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Reduction in Ferritin Concentrations among Patients Consuming a LIFE Diet

Oct 10, 2022

This 32-patient retrospective study found that the LIFE diet, or similar dark-green leafy vegetable-rich, whole-food plant-based diets, may benefit patients with disorders of iron overload and iron-induced oxidative stress. Patients who adhered to the..

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LIFE Diet leads to Reduction in Ferritin Concentrations

Aug 08, 2022

Reduction in Ferritin Concentrations among Patients Consuming a Dark-Green Leafy Vegetable–Rich, Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE) Diet

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Vegetable Lasagna

Dec 13, 2021

Source: Engine 2 Cookbook Modified from the original recipe for 1-2-3 Vegetable Lasagna to reduce sugar and sodium. Servings: 12 Core ingredients 2 8-oz. boxes Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagne or another all-bean lasagne 50 oz...

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Case Report: Chronic Migraine Reversal And Prevention With The LIFE Diet...

Nov 24, 2021

We report a case of a 60-year-old man who struggled with frequent migraines for 12.5 years. These did not respond to conventional therapies. Six months before initial consultation, these migraines become chronic...

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Fiber: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Robust Health & Resilience

Mar 27, 2021

Dive into the science of fiber with PPMNY Medical Advisory Board Member David Dunaief, M.D. Learn why a fiber-rich diet is an essential ingredient for a healthy microbiome and how fiber prevents inflammation...

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Interview: LIFE Smoothie or Full LIFE Diet Lowers CRP in Seven Days

Jan 25, 2021

In this 40-minute interview by Jeanne Schumacher of SimplyPlantBased.net, David Dunaief, M.D. describes the impact of his published study, Once Daily Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE) Smoothie or the Full LIFE Diet Lowers CRP in Seven Days...

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Changing Habits In 2021: Simple Modifications Can Help You Achieve Your Health Goals

Jan 16, 2021

2020 has been a most unusual year. In some ways, it’s been a case study in new habit formation, as many of us altered our routines to adapt to a COVID-19 world...

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Mashed Cauliflower Recipe – Vegan

Jan 09, 2021

A super simple and a terrific healthy substitute for potatoes is mashed cauliflower. (4 servings) 1 head cauliflower 3-4 cloves garlic splash of soy milk (can substitute another non-dairy milk) Peel and chop garlic...

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The Statin Debate Continues…

Jan 02, 2021

Statins were first approved in the U.S. over 30 years ago. Today, they are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States...

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Dear Santa, Give The Gift Of Health This Year

Dec 20, 2020

I know this is a busy time of year for you. I’m sure it’s all you can do to field all the requests you’re receiving through email, Twitter, WhatsApp, and old-fashioned, handwritten letters...

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When Should You Take Vitamin D Supplements?

Dec 14, 2020

Here in the Northeast, we are quickly approaching the point in the year when we have the least daylight hours. This is the point at which many reach for vitamin D, one of the most important supplements...

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Maximize Exercise Benefits

Dec 06, 2020

Medical professionals (including me!) often press you to exercise. This sage advice seems simple enough; however, the type, intensity level and frequency of exercise may not be well-defined...

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The Powerful Effects Of Exercise

Nov 30, 2020

Exercise has effects on diabetes and a host of other chronic diseases, including kidney stones, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease and breast, colorectal and endometrial cancers...

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Can You Exercise Off That Holiday Meal?

Nov 22, 2020

To quash guilt about Thanksgiving meal indiscretions, many of us will resolve to exercise to burn off the calories from this seismic meal and the smaller, calorically dense aftershock meals, whether with a vigorous family football game or...

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Giving Thanks For Good Health

Nov 16, 2020

Many of us give thanks for good health on Thanksgiving. This is especially relevant this year. While eating healthy may be furthest from our minds during the holidays, it is so important...

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“Cheesy” Baked Tofu – Vegan

Nov 15, 2020

(4 Servings) 1 14-oz-package firm tofu 1⁄4 cup nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons of your favorite dried spices Depending on what we're serving it with, we have used paprika; or basil and oregano; or Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute...

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Lifestyle Strategies To Prevent Prostate Cancer

Nov 08, 2020

Happy “Movember!” The Movember Foundation is in its 17th year of raising awareness and research money for men’s health issues (1). What better time to discuss prostate cancer prevention...

