There is a saying in medicine, adopted from Benjamin Franklin, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.  Deep thought is not required to interpret this famous quote.  You can ask yourself a simple question, a million different ways, and understand the meaning and importance of it.  Would you rather have one cavity or ten cavities?  Would you rather take blood pressure medicine or have a stroke?  Heart attack or Lipitor?  It goes on and on, but the point is always the same: catch a little problem before it becomes a big problem.  That is the idea behind preventive medicine, preventive screenings, and preventive health.  Read more...