Welcome to BeyondApples.Org, a dedicated preventive health care blog. There are many sites out there that talk about preventive health and especially dieting and exercise. This site is different because it addresses preventive health from the health care perspective. It is interested in talking about how modern medicine can help us prevent disease in addition to helping us treat disease. It reviews guidelines and groundbreaking trials in preventive health care, presents illustrative patient encounters, and most importantly serves as a forum for discussion and dialogue with you the reader.
BeyondApples.Org grew out of my passion for preventive health care. When most of us think about the miracles of modern medicine we picture heart bypass surgery, chemotherapy, and organ transplantation. But to me, while these advances in medicine are impressive, I marvel more at the idea that by taking an aspirin a day I can reduce my risk of a heart attack or by getting regular screening I can reduce my chances of developing colon cancer. Equally exciting is the fact that just like robotic surgery is the cutting edge of heart bypass surgery there is a cutting edge of preventive health care. Every week new studies come out that advance our understanding of disease prevention and new guidelines released that change the way we as doctors should prevent disease. At the same time, an idea is only worthwhile if people benefit from it. As preventive health care advances, the gap between the standard-of-care patients should receive and the care they actually receive widens. Across the spectrum of preventive care from cancer screening to nutrition counseling doctors and patients are not fully realizing the potential of preventive health care. Thus in addition to sharing my passion for preventive medicine, I started BeyondApples.Org to bridge these gaps and empower doctors and patients to better their health and the health of those around them.
As a brief introduction to myself, I am a recent medical graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and am currently a medical resident at the University of Chicago Hospital. My primary responsibilities are taking care of patients admitted to the hospital and maintaining a panel of general medicine patients. While my clinical training is in internal medicine, I have developed an interest in preventive health. I am the author of Stay Healthy At Every Age — What Your Doctor Wants You to Know, published by the Johns Hopkins University Press (http://www.stayhealthyateveryage.com).
- Shantanu Nundy, M.D.
Last updated/review December 15th 2010
I'm an internal medicine doctor passionate about keeping people healthy and out of the hospital. For a brief bio 
Hi Shantanu, I came across your blog accidentally and it was a pleasant surprise to see internist involved in tobacco control and preventive care. I myself is physician with MD from AIIMS Delhi, practicing in India and has interest in tobacco control and preventive care with special interest in non-communicable diseases and diabetes. In fact diabetes is a ticking bomb going to explode in another 10 years. I maintain following blogs, http://www.saynototobacco.blogspot.com AND http://www.diabetescareindia.blogspot.com
Dr. Shantanu,
I “found” your blog today and have thoroughly enjoyed reading how important preventative care is to you. I have a question in regards to the Five for Five post; I’m 27, do not smoke, weigh around 114… and have had my blood pressure checked numerous times over the past year because I keep going to the Dr. concerning my heart palpatations.. Each time ( prob 10x’s) I’ve had my blood pressure checked it has been normal except for once or twice.. Should I consider this a concern in a way that I have one of the five factors?
Hi Wendy, Thanks for reading. Your question is a good one. Your blood pressure varies from moment to moment depending on stress, caffeine, activity, etc. In talking about chronic disease and preventive health, the blood pressure we are referring to is when you are at rest and otherwise healthy. The best blood pressure readings come from measuring someone’s BP after seating quietly for 5 minutes with the cuff at the level of the heart. When you are ill or are having heart palpitations, your blood pressure will be elevated and for the purpose of considering chronic disease risk do not “count.” The fact that you have had normal BPs for multiple visits is reassuring. I would not count blood pressure in you as a risk factor. Hope that helps.