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Recognizing And Addressing Acute Pancreatitis

Oct 26, 2020

Acute pancreatitis is the most frequent gastrointestinal cause for patients to be admitted to a hospital (1). Typically, severe abdominal pain is what compels patients to go to the emergency room...

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Beating Breast Cancer At Its Own Game

Oct 18, 2020

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and everyone agrees that awareness is crucial. The incidence of invasive breast cancer in 2020 in the U.S. is estimated to be over 270,000 new cases, with approximately 40,000 patients dying from this disease...

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Will You Benefit From A Gluten-free Diet?

Oct 09, 2020

A quick trip to the grocery store or a restaurant will confirm what you already know: gluten-free is a “thing.” Pizza, pasta, bread, and even breadcrumb-encrusted products have been reformulated, and everyday products, like frozen vegetables...

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Treating Hypothyroidism

Oct 04, 2020

Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain and low energy, but diagnosing and treating it can be tricky. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ at the base of the neck, and it is responsible for maintaining our metabolism...

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Osteoarthritis Approaches

Sep 29, 2020

Osteoarthritis has been diagnosed in over 54 million Americans, with 43.5 percent of them reporting symptoms that limit their activities and significantly impact their quality of life...

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Keep Your Mind Sharp By Moving Your Feet

Sep 28, 2020

There is great emphasis on exercise in medicine and in society. We have heard it is good for us ever since we were children in gym class striving for the presidential fitness award...

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Step Away From The Television

Sep 23, 2020

Comcast, one of America’s largest cable and internet providers, reported in May that Americans were watching an additional 8-plus hours of programming a week, whether on a television, computer or a portable device since the pandemic’s beginning...

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Reducing Your Stroke Risk

Sep 14, 2020

Stroke remains one of the top five causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States...

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Once Daily Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE)...

Sep 11, 2020

The decrease in hsCRP, and therefore decrease in systemic inflammation, was observed in patients who adhered to the full LIFE diet and in patients who ate their regular routine diet plus one 32 oz LIFE smoothie per day...

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Retrospective Study: Diminishing C-Reactive Protein with a Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE)...

Sep 10, 2020

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a widely accepted measure of bodily inflammation, which contributes to many chronic diseases...

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Red Thai Curry Vegetables

Sep 09, 2020

(6 Servings) 8 ounces mushrooms sliced 1 large onion sliced 2 heads broccoli cut into florets 1 red bell pepper diced Sauce: 1 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk soy or almond 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2-3 teaspoons red curry...

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Nutty Summer Picnic Salad

Sep 09, 2020

4 servings) ½ cup quinoa 1 large bunch of kale 1 bunch Swiss chard 8-9 sun-dried tomatoes (diced) ¼ cup pine nuts 1 cup sliced mushrooms 3 large cloves garlic 1/8 to 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Finely chop kale and Swiss chard together...

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The Game Changers Documentary

Sep 06, 2020

Presented by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul — a revolutionary new film about meat, protein and strength...

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Eat To Live: The Amazing Nutrient-rich Program For Fast And Sustained Weight Loss...

Sep 06, 2020

In this new edition, which incorporates the latest scientific nutritional data, Fuhrman’s restrictive diet plan is designed for clinically overweight people who suffer from a spectrum of lifestyle/obesity-induced conditions...

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How Not To Die: Discover The Foods Scientifically Proven To Prevent And Reverse Disease...

Sep 06, 2020

A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues...

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Retrospective Study: Type 2 Diabetes with a High Nutrient Density (HND) Diet

Sep 06, 2020

Working in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Dunaief was the lead author for a study evaluating the potential efficacy of a HND (high nutrient density) diet with type 2 diabetes...

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Understanding Resting Heart Rate

Sep 04, 2020

How many of us regularly check our resting heart rate, or pulse, and what can we learn from it?...

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Managing Hypertension

Sep 03, 2020

Roughly 45 percent of adults in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure. That’s almost one in two adults, or 108 million people, of which 82 million do not have their hypertension con-trolled...

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Cauliflower Tacos With Nut Butter Crema

Sep 02, 2020

(4 servings) Filling: 3 garlic cloves finely grated 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. smoked paprika 1⁄4 cup water 2 medium heads cauliflower cut into 1"–2" florets Sauce: 1 green chile (such as serrano) finely grated 1 garlic clove finely grated...

