cancer survivors. DeStefano recalls the intensity of her mother’s experience.

“I remember how hush-hush everything was around it, because I was still very young,” says DeStefano, who was a teenager when her mom was going through treatment.

“When you don’t know what’s happening, your mind goes to extremes.”

Now she talks to her patients about how to share information in age-appropriate ways with their kids.

“My experiences have definitely affected the kind of doctor I am,” she says. “When I’m operating, it might be just another Thursday to me. But for the family in the waiting room, it’s one of the scariest days of their lives.

Having gone through what I have, I have a great deal of compassion for them.”

DeStefano finished her training at Cedars-Sinai during the pandemic. When her program ended, she moved to Seattle for work, but when a job opened at Cedars-Sinai’s full-service cancer center in Tarzana in early 2022, she promptly moved back to Southern California.

DeStefano joins fellow breast surgical oncologist Nimmi Kapoor, MD, in the San Fernando Valley office where patients can access an array of services—from primary care to imaging, radiation oncology and radiology. She says that she was drawn to oncology by the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care.

“Our patients truly have a team of doctors behind them, each specializing in one aspect of the patient’s care,” DeStefano says. “The great thing about Cedars-Sinai cancer care in Tarzana is that all these physicians are in the same building. Not only are our patients able to have experts on their team, but they are all under the same roof.”

Something else DeStefano appreciates about working with breast cancer patients is that there are multiple options for treatment, medically and surgically.

“Trying to figure out what treatment option is best is like a puzzle,” she says. “In many cases, the surgeries are equivalent in terms of outcomes. So, I ask people, ‘What do you want? How do you want your body to look?’

We figure it out together.”

DeStefano often coaches her patients not to lose sight of the things they love, even when they’re focused on their treatment.

“I tell my patients: ‘Keep doing the things that make you happy. It’s important for your care,” she says. “So, if you enjoy gardening, keep gardening. If you like going for walks, keep doing that.’”

For DeStefano, movement is the balm she needs when she’s struggling. She started dancing when she was just 2 years old. She performed in the New Jersey Ballet’s junior company and, as a young adult, thought dance might become her career. Though dance is no longer her professional passion, exercise and movement help her through hard times.

“When I’m stressed and I need to make a decision, moving my body without having to think about anything helps,” she says.

Working at an outpatient center, DeStefano mostly treats patients who have early-stage breast cancer that is curable with surgery and treatment. One of her favorite moments with each patient comes during their follow-up appointment, about six months after she gently held their hands in surgery.

“I get to see them when their treatment is done, and they’re thrilled to be back to traveling and doing all the things they love,” she says. “Like I said, it really is a privilege to take care of people.”

BRING IT BACK TO THE BREATH Meditation is a practice that’s helped DeStefano through some of her toughest times—and it works at any age. Even her 7-year-old son, Aidan, is a meditation maven.

Establish a nightly habit: Bedtime is a favorite meditation time for DeStefano and Aidan. She started meditating because she couldn’t sleep. Now it’s a nightly ritual. Finding a way to quiet your mind can lead to a better night’s rest.

Find a digital guide: A variety of guided meditations are available for free through apps. Finding a soothing voice can help start the habit.

Start small: Meditation can begin with even a short practice of a minute or two, then build up to longer stretches of time.

Give yourself time: If you find you can’t clear your mind the first time you try, it’s OK. You can’t run a marathon the first time you lace up your sneakers, DeStefano says. Bring your attention to your breath and try again. @CEDARSSINAI

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AT-A-GLANCE

“ Many triggers are individualized.

So it’s important to keep a health log to gain insight into your symptoms, habits and patterns. That way you can take steps to prevent a migraine or lessen its severity.” ­— Ilana Lasner, DO

Know Your Migraine Triggers Changes and stressors brought on by the COVID-­19 pandemic have increased triggers for migraine patients worldwide.

The most common triggers are strong odors, sleep disturbances, stress and reactions to certain foods, according to survey results published last fall in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

Another study suggests that wearing masks and using disinfectants may also aggravate migraines.

“Many triggers are individualized,” says Cedars-Sinai neurologist Ilana Lasner, DO. “So it’s important to keep a health log to gain insight into your symptoms, habits and patterns. That way you can take steps to prevent a migraine or lessen its severity.”

