Downstate Distinguished Professor Published in American College of Lifestyle Medicine
By Office of Communications & Marketing | May 26, 2022
Panel of 15 experts led by Dr. Richard Rosenfeld reached consensus on 69 statements related to using diet as a primary intervention to achieve diabetes remission
Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Distinguished Professor Dr. Richard Rosenfeld has been named as the lead author of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s expert consensus statement to assist clinicians in achieving remission of type 2 diabetes in adults using diet as a primary intervention. Dr. Rosenfeld currently serves as Chairman and Program Director of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate and Chairman of the Board for the Auditory Oral School of New York.
The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine is the first publication to focus on diet as primary means of achieving lasting remission of diabetes – without medications or procedures – in contrast with the usual role of diet as an adjunctive therapy. The expert consensus statement is endorsed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and co-sponsored by the Endocrine Society.
“Remission is the optimal outcome for individuals with type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, Distinguished Professor, program director, and Chairman of Otolaryngology. “The consensus statements will not only empower clinicians and patients to use a plant-predominant diet as ‘food as medicine’ for achieving remission of type 2 diabetes but will facilitate shared management decisions based on current best evidence and structured expert consensus.”
“We are proud to have faculty like Dr. Rosenfeld who are continuing to seek groundbreaking medical discoveries and contribute their knowledge to the advancement of science,” said David H. Berger, M.D., MHCM, FACS, CEO of University Hospital at Downstate. “This is exactly the work that SUNY Downstate embodies and hopes to continue in the next generation.”
Titled “Dietary Interventions to Treat Type 2 Diabetes in Adults with a Goal of Remission,” the expert consensus statement was written by a multidisciplinary panel of 15 experts using a trustworthy, modified Delphi process. The panel agreed that diet as a primary intervention can achieve remission in many adults with type 2 diabetes, defined as normal glycemic measures (normal HbA1c <6.5% and normal fasting glucose) for at least three months without surgery, devices, or active pharmacologic therapy to lower glucose. Diet as a primary intervention was considered most effective when emphasizing whole, plant-based foods including whole grains, vegetable, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds.
Type 2 diabetes, which is estimated to affect 10.5% of U.S. adults and cost $327 billion annually in direct costs and decreased productivity, according to the publication. Without adequate treatment and management, the condition can result in blindness, kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases, amputation and other co-morbidities that diminish quality of life and contribute to mortality rates.
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Contact: Dawn S. Walker
917.439.9666 | 347.533.2071
dawn.walker@downstate.edu
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough's only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care. It is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City and Brooklyn's 2.6 million residents. University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is Downstate's teaching hospital, backed by an outstanding medical school's expertise and world-class academic center research facilities. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.
In addition to high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis (kidney diseases)—and offering the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn, among many other distinctive programs—Downstate also sponsors a major learning center for young children with developmental disorders and disabilities. In addition to UHB, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.