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The Risks Of Over-The-Counter Medications

Aug 23, 2020

Most of us keep a few stock items in our medicine cabinets as our “go-to’s” for pain relief, fever or inflammation...

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Hydration Vs. Summer’s Heat

Aug 08, 2020

With this summer’s hottest days right around the corner, discussing dehydration is timely. Even air conditioning can be dehydrating...

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The Toes Of Summer

Aug 03, 2020

As we begin our forays into summer public spaces, we are also beginning to expose our toes at the beach and in strappy sandals. Some are more self-conscious about it because of a disease called onychomycosis, better known as nail fungus...

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The Complexities Of Weight Loss

Jul 26, 2020

Excess weight has consequences, including chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, autoimmune diseases and a host of others. Weight also has an impact on all-cause mortality and longevity...

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Protecting Yourself From Lyme Disease

Jul 18, 2020

After a spring where we’ve spent more than our fair share of time indoors, summer’s heat is finally here. Many of us are taking advantage of the weather to enjoy day hikes and picnics along the shoreline or bike rides through wooded areas...

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Heart Disease Prevention

Jul 12, 2020

We can significantly reduce the occurrence of heart disease, the number one killer in the United States, by making modest lifestyle changes...

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Saving Your Vision If You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Jul 06, 2020

Diabetic retinopathy is an umbrella term for microvascular complications of diabetes that can lead to blurred vision and blindness. There are at least three different disorders that comprise it...

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Dealing With Reflux Disease

Jun 30, 2020

Wherever you look there is an advertisement for the treatment of heartburn or indigestion, both of which are related to reflux disease...

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Tackling Osteoporosis And Low Bone Mass

Jun 25, 2020

The prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass increase dramatically as we age. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 48 percent of those ages 65 and older in the U.S. are affected by low bone mass, and 16.4 percent by osteoporosis...

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Exploring Options For Eczema As Summer Approaches

Jun 16, 2020

Referred to more broadly as atopic dermatitis, the cause of eczema is unknown, but it is thought that nature and nurture are both at play...

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Growing Old “Gracefully”

Jun 12, 2020

What does it mean to you to “grow old gracefully?” For people I speak with, it means to be independent, mobile, mentally alert, and not burdened by chronic illnesses. In other words, to maintain a good quality of life...

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Creative Approaches To Reducing Diabetes Risks

Jun 04, 2020

By now, we have all likely heard that soda – with 39 grams of sugar per 12-ounce can – is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Bur did you know that wine has a very low amount of sugar: about 1.2 grams of sugar in a five-ounce serving?...

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Chronic Heart Failure Alternatives

May 30, 2020

Heart attacks and heart disease get a lot of attention, but chronic heart failure is often overlooked by the press. The reason may be that heart failure is not acute like a heart attack...

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COVID-19 And Obesity – The Implications

May 15, 2020

Obesity is an ongoing struggle for many in the United States. The latest statistics suggest that 40 percent of the population is obese...

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COVID-19 Shelter In Place Dos And Don’ts

May 11, 2020

I think it’s fair to say that our world has been radically altered by the current COVID-19 pandemic. If you are at home weathering this storm, it can feel like you are in a literal silo...

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Impacts And Treatment Options For Obstructive Sleep Apnea

May 04, 2020

Sleep is a crucial factor for our physical and mental health, yet many people struggle to get quality restful sleep. For those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this occurs frequently and can lead to consequences more significant than exhaustion...

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Targeting Autoimmune Diseases

Apr 24, 2020

Autoimmune diseases affect more than seven percent of the U.S. population, most of them women. More than 80 conditions have autoimmunity implications...

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COVID-19 – A Three-Pronged Approach To Strengthen Lung Function

Apr 20, 2020

Until recently, many people thought COVID-19 was like the common cold or maybe like the flu. Now, most of us know somebody directly or indirectly who has been hospitalized with COVID-19...

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When Two Pandemics Collide – Diabetes And COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Apr 19, 2020

We need help, and we need it fast. Not just for COVID-19, but also for diabetes, for the combination of the two is much worse than either disease alone...

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High Blood Pressure And COVID-19 Are Intertwined

Apr 18, 2020

Hypertension (high blood pressure) and COVID-19 are intertwined. Those who have hypertension are more susceptible to COVID-19 and are more likely to get a severe form and experience complications from the virus...

