Dr. Bereliani earned his undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science degree, from UCLA in 1993, when he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. Progressing to the Finch University of Health Sciences in Chicago, he completed his medical degree. Here, he graduated number one out of a graduating class of 192 students. He also received numerous awards and honors during his time completing medical school, including being invited to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society, a feat that only 10% of medical students in the country accomplish.
In 2000, Dr. Bereliani went on to complete his internal medicine internship and residency program at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, which is ranked as the number one hospital in the state of California and on the entire West Coast. He also finished his cardiology fellowship at UCLA that same year, completing his education and becoming a medical doctor. During medical school, his clinical research and interests mainly focused on nuclear cardiology and cardiac imaging, which he focuses on to this day at his medical practice in the heart of Beverly Hills, where he helps patients maintain optimal health. As a clinical instructor in cardiology and general preventive medicine, his duties include assisting applicants and helping medical students through their residency experience.
Preventive Medicine Q & A
What is unique about Dr. Bereliani’s approach to preventive medicine?
Dr. Bereliani is a strong believer in the idea that most forms of heart disease, and even heart failure, can be entirely prevented. He also believes that general symptoms of poor cardiovascular health, such as high blood pressure, chronic pain in the chest, and other similar health conditions can be prevented. Modern medical science makes it possible to test for the risk factors associated with conditions like coronary artery disease in the earliest stages, so disease control is more manageable than ever. In fact, it's possible to detect these risk factors decades in advance with the proper health care. Even more impressive is the fact that, when risk factors are caught early enough, disease prevention is possible through natural tools like exercise, diet, and basic lifestyle adjustments.
Committed to remaining on the cutting-edge of technology, research, and treatment options, Dr. Bereliani utilizes the most advanced testing and screening tools available to identify each patient’s unique set of risk biomarkers and genetics. Armed with this sophisticated information and a complete medical history and thorough exam, he then designs a highly individualized wellness plan. Each patient’s plan is unique, encompassing Dr. Bereliani’s wide knowledge of conventional Western Medicine, evidence-based functional medicine, and orthomolecular medicine, a practice that seeks to maintain health through the aid of nutritional supplementation.
Preventing serious illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, chronic conditions, and cognitive aging issues has been Dr. Bereliani’s career-long passion. Still, as one of the most experienced cardiologists and practitioners of Beverly Hills integrative medicine in the greater Los Angeles area, he is also frequently referred to the most complex cases of heart disease by his peers. In these, and other instances where necessary, Dr. Bereliani uses the full scope of appropriate medications and surgical procedures.
What are examples of some of the leading-edge screenings that Dr. Bereliani utilizes?
Never before has medicine enjoyed a greater number of effective tools for pinpointing patients’ risk factors for certain diseases so far in advance of any issues or symptoms. Here is just a sampling:
- Maxpulse Device Testing: This is a simple, non-invasive, FDA-approved test that uses a finger clip device to evaluate arterial elasticity and stiffness. The blood’s pulse wave is tracked from the time it leaves the heart and travels through the blood vessels down to the finger. Arterial stiffness is a major cardiovascular risk factor.
- APOE Genetic Testing: This blood test can identify certain genes that may increase an individual’s risk of developing both heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
- Cholesterol particle measurement: This blood test measures the size, not just the amount, of LDL cholesterol particles. Small, dense particles are 40% more likely than large ones to become oxidized, break off, and form clots.
What are some of the tools used in Dr. Bereliani’s individualized prevention plans?
With a detailed view of each patient’s physical and emotional health, Dr. Bereliani designs customized prevention plans drawing on his own expertise, as well as that of his hand-picked colleagues, who include a certified dietician, fitness trainer, psychotherapist, and hypnotherapist.
Whether your treatment plan calls for medical-grade nutritional supplements or helps in quitting smoking, the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology & Preventive Medicine is uniquely equipped to ensure that you succeed.
Schedule Online Testimonials
Are there any misconceptions about heart disease that are worth knowing?
There are many of them, but one of the most troubling is the idea that if you can pass a cholesterol test with "good numbers" or pass a standard EKG-treadmill test (also called a "stress test"), that means you aren't at risk for a heart attack. This is completely untrue. In reality, a national study conducted by UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine found that 75% of all patients hospitalized for a heart attack had cholesterol levels that, based on current national guidelines, indicated that they were not at high risk for a cardiovascular event.
Additionally, an EKG treadmill test only detects artery blockages that are greater than 70%, and the sensitivity of this test is only about 60 to 70%! In reality, the majority of heart attack patients have one or more smaller blockages that are huge risk factors for vascular disease. Despite this well-known information, standard cholesterol panels and stress tests remain the most used diagnostic tools for assessing heart attack risk. Dr. Bereliani uses much more advanced cholesterol testing (types, subtypes, etc.), along with other substances that can equally affect the health of heart arteries.
New research is also beginning to show that the most important cause, or the most important underlying cause, of coronary artery disease could actually be an insulin-resistance state (not necessarily diabetes). Of course, it's also important to consider the roles of hypertension and other factors in causing chest pain and increasing the risks of cardiovascular disease.
