Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects almost every tissue and organ in your body, increasing the risk of health complications. Treatment for diabetes includes lifestyle modifications and medication. At Medical Compass MD, highly skilled integrative medicine physician David Dunaief, MD, takes a proactive approach to diabetes care. That means developing plans that reverse the condition, improve overall health, and prevent complications. To find out more about reversing diabetes, call the office in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, in New York City, or Setauket, New York, on Long Island, or request a consultation online today.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body uses glucose, the main source of energy for all of the cells in your body. Glucose comes from the food you eat, and when it enters your bloodstream, it triggers your pancreas to release insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that helps move glucose from the blood into the cell. When you have diabetes, your blood glucose levels are too high because your body can’t make any insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or the insulin isn’t working like it should (Type 2 diabetes).

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that usually appears during childhood or adolescence. People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, affecting people of all ages. Lifestyle factors play a significant role in the development of Type 2 diabetes. 

What are the complications of diabetes?

Too much glucose in your blood damages your blood vessels and organs. Over time, this damage leads to other health conditions like heart disease, neuropathy (nerve damage), or kidney disease.

The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop these complications. 

If you have diabetes and you’re looking for help improving your blood glucose, schedule a consultation at Medical Compass MD.

What can I expect during a diabetes consultation?

You can expect a comprehensive, patient-centered exam when you see Dr. Dunaief for a diabetes consultation.

At your first one-hour visit, Dr. Dunaief reviews your medical history, current labs, and concerns and goals. He performs a physical exam and checks your body composition using a body analysis scale that measures fat mass, body fat percentage, muscle mass, and hydration status.

Dr. Dunaief also requests additional lab work to look at your inflammatory factors and nutrient levels. 

During your second one-hour visit, Dr. Dunaief will review your labs and treatment plan with you.

What treatments can improve diabetes?

Dr. Dunaief takes an individualized approach to care and customizes your diabetes treatment plan based on your goals, lifestyle, and health. 

To reverse diabetes and help you get off medication, Dr. Dunaief recommends the low inflammatory foods every day (LIFE) diet, a whole food, plant-based diet. Dr. Dunaief has a study published in the Open Journal of Preventive Medicine that demonstrates the reversal of diabetes with this approach. 

He schedules follow-up appointments to review your progress, recheck labs, and adjust your plan to optimize results.

For a proactive approach to diabetes, call Medical Compass MD or request an appointment online with Dr. Dunaief today.