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Coronavirus – How To Protect Yourself

Apr 11, 2020

They are right to be asking questions, because there is not enough information being circulated about how to protect yourself and your family...

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Strategies To Reduce Irritable Bowel Syndrome’s Effects

Apr 02, 2020

According to estimates, 10 to 15 percent of the population suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, although only five to seven percent have been diagnosed...

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Exploring The Effects Of Lifestyle On Parkinson’s Disease

Mar 31, 2020

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, roughly 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) each year, and approximately one million Americans are living with PD...

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Diet Quality And Its Impact On Life Expectancy

Mar 12, 2020

Here’s a stunning statistic: 60 percent of American adults have a chronic disease, with 40 percent of adults having more than one...

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Managing Your Risk Of Recurrent Kidney Stones

Mar 02, 2020

Kidney stones, or nephrolithiasis, can be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all) or may present with the classic symptoms of blood in the urine and colicky pain...

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Reducing Pain From Hemorrhoids

Feb 25, 2020

Many of us have suffered at one time or another from inflamed hemorrhoids. They affect men and women equally, though women have a higher propensity during pregnancy and child birth...

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Lowdown On Preventing Diverticular Disease

Feb 19, 2020

Many patients say they have been diagnosed with diverticulitis, but this is a misnomer. Diverticulitis is actually a consequence of diverticular disease, or diverticulosis...

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Diet’s Effects On Cataracts

Feb 08, 2020

Cataracts affect a substantial portion of the U.S. population. In fact, 24.4 million people in the U.S. over the age of 40 are currently afflicted, and this number is expected to increase approximately 61 percent by the year 2030...

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Lower Sodium To Protect Your Kidneys

Feb 01, 2020

By now, most of us have been hit over the head with the fact that too much salt in our diets is unhealthy. Still, we respond with “I don’t use salt,” “I use very little,” or “I don’t have high blood pressure, so I don’t have to worry.”...

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Weighing Prehypertension Treatment Options

Jan 26, 2020

We have focused a large amount of effort on the treatment and prevention of hypertension (high blood pressure) in the U.S...

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Where’s The Fiber?

Jan 18, 2020

Many people worry about getting enough protein, when they really should be concerned about getting enough fiber...

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Reducing Your Heart Attack Risk

Dec 24, 2019

We have made great strides in reducing mortality from heart attacks. When we compare cardiovascular disease — heart disease and stroke — mortality rates from 1975 to the present, there is a substantial decline of approximately one-quarter...

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Are Heart Attack Symptoms Different For Men And Women?

Dec 14, 2019

Heart disease is the most common chronic disease in America. When we refer to heart disease, it is an umbrella term; heart attacks are one component...

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Sugar And Spice And Diabetes

Dec 08, 2019

What causes Type 2 diabetes? It would seem like an obvious answer: obesity, right? Well, obesity is a contributing factor but not necessarily the only factor...

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Consequences Of Trans Ischemic Attacks

Dec 03, 2019

TIA (transient ischemic attack) is sometimes referred to as a “mini-stroke.” This is a disservice since it makes a TIA sound like something that should be taken lightly...

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Dementia Prevention Strategies

Nov 30, 2019

Dementia may be diagnosed when someone experiences loss of memory plus loss of another faculty, such as executive functioning (decision-making) or language abilities (speaking, writing or reading)...

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Understanding Systemic Inflammation

Nov 20, 2019

One of the most widely studied biomarkers for inflammation in our bodies is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), also referred to as CRP. High sensitivity means that we can measure levels as low as 0.3 mg/L more accurately...

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Strategies For Reducing COPD Exacerbations

Nov 15, 2019

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States, although it’s not highlighted much in the layman’s press...

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Tipping The Sodium To Potassium Balance

Nov 06, 2019

We need sodium in our diets in modest amounts; however, many Americans overconsume it. Meanwhile, potassium, which we also need, is underconsumed...

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Reducing Osteoarthritis Effects

Nov 03, 2019

Osteoarthritis is widespread. Most commonly, it affects the knees, hips and hands. There are three types of treatment: surgery, involving joint replacements of the hips or knees; medications; and nonpharmacologic approaches...

