Board-Certified Cardiologist in Los Angeles

Dr. Bereliani completed his Bachelor's Degree, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, from the University of California Los Angeles in 1993. As a member of multiple honors societies, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. He then moved on to finish his medical degree from Finch University of Health and Sciences in Chicago, where he graduated number one out of his medical school class of 192 students. He received numerous awards and honors here as well, including an induction into Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society, which is an elite fraternity that invites only 10% of medical students in the United States.

He completed his internal medicine internship and residency at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles in the year 2000. In addition to his internship, this was the same year that he also completed his cardiology fellowship at UCLA, thus finishing his medical education. During his fellowship, his clinical interests and cardiology research focused mostly on nuclear cardiology and cardiac imaging techniques, such as echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), and other high-quality screening methods for advanced heart health.

As a clinical instructor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his current duties include teaching medical students as they complete their residency and fellowship in medical school, as well as conducting active research into preventive cardiology and cardiac imaging. As a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), Dr. B is accompanied by some of the best cardiologists in the field like Dr. Daneshrad in Beverly Hills, as well as Dr. Eshaghian and Dr. Filsoof in Los Angeles.

Cardiology Q & A

Is heart disease entirely preventable?

Certain forms of heart disease, and even heart failure, could be close to 100% preventable today, yet these remain leading causes of death among both men and women in our country. As an example, currently, sophisticated imaging for general cardiology, blood, and saliva testing can measure many newly-identified risk biomarkers for heart disease years—even decades—before plague begins to develop in a person’s arteries to cause valvular heart disease. These tests can even help prevent chronic conditions like cardiac arrhythmia. In addition, advanced CT scans, called CT coronary calcium scans or CT coronary angiograms, can detect calcified plaque deposits in arteries well before they progress to potential blockages that damage cardiac health. Another three-minute sophisticated test (performed by medical staff in the office) will show the degree of abnormalities in the blood vessels and can identify other hormonal abnormalities that could trigger heart disease.

These and other cutting-edge preventive care screenings now provide such early indicators of a person’s predisposition for heart disease, that the disease itself can usually be prevented. What’s more, early prevention can usually be accomplished exclusively with natural tools, such as diet, exercise, supplements, and lifestyle adjustments so there's no need for medication, pacemakers, or other invasive techniques. As one of the best cardiologists in Los Angeles, Dr. Bereliani is among a small number of leading practitioners of interventional cardiology who not only use state-of-the-art testing but are also able to interpret the results and utilize them to design individualized personal care programs.

What is the greatest misconception about heart disease?

There are several. However, one of the greatest misconceptions is that passing a basic cholesterol panel with “good numbers,” or a standard EKG-Treadmill test, means you are not at risk for a heart attack. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, 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.

Similarly, an EKG-Treadmill test, also known as a stress 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.

The second misconception is that cholesterol alone is the cause of heart disease and heart attack. Although high cholesterol levels undoubtedly increase the risk of heart attack and blockage, it is not the only cause or even the most important cause. New research is 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.

What are some of the hidden or lesser-known causes of heart disease?

Most of us are well aware that high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and being overweight increase the potential for developing heart disease and suffering a heart attack or stroke. Experts, however, now also know and are able to test for many other risk factors, several of which have nothing to do with diet and exercise. Examples of these include, but are not limited to:

• Heavy metal toxicities
• Certain vitamin/nutrient deficiencies
• Hormone imbalances
• Vascular inflammation