David Schechter, M.D., WLA

Knowing when to worry

Doctor's Note: The most useful question about almost any symptom isn't "Is this bad?" — it's "What would make this an emergency?"

Most symptoms are not urgent. But knowing the specific red flags for your situation turns anxiety into a plan. When you're given a new diagnosis or start a new medication, ask your doctor to name them plainly: What should I watch for, and what would send me to the ER?

Write the answer down. Peace of mind comes from knowing where the line is.

More practical guidance like this in my new book, Ask Your Family Doctor — available now on Amazon.

Ask Your Family Doctor Practical Guidance For Healthy Living

Here’s my friend and Colleague, Ken Goodman, LCSW holding a copy of my new book. Is the author of the Health anxiety handbook. If you send me such a picture, I’ll post it with your permission. 

Each chapter in my new book, Ask Your Family Doctor, has a "Doctor's Note" summary. here is one re lab testing: Lab results are clues, not verdicts. Small variations often mean nothing; trends matter more than single numbers. ...interpretation requires context and experience

Subject: My new book: Ask Your Family Doctor

I’m pleased to share that my new book, Ask Your Family Doctor: Practical Guidance for Healthy Living, is now available.
The book grew out of the questions patients have asked me over more than forty years of clinical practice and more than 100,000 patient encounters. It offers clear, evidence-informed guidance on prevention, healthy living, common symptoms, medications, chronic conditions, laboratory testing, and preparing for medical visits.
My goal was to create a practical resource that helps readers understand health information, know what questions to ask, and feel better prepared before, during, and after a doctor’s visit.
The book is available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon.
Warmly,
David Schechter, MD
https://www.schechtermd.com/books-and-publications/

the Paperback https://link.amazon/B0bt6xZsE
the Kindle Edition https://link.amazon/B07FlzXwK
Hardcover and Audible to follow

Ask Your Family Doctor Practical Guidance For Healthy Living

https://share.google/aLDeUjSSVfqQC8yUo the business profile, they call it Any edit suggestions?

Dr. David L. Schechter, MD · Los Angeles, CA 4.8 ⭐ · Sports medicine physician in Los Angeles, California

There are 62 risks listed as being associated with statins. Most may be completely wrong according to a recent meta analysis. Here is a lay article on this:

Statin labeling should be revised
Michael Walter | February 18, 2026 | Cardiovascular Business | Pharmaceutics
Continuous and high-adherent statin users had lower baseline arterial stiffness which also grew more slowly over time, a new JAMA Network Open study finds.

Statins are commonly prescribed to help patients lower their LDL cholesterol levels and minimize their risk of cardiovascular disease. The labeling for these popular drugs currently warns of an increased risk of cognitive impairment, depression, sleep disturbance, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy and dozens of other complications.

However, according to a new meta-analysis published in The Lancet, there is no evidence that statin therapy actually causes a majority of those issues.

“Statin therapy has been used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide over the past 30 years, and the data show that statin use has contributed substantively to age-specific reductions in global cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity,” wrote first author Christina Reith BSc, MBChB, PhD, a researcher with the University of Oxford, and the rest of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration writing committee. “However, concerns about the safety of statins have been raised, with claims of excesses in a wide range of conditions in multiple organ systems.”

The group evaluated data from more than 123,000 patients who originally participated in one of 19 trials comparing statin therapy with a placebo. Statins evaluated in these trials included atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin. The mean age was 63 years old and median follow-up period was 4.5 years.

Overall, the group did confirm that statin therapy was associated with an increased risk of abnormal liver transaminases and other liver function abnormalities, urinary composition alterations and edema. Otherwise, however, there was no evidence that statin therapy caused the other 62 potential side effects currently printed on statin labels.

“These findings reinforce previous conclusions that any risks associated with statin therapy are greatly outweighed by their cardiovascular benefits,” the authors wrote. “Consequently, there is a pressing need for regulatory authorities to require revision of statin labels and for other official sources of health information to be updated, so that clinicians, patients, and the public can make informed decisions regarding the balance of the benefits and risks of statin therapy.”

This confirms my own clinical experience. These medications are safe and effective. Also, the # of heart attacks is way down and it's not only because some people are eating healthier and there are fewer transfats in the food chain. It's medication, as well.

Doximity interviewed me about private practice. 4 minutes or so. Here it is:

Doximity Over two million U.S. healthcare professionals as verified members. Largest network of MDs and other healthcare professionals. New to Doximity? Find your profile and join for free.

I am honored to receive recognition as a Top Doctor. I have received this for over 20 years in a row. 7% of all physicians are given this designation nationally.

A closer look at how the 2026 Top Doctors were selected.

1,100,000+

Licensed physicians in the U.S


47,000+

Nominations received in 2025

4,000+

New Top Doctors recognized


72,000+

Castle Connolly Top Doctors

Top 7%

Of all U.S. practicing physicians

I continue to focus on quality care for all my patients.

recent bio in local online "Magazine".

Hidden Gems: Meet David Schechter - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide Today we'd like to introduce you to David Schechter. Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers? As with most people, there are many stories to tell that interw