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Preventing Gallstones

Oct 18, 2019

Gallstones affect up to 20 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 74, with a more than two times increased occurrence in women than in men, according to the NHANES III survey...

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Reducing Inflammation With Steroids

Oct 09, 2019

Steroids typically make headlines related to their use as a performance-enhancing drug in sports. However, if we look beyond the flashy headlines, we see that corticosteroids, or steroids, play an important role in medicine...

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Diagnosing And Treating Atrial Fibrillation

Oct 05, 2019

Though there are several options, including medications and invasive procedures, treatment mostly boils down to symptomatic treatment, rather than treating or reversing underlying causes...

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The Effects Of Iron Overload

Sep 26, 2019

When we think of iron, we associate it with reducing fatigue and garnering energy. Therefore, the more we get, the better, right? For many of us, this presumption is not grounded in reality...

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Reducing The Risks Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Sep 20, 2019

Aneurysms are universally feared; they can be lethal, and most times they have no symptoms. There are numerous types of aneurysms, most of which are named by their location of occurrence, including abdominal, thoracic and cerebral...

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Tackling Cardiovascular Disease

Sep 12, 2019

Even though cardiovascular disease has been on the decline, it is still the number one killer of Americans, responsible for almost 30 percent of deaths per year (1). Let’s start with a quiz of your cardiovascular disease IQ...

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Addressing Mild Cognitive Impairment

Sep 02, 2019

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is one of the more common disorders that occurs as we age. But age is not the only determinant. There are a number of modifiable risk factors...

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Reducing Fall Risk

Aug 20, 2019

Though statistics vary widely, about 30 percent of Americans are affected by insomnia, according to one frequently used estimate, and women tend to be affected more than men...

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Overcoming Insomnia

Aug 15, 2019

Though statistics vary widely, about 30 percent of Americans are affected by insomnia, according to one frequently used estimate, and women tend to be affected more than men...

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Defeating Heart Disease

Aug 08, 2019

Heart disease is so pervasive that men who are 40 years old have a lifetime risk of 49 percent. In other words, about half of men will be affected by heart disease...

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The Bone Health Paradox

Aug 03, 2019

Osteoporosis is a silent disease where there is bone loss, weakening of the bones and small deleterious changes in the architecture of the bone over time that may result in fractures with serious consequences...

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Reduce Health Risks By Eating Fruit

Aug 29, 2017

We should all reduce the amount of added sugar we consume because of its negative effects on our health. It is recommended that we get no more than 10 percent of our diet from added sugars...

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Cancer Prevention And Diet: What Do We Know?

Aug 13, 2017

Cancer is the number one killer of Americans, at least those less than 85 years old, even ahead of cardiovascular disease (1). We have thought that diet may be an important component in preventing cancer. Is diet a plausible approach?...

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Get Up And Move!

Jul 27, 2017

Let’s begin with a pretest. I want to make it clear that a pretest is not to check whether you know the information but that you have an open mind and are willing to learn...

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Osteoarthritis: Weighing Treatment Options

Jul 14, 2017

Walking can reduce the risk of functional decline By David Dunaief, M.D. As the population ages, we see more and more osteoarthritis (OA); and as the population gets heavier, we see more; and as people become more active, we see more...

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Reducing Melanoma Risk

Jul 07, 2017

This holiday weekend, many headed to the beaches or fired up the outside barbecue for the first weekend of what’s shaping up to be a steamy summer...

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Why Should We Exercise?

Jul 03, 2017

We have long-held paradigms in medicine that may or may not be accurate. Medicine is always changing with the evolution of evidence-based research...

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Osteoporosis — An Ode To Both Sexes

Jun 03, 2017

Osteoporosis is a very tricky disease. What do osteoporosis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol have in common? They are all asymptomatic until the later stages...

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Obesity: Exploring Impacts And Possible Solutions

May 20, 2017

The media is increasingly focused on covering obesity-related issues. With this in mind, let’s start off with a short quiz to test your knowledge of obesity-related issues. The answers and research are provided below...

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Types Of Diets And Cardiovascular Disease

May 05, 2017

We have made great strides in the fight against heart disease, yet it remains the number one cause of death in the United States. Approximately one-third of Americans over the age of 35 will die of heart disease...

