Although Dr. Bereliani may be best known as a cardiologist, he is also trained as an internist – an internal medicine doctor. The fact is many cardiology conditions are closely related to problems in other organ systems of the body. Many problems are inextricably linked to each other. For example, type 2 diabetes is often associated with central obesity (belly fat). Faulty processing of glucose (because of insulin resistance) leads to higher circulating blood glucose levels and in turn higher insulin production by the pancreas. Eventually, your pancreas cannot keep up with the increased demand for insulin, and blood glucose levels climb still higher. Too much blood glucose results in a dangerous cascade of events. Excess blood glucose causes inflammation of blood vessels, which allows lipids to be deposited and stick to the inside of the arteries, causing plaque buildup. This is why diabetics have a much higher risk of atherosclerosis and heart attack. This is also why identifying pre-diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, is so important.
Metabolic syndrome consists of:
- Central obesity (excess belly fat)
- High blood pressure
- High serum triglycerides
- Low HDL cholesterol
- High blood glucose
So you can see that by identifying these conditions and beginning intensive treatment, we may be able to prevent development of type 2 diabetes and thus cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Bereliani‘s philosophy is that because so many body systems are interrelated, you can’t just treat the obvious symptoms of disease; you have to investigate the underlying causes of disease, which may not be as obvious. In the example given above, by treating the underlying conditions of obesity and diabetes or pre-diabetes, you are reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease at the same time.
Click here to see an actual case study of one of our patients.
Another frequent problem Dr. Bereliani sees in his patients is gastrointestinal malabsorption, which is when nutrients are not adequately absorbed through the small intestine. This is a very important issue in functional medicine. Nutrient deficiencies may not have readily identifiable symptoms, but they can lead to a multitude of health problems. That’s why Dr. Bereliani‘s health optimization program utilizes intravenous vitamin therapy and other nutritional supplements to correct these deficiencies.
Los Angeles and Beverly Hills patients see Dr. Bereliani for a wide variety of medical conditions – everything from allergies and asthma to whooping cough. However, the following are some of the more common internal medicine concerns Dr. Bereliani addresses:
- Diabetes and metabolic syndrome
- Nutritional issues and nutritional supplements
- Hormonal issues
- Thyroid problems
- Weight loss/weight management
- Upper respiratory infections
- Bronchitis
- Cold
- Flu
- Sore throat
- Sinus congestion
- Allergies and asthma
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Ulcers
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)/Crohn’s disease/Ulcerative colitis
Providing highly sophisticated diagnostic techniques and the most advanced medical therapies available with a focus on integrative and preventive medicine, Dr. Bereliani and his attentive, caring staff at the Beverly Hills Center for Preventive Medicine and Cardiology offer a level of care that most general practitioners simply cannot. We even offer free parking. Most Beverly Hills doctors these days don’t validate.
Find out for yourself what we’re all about by calling our office at 310-550-8000 or simply click here to contact us. We’ll be glad to schedule a consultation for you with Dr. Bereliani and to answer any questions you might have.