We Help You Navigate To Optimal Health

Integrative Medicine

Lifestyle Medicine

Reversing, Preventing & Treating Chronic Diseases and Managing Weight by Connecting Conventional Medicine with Lifestyle Modifications

What Do We Treat?

• Cholesterol

• High Blood Pressure

• Diabetes • Obesity

• Migraine

• Heart Disease

• Autoimmune Disease

(Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis, Psoriasis...)

• Arthritis • Osteoporosis

• Stomach Issues • Constipation • Diarrhea

• Chronic Kidney Disease

• Thyroid Issues

• Asthma/Allergies

• IBS • GERD (Reflux)

• Cancer • Gout

• Kidney Stones

• Uveitis

• Macular Degeneration • Sarcoidosis

• Long Covid, and many more...

TWO LOCATIONS

What Are Patients Saying?

Autoimmune disease

Since being diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatic, an autoimmune disease, I have been unable to raise my arms laterally. The range of motion has improved by more than 90 percent - it’s night and day compared to when I began with Dr. Dunaief. The rheumatologist now says I am fit as a fiddle. I am very excited since being on the lifestyle changes for 2 months and noticing the differences. I dropped almost 2 pants sizes – the suit I purchased for my daughter’s sweet 16 about 14 years ago is now too large. And, I am sleeping much better.

Male, age 57

Energy, inflammation, cholesterol, cataracts and weight loss

I have more energy and vitality. My inflammation has gone down. My cholesterol is under better control with a 75% reduction in my medication. My cataracts have improved dramatically with the ophthalmologist saying I needed surgery two years ago, but now no longer thinks so. This is a really great experience. I really enjoy working with Dr. Dunaief. I’m at my best weight in years, and I am not even trying. He is the best doctor I have ever had and the reason is that we are working together. When you feel like you have control over your health it makes a big difference. I’m really happy with my triglyceride levels as well. The cardiologist was so pleased with my progress on cardiovascular disease that he said I could see him half as frequently.

Female, age 77

Autoimmune disease – Rheumatoid Arthritis

My morning stiffness has improved greatly. There were times at the beginning where it was several hours before I felt better. Now, I’m moving faster in the morning. Sometimes my toes bother

Visit our website www.medicalcompassmd.com me a little bit, but it goes away in 20 minutes. I am continuing to decrease my methotrexate, which thrills me!

Female, age 57

Vertigo and Hearing loss- Inner Ear disease- Meniere’s disease

I have suffered from Meniere’s disease for years, but since working with Dr. Dunaief and changing my lifestyle, I have absolutely no episodes. This is the first hiatus I have had in a long time. My ENT doctor was impressed. Prior to working with him, I was having increased frequency ear fullness and now that is gone.

Female, age 42

General

You make patients feel really comfortable.

Female, age 74

High Blood pressure, seasonal allergies, increased energy, peripheral neuropathy, decreased cravings

Thanks to Dr. Dunaief’s guidance, my blood pressure is under control and I was able to discontinue my medication. I have a family history of heart attack with my father dying at 60. I love having more energy, and I have lost my taste for junk food. I can ride my bike more and it feels like less effort. I look forward to the appointments. I am finding it easier to eat more consciously, which is one of the great benefits of these visits. It keeps me on track with eating knowing I am coming here. Also, this is the first time in 30 years that I did not have to take medication during allergy season. It is fantastic. My peripheral neuropathy is improving and this is one of the main reasons I came to see him. I’m using an inversion table for spinal stenosis suggested by Dr. Dunaief, and when I get off the table it feels amazingly good.

Male, age 65

How can you reduce your heart disease risk?

Modest dietary changes can have a big impact

Medical Compass

News Around Town

Comedy Show fundraiser

With all of the attention on infectious disease prevention these past two years, many have lost sight of the risks of heart disease. Despite improvements in the numbers in recent years, heart disease in the U.S., making it the leading cause of death (1).

BY DAVID DUNAIEF, MD

I have good news: heart disease is on the decline in the U.S. due to a number of factors, including better awareness, improved medicines, earlier treatment of risk factors and lifestyle modifications. We are headed in the right direction, but we can do better. It still underpins one in four deaths, and it is preventable.

Manage your baseline risks

Significant risk factors for heart disease include high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking. In addition, diabetes, excess weight and excessive alcohol intake increase your risks. Unfortunately, both obesity and diabetes are on the rise. For patients with type 2 diabetes, 70 percent die of cardiovascular causes (2).

Inactivity and the standard American diet, rich in saturated fat and calories, also contribute to atherosclerosis, fatty streaks in the arteries, the underlying culprit in heart disease risk (3).

Another potential risk factor is a resting heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute (bpm). In one study, healthy men and women had 18 and 10 percent increased risks of dying from a heart attack, respectively, for every increase of 10 bpm over 80 (4). A normal resting heart rate is usually between 60 and 100 bpm. Thus, you don’t have to have a racing heart rate, just one that is high-normal. All of these risk factors can be overcome.

How does medication lower heart disease risk?