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Evaluating Thyroid Nodules

Apr 29, 2017

It is very interesting that the amount of coverage by the lay press concerning thyroid nodules does not reflect the number of people who actually have them...

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Preventing Skin Cancer

Apr 19, 2017

Warmer weather is finally upon us, we now have long, sunny days and, soon, the beach. However, longer sun exposure does increase the risk of skin cancer. Melanoma is the most serious skin cancer, but fortunately it is not the most common...

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Diabetes Myths And Truths

Mar 28, 2017

Most of us know that type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in America and continues to grow. Type 2 diabetes was thought to be an adult-onset disease, but more and more children and adolescents are affected as well...

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Preventing CKD By Loving Your Kidneys

Mar 22, 2017

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is much more common than you think. Those at highest risk for CKD include patients with diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and those with first-degree relatives who have advanced disease...

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Finally, A Useful Supplement With Well-done Studies

Mar 17, 2017

Lipoic acid, also known as alpha lipoic acid and thioctic acid, is a noteworthy supplement...

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Post-Valentine Chocolate Benefits

Feb 02, 2017

Valentine’s Day is one of the wonderful things about winter. For many, it lifts the mood and spirit. A traditional gift is chocolate. But do the benefits of chocolate go beyond Valentine’s Day...

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Simple Weight Management Techniques For The New Year

Jan 08, 2017

We know that the more calories we consume, the greater our risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing many chronic diseases, including top killers such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer...

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Dementia – What Can Be Done?

Dec 14, 2016

When you hear the word dementia, what is your reaction? Is it fear, anxiety or an association with a family member or friend? The majority of dementia is Alzheimer’s, which comprises about 60 to 80 percent of dementia incidence...

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment And Its Complications

Dec 08, 2016

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of many autoimmune diseases where the body’s immune system begins to attack the body’s own tissue...

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Multiple Sclerosis Treatments

Nov 23, 2016

Medicine has made great strides in the treatment of multiple sclerosis over the last few decades. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where there is underlying inflammation and the immune system attacks its own tissue...

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Should More People Be Taking Statins?

Nov 01, 2016

When we think of hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), what do you think is the mainstay of medical treatment? If you said “statins” you would be correct...

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Cheese: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread —Not!

Oct 24, 2016

We are constantly redefining or at least tweaking our diets. We were told that fats were the culprit for cardiovascular disease (CVD). That the root cause was saturated fats, specifically...

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Obesity: It’s All About The Timing

Oct 14, 2016

The more we seem to know about obesity as a chronic disease, classified this way first by the American Medical Association, the worse we in the medical community seem to have done to prevent and treat it and its complications...

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Should We Embrace A Low-carb Diet?

Oct 09, 2016

It’s a persistent question: Should we minimize our carbohydrate consumption? Unfortunately, it depends on a number of factors including the type of carbohydrate and your family and personal history of chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular...

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Reversing Earlier Stages Of Chronic Kidney Disease

Oct 03, 2016

Chronic kidney disease is on the rise in this country. In a study that looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) increased more than 30 percent from 1988 to 2004...

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Clearing Your Head: Simple Techniques To Improve Your Brain Health

Sep 19, 2016

The brain is the most important and complex organ, yet what we know about the brain is inverse to its prominence. In other words, our knowledge only scratches the surface...

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Treating Low Testosterone

Sep 09, 2016

We are bombarded continually with ads suggesting that men should talk to their doctors about “Low T.” This refers to low testosterone. Is this all hype, or is this a serious malady that needs medical attention?...

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How Not To Have Migraines

Sep 04, 2016

Migraines are a debilitating disorder. Symptoms typically include nausea, photophobia and phonophobia — sensitivity to light and to sound, respectively. The corresponding headache usually is unilateral and has a throbbing or pulsating feeling...

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Cancer And Obesity: Not A Good Partnership

Aug 26, 2016

Some research shows that obesity may be reaching a plateau. Is this true? It depends on how the data is analyzed. According to one study, yes; it has plateaued when looking at short, two-year periods from 2003 to 2011...

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Nutrition: Leading By Example — Trump Vs. Clinton

Aug 19, 2016

Donald Trump could learn a thing or two from Bill Clinton. No, we are not talking about politics; we are talking about health. Trump is a public persona, and his diet has been brought to the forefront...

