Longevity & preventive care
Preventive care at Protea Medical Center looks at your family history, your cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, and how you feel today. Our naturopathic physicians use that evaluation, with testing when indicated, to build a plan with you and revisit it over time.
Preventive medicine
Preventive medicine looks ahead. Rather than waiting for a concern to become a diagnosis, your physician looks at your history, your risk factors and how you feel now, and works with you on the areas that matter most for your long-term health.
No single test or supplement accounts for healthy aging. A preventive plan may touch on hormones, metabolism, heart health, stress, nutrition and physical activity, and it is revisited over time with a physician who knows your history.
Common reasons to come in
People seek preventive care for many reasons. These are some of the concerns patients most often bring to a first visit.
If heart disease, diabetes or other conditions run in your family, you may want to understand your own risk sooner. Your physician will review your family history and discuss which screening or testing, if any, makes sense for you.
Elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and similar findings often raise questions about what to do next. We can talk through your results, your options and how lifestyle changes and medical treatment fit together.
Changes in weight, blood sugar or energy can be worth a closer look. Your physician can evaluate these concerns and, when it would help, coordinate with our Nutrition Department.
Some people come in while they feel well, because they want a thorough review of their health, a clearer sense of where to focus, and a reference point for future visits.
Your first visit
Preventive care at Protea Medical Center starts with an extended new patient appointment. Your physician reviews your health history, family history, current symptoms and lifestyle, along with any previous lab work or records you bring.
From there, your physician may recommend diagnostic testing when it would help answer a specific question, and will explain the reasoning. Not every visit leads to new labs or a new prescription.
Areas of focus
These areas often overlap. Your plan focuses on the ones your history, evaluation and goals point to.
Hormone levels change throughout life, not only at menopause or in midlife. When your symptoms suggest hormones are involved, your physician can evaluate them and discuss whether treatment is appropriate.
Hormone therapyBlood sugar, weight change and questions about GLP-1 medications. Our physicians explain the physiology in the library and discuss options in person.
Weight & metabolism libraryCholesterol, blood pressure and the questions patients often ask about statins, discussed by our physicians in the library.
Longevity libraryStress, mood and sleep affect how you feel day to day, and they are worth discussing alongside your other health concerns.
Mood, sleep & stress libraryNutrition care at Protea Medical Center is led by Dr. Daniel Berzins, Director of Nutrition, and coordinated with your medical care.
NutritionYoga, barre and Pilates classes at Protea Movement Studio, on the same Tempe campus and open to the whole community.
Movement StudioHow it works
Preventive care is an ongoing relationship rather than a single appointment. This is how it usually unfolds, though the details depend on your needs.
A detailed review of your health history, family history, lifestyle and current concerns, along with an exam.
If testing would help answer a question about your risk or symptoms, your physician will explain what is recommended and why.
Recommendations based on your evaluation and goals, which may include nutrition, physical activity, hormone care or other treatment.
Visits to review your progress, repeat testing when it is useful, and adjust the plan as your health and priorities change.
Our physicians
Dr. Shay Saba is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor with training from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and a residency in general medicine.
She focuses on hormones, fertility, thyroid and adrenal health, and longevity. Known for her compassionate listening, she uncovers often-overlooked root causes and develops personalized, evidence-based treatment plans.
Her toolkit includes supplements, nutrition, IV therapy, botanicals, hormone therapy, and prescriptions when necessary.
From the Protea Library
Our physicians discuss heart health, cholesterol, blood pressure, metabolism, stress and how exercise should change as you age.
The Truth About Heart Health and StatinsProtea Medical CenterLongevityA Cholesterol Myth: Separating Facts from Fiction for a Healthier YouDr. Brendan McCarthyLongevityManaging Blood PressureDr. Brendan McCarthyLongevityThe Truth About GLP-1sDr. Brendan McCarthyWeight & Metabolism
Why You’re Tired, Wired & Burned Out: The Physiology of StressProtea Medical CenterMood, Sleep & StressThis Isn’t a Willpower Problem: The Truth About Stress, Cravings & Weight GainDr. Brendan McCarthyWeight & MetabolismMood, Sleep & Stress
Your Workout Should Change As You AgeProtea Movement StudioMovementWomen, Hormones & Cholesterol: The Hidden Role of Ultra-Processed FoodsDr. Brendan McCarthyLongevityNutritionThis content is for education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation with a licensed provider, and no one should start, stop or change a medication on its basis.
Questions
It is care focused on understanding your health risks and addressing them early. It usually begins with a thorough evaluation of your history and current health, includes diagnostic testing when appropriate, and continues with follow-up visits so your plan can be adjusted over time.
Most patients start with a free discovery call, followed by an extended new patient appointment that includes a review of your health history and an exam. Call or text (480) 557-9095 or request a consultation online.
Your physician can review your family history alongside your own risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and discuss what monitoring or treatment may be appropriate. If you already see a cardiologist or primary care physician, bring your recent records so your physician has the full picture.
That depends on your history and concerns, and your physician will discuss it with you. Options include comprehensive metabolic and micronutrient panels, gut health and food sensitivity testing, and genetic and epigenetic testing. Testing is recommended when it is likely to inform a decision in your care.
For some patients. Hormones affect energy, sleep, mood and weight, and hormone levels change over a lifetime. If your symptoms or history suggest hormones are relevant, your physician will discuss testing and whether treatment is appropriate. When hormone therapy is prescribed at Protea, it is monitored with follow-up labs.
They can. The Nutrition Department at Protea Medical Center is led by Dr. Daniel Berzins, and Protea Movement Studio offers yoga, barre and Pilates on the same Tempe campus. Your physician may suggest either when it fits your goals.
No. Preventive care works best as an ongoing relationship with your physician. Changes in nutrition, activity, sleep and medical treatment take time, and follow-up visits are how you and your physician see what is helping and what needs to change.
Our team can answer questions about longevity and preventive care, explain what to expect, and help you determine the appropriate next step.
Still exploring? Visit our educational library.