Cholesterol and blood pressure medications have been credited to some extent with reducing the risk of heart disease. Unfortunately, according to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, only 43.7 percent of those with hypertension have it controlled (5). While the projected reasons are complex, a significant issue among those who are aware they have hypertension is a failure to consistently take prescribed medications, or medication nonadherence.

Statins also have played a key role in primary prevention. They lower lipid levels, including total cholesterol and LDL (“bad” cholesterol) but they also lower inflammation levels that contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. The JUPITER trial showed a 55 percent combined reduction in heart disease, stroke and mortality from cardiovascular disease in healthy patients — those with a slightly elevated level of inflammation and normal cholesterol profile — with statins.

The downside of statins is their side effects. Statins have been shown to increase the risk of diabetes in intensive dosing, when compared to moderate dosing (6).

Unfortunately, many on statins also suffer from myopathy (muscle pain). I have had a number of patients who have complained of muscle pain and cramps. Their goal is to reduce and ultimately discontinue their statins by following a lifestyle modification plan involving diet and exercise. Lifestyle modification is a powerful ally.

What lifestyle changes help minimize heart disease?

The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a prospective (forward-looking) study, investigated 501 healthy men and their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The authors concluded that those who consumed five servings or more of fruits and vegetables daily with <12 percent saturated fat had a 76 percent reduction in their risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who did not (7).

The authors theorized that eating more fruits and vegetables helped to displace saturated fats from the diet. These results are impressive and, to achieve them, they only required a modest change in diet.

The Nurses’ Health Study shows that these results are also seen in women, with lifestyle modification reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Many times, this is the first manifestation of heart disease in women. The authors looked at four parameters of lifestyle modification, including a Mediterranean-type diet, exercise, smoking and body mass index. The decrease in SCD that was dose-dependent, meaning the more factors incorporated, the greater the risk reduction. SCD risk was reduced up to 92 percent when all four parameters were followed (8). Thus, it is possible to almost eliminate the risk of SCD for women with lifestyle modifications.

How can you monitor your heart disease risk?

To monitor your progress, cardiac biomarkers are telling, including inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index.

In a cohort study of high-risk participants and those with heart disease, patients implemented extensive lifestyle modifications: a plant-based, whole foods diet accompanied by exercise and stress management (9). The results showed an improvement in biomarkers, as well as in cognitive function and overall quality of life. Most exciting is that results occurred over a very short period to time — three months from the start of the trial. Many of my patients have experienced similar results.

Ideally, if a patient needs medications to treat risk factors for heart disease, it should be for the short term. For some patients, it may be appropriate to use medication and lifestyle changes together; for others, lifestyle modifications may be sufficient, as long as patient takes an active role.

By focusing on developing heart-healthy habits, we can improve the likelihood that we will be around for a long time.

References:

(1) cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts. (2) Diabetes Care. 2010 Feb; 33(2):442-449. (3) Lancet. 2004;364(9438):93. (4) J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Feb;64(2):175-181. (5) Hypertension. 2022;79:e1–e14. (6) JAMA. 2011;305(24):25562564. (7) J Nutr. March 1, 2005;135(3):556-561. (8) JAMA. 2011 Jul 6;306(1):62-69. (9) Am J Cardiol. 2011;108(4):498-507.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd. com or consult your personal physician.

Port Jefferson Moose Lodge, 37 Crystal Brook Hollow Road, Mt. Sinai hosts a Comedy Show fundraiser by the Terryville Road PTA for Port Jefferson Station 8-year-old Tenzin Tanaka who is battling leukemia on Sunday, March 26 at 4 p.m. (Doors open at 2:30 p.m.) with comedians John Butera, Chris Roach, Dan LaRocco, Rich Walker and Fat Jay. With 50/50 raffle auction. Mature audiences only. $30 per person, $50 per couple. For tickets, please call 516-662-0931.

Theatre Three welcomes psychic medium Robert Hansen

Save the date! Psychic medium, author and lecturer Robert E. Hansen returns to Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. Join Hansen as he takes you on a journey through the other side of the veil. Messages of love will be randomly demonstrated to the audience. Tickets are $35 per person. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www. theatrethree.com.

Veterans Food Drive

Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society hosts a Give Back to Our Veterans Food Drive at the William Miller House, 75 North Country Road, Miller Place on Saturday, March 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Canned and paper products appreciated. Any person that donates can dedicate a rock to the Society's Veteran's Memorial Rock Garden. Stay and write a letter to a veteran to thank them for their service. For more information, visit www. mpmshistoricalsociety.org.

Healthy Libraries event

Drop by Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station on Tuesday, March 28 between 2 and 4:30 p.m. to meet with Stony Brook Medicine healthcare professionals and graduate student interns from the fields of social work, public health, nursing, and nutrition for assistance with access to inperson and virtual healthcare resources. Questions? Call 631-928-1212.

Indigenous Crafternoons

Families with young children are invited to drop by the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor for a special session of Crafternoons inspired by Native peoples of Long Island and beyond on Saturday, March 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Make and decorate a game of sticks, try your hand at paper "wampum" weaving and more! Free with admission to the museum. Call 367-3418 for more information. See more events for children on page B22.