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Roll Up Both Sleeves — Understanding And Controlling Blood Pressure

Aug 11, 2016

This week, I’d like to discuss some of the nuances of hypertension, or high blood pressure, a contributing risk factor for heart disease. Hypertension affects approximately 33 percent of Americans...

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Let the Dietary Fat Wars Begin

Aug 02, 2016

Dietary fat is one of the most controversial and complicated topics in medicine. Experts have debated this topic for years, ever since we were told that a low-fat diet was important...

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Osteoporosis: There Is a Breaking Point

Jul 26, 2016

Osteoporosis is a complex disease. For one thing, it progresses with no symptoms, until the more severe stage of fractures that cause potential disability and increase mortality...

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Iron Deficiency Could Be the Cause of Fatigue

Jul 22, 2016

I believe the most salient teaching point in medical school and beyond was when a professor explained, as it relates to the patient diagnosis, when you hear hooves think horses not zebras...

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Depression And Diabetes May Have Roots In Inflammation

Jun 07, 2016

It may lead to microvascular maladies that affect vision (retinopathy), the kidneys (nephropathy) and the limbs (peripheral neuropathy), as well as macrovascular diseases such as heart disease and heart attacks...

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Weight Loss: Why It Is So Complex

May 31, 2016

Before we can tackle the complexities of weight loss, we have to understand that there are a number of misconceptions. Therefore, “synonymous” is the word of the day...

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Macular Degeneration: Significant Steps Forward

May 10, 2016

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the number one cause of severe central vision loss and blindness in patients over age 65 (1). There are several different stages of AMD...

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Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Drug Disappoints

Apr 26, 2016

Niacin has become a highly contested drug. It has powerful effects to treat elevated triglycerides, but the clinical benefit of this effect is questionable...

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Getting The Upper Hand On Seasonal Allergies

Apr 19, 2016

After winter ends, we look forward to mild temperatures. The days get longer, trees and flowers bud and bloom, and grass becomes lush and green. It seems like heaven...

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Scrutinizing The Cholesterol Profile

Apr 12, 2016

The lipid or cholesterol profile is one of the most common batteries of blood tests. Why? Abnormal cholesterol levels may have an integral role in exacerbating a number of chronic diseases...

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Gut Microbiome May Affect Development Of Disease

Mar 29, 2016

The microbiome is found throughout the body, including the skin, the eyes and the gut. Our focus is going to be on the gut since that is where the majority of the microbiome resides...

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Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Hefty Topic

Mar 15, 2016

What is mild cognitive impairment (MCI)? It is a good question, for the parameters are fuzzy. MCI is a hodgepodge of terminology including amnestic and nonamnestic types, with the amnestic type possibly leading to dementia...

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The Downsides Of Common Reflux Treatments

Mar 08, 2016

Reflux (GERD) disease, sometimes referred to as heartburn, though this is more of a symptom, is one of the most commonly treated diseases...

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High Blood Pressure Is Confusing

Feb 02, 2016

Have you ever heard the paradox, the more I know, the more I realize how much I don’t know? I think this statement can be aptly applied to our knowledge of hypertension, better known as high blood pressure...

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Triglycerides: The Neglected But Important Cholesterol

Jan 26, 2016

Triglycerides is a term that most of us recognize. This substance is part of the lipid (cholesterol) profile...

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Improving Our Knowledge Of Parkinson’s Disease

Jan 19, 2016

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease, which means there is progressive breakdown of neurons. Traditional medications that focus on dopamine levels and receptors help improve symptoms, sometimes dramatically, yet they have limitations...

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Hope For Diabetics Is On The Horizon

Dec 08, 2015

Diabetes just won’t go away. It seems that every time I write about the disease, the news is doom and gloom about how it has become a pandemic...

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Are We Getting Smarter About Our Health?

Dec 01, 2015

Americans are very health conscious. Awareness of diet and nutrition is an important step. But does this awareness result in better health? This is the question we will attempt to answer...

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Closing In On The Fountain Of Youth

Nov 04, 2015

When we think about aging, chronological age comes to mind first. For many, the perceived ideal age is around 25. My wife refers to her birthday every year as the “X anniversary of her 25th birthday.”...

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A Paradigm Shift In Breast Cancer Prevention

Oct 27, 2015

We talk a good story about prevention, but most of the time, we in the medical community are guilty of confusing primary prevention with early detection. Breast cancer is no exception...