In reviewing your notes, ask the following questions:

1

DID I HAVE A POOR NIGHT’S SLEEP? Improve your sleep quality by following a peaceful pre-bedtime routine. Shut off the TV, take a bath or read. Avoid using your cellphone or tablet in bed.

2

WAS IT SOMETHING I ATE? Aged cheeses and cured meats are common triggers, but your health log can help identify your unique food triggers. You may find that something surprising, like almonds, is a trigger for you, Lasner says.

3

AM I STRESSED OUT? The pandemic, global tensions and personal concerns are unavoidable. Reduce their effects through meditation, breathing exercises and mindfulness practice. Enlist the help of friends or a therapist, if needed.

4

WHEN DID I LAST HAVE WATER? If you’re not getting about eight glasses per day, try using an app that reminds you to drink water.

For variety, sip on some coconut water or herbal tea.

5

HAVE I BECOME ONE WITH MY CHAIR? More than a migraine trigger, a sedentary lifestyle is simply bad for your health. Start small and schedule stretches and walks into your day to form a healthy habit, then add in activities you enjoy, such as dancing, cycling or hiking.

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CEDARS-SINAI — SUMMER 2022

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

An Investment in Health Equity A person’s race, sexual orientation and income can significantly influence their health.

Often, intrinsic identity or systemic circumstances can create unfair obstacles to accessing healthcare or resources that keep people well, such as housing and food. Cedars-Sinai is working to address these disparities by investing in programs centered around health equity: the principle that everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve optimal health, regardless of race, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, employment, disability or geography.

We’re Right Here in Los Feliz Expert care for life is closer than ever for Eastside patients. Cedars-Sinai now offers urgent care, primary care and OB-GYN services in Los Feliz.

In 2021, Cedars-Sinai launched its Health Equity Grant Program to support community partners with incorporating health equity principles into their workforce development, strategic planning, data collection and everyday operations.

Grants support the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science’s launch of a Black Maternal Health Center of Excellence, OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center’s evaluation of the needs of minority communities, and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County’s work to prepare for healthcare reform initiatives, among others. Grants to UniHealth Foundation, Hollywood Food Coalition, Nonprofit Finance Fund and Food Forward projects address homelessness and food access.

$15 million+

BY THE NUMBERS

140+

total value of health equity grants given since 2021

health equity grants given to community partners

66,436

208,000+ individuals reached by funded programs

people in Los Angeles County experiencing homelessness, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2020 count

30%

target amount for reducing Black birthing disparities by 2023, as identified by the Black Maternal Health Center of Excellence, Los Angeles County African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Initiative, and other health organizations

Cedars-Sinai is committed to providing excellent care at every stage of life. The new location at 1922 Hillhurst Ave. reflects this, offering walk-in urgent care visits for adults and pediatric patients, in addition to primary care and OB-GYN services for adults.

“We’re excited to serve and be closer to where so many of our patients and families live and work on the Eastside,” says Alen Voskanian, MD, MBA, medical director of Cedars-Sinai Medical Group.

“Our goal is to make quality care more accessible and convenient to our communities.”

The Los Feliz location features more than 10,000 square feet of bright, modern clinical space all on one floor, offering convenient healthcare options.

To make an appointment, call: OB-GYN: 310-423-6185 William Tuong, MD, primary care: 310-423-6185 Carl A. Violano, MD, primary care: 310-423-4366

Cedars-Sinai now offers on-demand video visits to existing and first-time patients. Video Visit Now is appropriate for minor health conditions and is available seven days a week. Go to cedars-sinai.org/virtual-care to schedule your Video Visit Now appointment or learn more. @CEDARSSINAI

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AT-A-GLANCE

Find Your Fitness Tracker’s Sweet Spot

If you’ve ever used a fitness tracker, you know it can be both cheerleader and taskmaster. On good days, it motivates you to reach your health goals.

On bad days—when you can’t keep that coveted running pace or some decadent dessert pushes you past your calorie count—it glaringly reminds you of your shortcomings.

But these devices and fitness apps are just tools.

Using the data they collect requires guidance and wisdom.