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Controlling High Blood Pressure With A Twist

Oct 06, 2015

We in the medical community, of course, know what the optimal blood pressure levels should be with medication...

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Should You Get An Annual Checkup?

Sep 29, 2015

There has been some discussion in the medical community about whether the annual physical exam may have outlived its usefulness...

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What Are The Real Benefits Of Exercise?

Sep 01, 2015

I’ve noticed quite a few runners and bikers in the neighborhood this summer. I’ve also noticed an increase in the number of folks lined up at the local ice cream shop and wondered at the intersection of these two groups...

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Much Ado About Cognitive Decline

Aug 25, 2015

While we may want to avoid physical ailments, such as achy joints and musculoskeletal pain, cognitive decline seems to be one of the scarier prospects as we age...

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Caveat Emptor With Herbal Supplements

Aug 19, 2015

Millions of Americans take herbal supplements. In fact, a survey from 2007 showed that 18 percent of Americans used herbal supplements in the previous year...

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FDA Approves New Drug For Cholesterol

Jul 28, 2015

High cholesterol is a problem that affects a countless number of people in the United States. One of the challenges is that it has no noticeable symptoms but may result in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes...

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Certain Kinds Of Fruit May Reduce The Risk Of Diabetes

Jul 13, 2015

We should all reduce the amount of added sugar we consume, because of its negative effects on our health. It is recommended that we get no more than 5 to 15 percent of our diet from added sugars and solid fats, combined...

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Skin Cancer — It’s Not Only Skin-Deep

Jun 17, 2015

With warmer weather upon us, we now have long, sunny days, better moods and, of course, the beach...

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Melanoma Risks And Prevention

Jun 10, 2015

Longer days are here again, and you can feel the jubilance of people coming out of hibernation after a long, hard winter. Summer weather will be here before you know it, and millions will be heading to the beaches...

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CKD: A Tricky Disease

Mar 18, 2015

Chronic kidney disease is much more common than you think. Those at highest risk for CKD include patients with diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and those with first degree relatives who have advanced disease...

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The Skinny On Fats

Mar 05, 2015

To eat fat or to not eat fat is a question that has been dogging the medical community for years. It would seem, at least on the surface, that this should be a simple answer, and it is...

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CVD: Can’t We Just Make It Go Away?

Feb 12, 2015

Wouldn’t it be great if cardiovascular disease (CVD) were rare? It’s not like traveling to Mars and back. It is something we have the tools to make happen in the present...

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I Like To Move It, Move It!

Feb 05, 2015

Let’s begin with a pretest. I want to make it clear that a pretest is not to check whether you know the information, but that you have an open mind and are willing to learn...

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The Butter Controversy

Jan 29, 2015

Fat in the diet is a highly complicated issue. For decades, we have adopted the notion that fat may be the enemy and, therefore, we should eat a low-fat diet. But is this really true? The answer is that we all need fat, but the sources are important...

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Why Make Time For Exercise?

Jan 15, 2015

We have long-held paradigms in medicine that may or may not be accurate. Medicine is always changing with the evolution of evidence-based research...

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Obesity: the growing threat

Dec 11, 2014

Holidays are when many people add pounds. With that in mind, let’s start off with a quiz to test your knowledge of obesity-related issues...

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Salt: Too much or too little? Part 2

Oct 02, 2014

As I mentioned in last week’s article, the “extremes” of greater than 6,000 mg and less than 3,000 mg per day may increase the risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality...

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Salt: Too much or too little? Part 1

Sep 25, 2014

This is the first of a two-part series on salt. Salt, or sodium, is one of the most pervasive essential nutrients in our diet. While we need exogenous (external) salt, the debate on the amount we need continues...

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Niacin and HDL questioned

Jul 31, 2014

Niacin has recently become a highly contested drug. In my last article, “Reducing triglycerides,” I mentioned that niacin has powerful effects to treat elevated triglycerides, but that the clinical benefit of this effect is questionable...

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Medical Compass MD: David Dunaief, MD

✆ Phone (East Setauket): 631-675-2888
✆ Phone (Brooklyn Heights): 718-924-2655

Address (East Setauket): 47 Route 25A, Suite 1, East Setauket, NY 11733
Address (Brooklyn Heights): 41 Clark Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

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