NAME YOUR GOAL Is your goal to lose weight, improve sleep quality, track your heart rate, lower blood pressure or prevent chronic disease? Find a tracker that measures metrics that support that goal. “It all starts with picking the problem and becoming mentally prepared to engage in a health activity to address it,” says Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai.

TRACK WHAT MATTERS Which data matter most for you depends on your goals, but following the American Heart Association’s recommendations for aerobic activity is a good place to start, says Cedars-Sinai primary care physician Matthew Kollefrath, MD. These include a weekly output of at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or swimming laps.

“ It’s important to remember that gradual changes are what help you form healthy lifestyle habits and prevent you from becoming discouraged by an off day.” ­— Dr. Matthew Kollefrath

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AVOID OBSESSION Constantly checking your heart rate or obsessing over daily step counts can lead to anxiety. Viewing your data from a long-term perspective, however, helps you notice trends along with any positive or negative results from your activity. “It’s important to remember that gradual changes are what help you form healthy lifestyle habits and prevent you from becoming discouraged by an off day,” Kollefrath says.

SHARE WITH YOUR DOCTOR Sharing your data with your doctor can be a great way to start a conversation about how to prevent or manage chronic conditions and meet your personal health goals. If you’re a Cedars-Sinai patient, you can use the My CS-Link app to share fitness-tracker data with your doctor. Working with your doctor, you can develop a plan to adjust your lifestyle and promote your optimal health.

VISIT OUR DOCTORS

AMIR BADIEI, MD NEUROLOGY

DANIEL MAGHEN, MD PEDIATRICS

STEPHANIE CHAPMAN, MD DERMATOLOGY

RYAN PONEC, MD ONCOLOGY

SANAA DESHMUKH, MD ENDOCRINOLOGY

SEAN RAJAEE, MD ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

SHERVIN ESHRAGHI, MD NEUROLOGY

SIMI SINGH, MD GASTROENTEROLOGY

MICHAEL GALABI, MD PRIMARY CARE

RONIT ZADIKANY, MD CARDIOLOGY

LINDSAY GUBERNICK, MD OB-GYN

TRACY ZASLOW, MD PEDIATRIC SPORTS MEDICINE

8635 W. 3rd St., Suite 850W Los Angeles, CA 90048 310-385-6016

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18133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 300 Tarzana, CA 91356 424-314-0050

8536 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 202 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-248-8200

1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 210 Santa Monica, CA 90404 424-314-7826

8501 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-385-3496

12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 4000 Playa Vista, CA 90094 424-315-2347

2020 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 400 Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-829-2663

FEATURED PHYSICIANS

URGENT CARE

ALYSSA QUIMBY, MD p.4 OB-GYN

LAUREN DESTEFANO, MD p.12 ONCOLOGY

WEEKDAYS, NOON – 9 P.M., WEEKENDS, 9 A.M. – 6 P.M.

1922 Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 310-423-1224

18133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 200 Tarzana, CA 91356 818-480-7269

SARA TWOGOOD, MD p.4 OB-GYN

ILANA LASNER, DO p.14 NEUROLOGY

1922 Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 310-423-1224

4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 301 Marina del Rey, CA 90292 424-314-6080

JEFFREY ZARIN, MD p.11 ORTHOPAEDICS

MATTHEW KOLLEFRATH, MD p.16 PRIMARY CARE

2020 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 400 Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-829-2663

8767 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-423-6586

BEVERLY HILLS 8767 Wilshire Blvd.

2nd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-248-7000

CULVER CITY 10100 Culver Blvd.

Suite E Culver City, CA 90232 310-423-3333

LOS FELIZ 1922 Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 424-314-5200

PLAYA VISTA 12746 W. Jefferson Blvd.

Suite 2000 Playa Vista, CA 90094 424-315-2220

Holiday hours may vary. Please check our website for more information.

Walk-ins welcome or use Save My Spot to minimize your wait time.

Go to cedars-sinai.org/urgentcare to learn more. @CEDARSSINAI

17

6500 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1900, Los Angeles, CA 90048

1-800-CEDARS-1

Your priorities are our priorities. Whether you schedule an in-person appointment, phone consult or video visit, you can rest assured there’s a team ready to provide expert care no matter what you’re facing.

Learn more at cedars-sinai.org/righthere.

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LOS ANGELES, CA PERMIT NO. 22328