Loading Page
Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN is a nutrition specialist in Washington, DC specializing in endocrinology and nutrition. Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN is affiliated with MedStar Health and MEDSTAR MEDICAL GROUP II LLC.
MedStar Health
MedStar Health
Heart Problems
The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. This smooth muscle expands and contracts rhythmically an entire lifetime, pumping blood to the lungs and then to every other cell in the body. When heart problems occur, it becomes difficult for the body to get the nutrients and oxygen it needs via the blood. So while there are a variety of illnesses and disorders that affect the heart, most of them cause weakness, exhaustion and shortness of breath. The most common heart conditions include heart disease, angina, arrhythmia, and valve disorders.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. This includes coronary artery disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Some conditions, such as genetics, cannot be controlled. But there are many other things one can do to lower their risk for heart disease. Controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing or stopping smoking, exercising more and losing weight if needed, and eating a diet low in sodium can all protect the heart.
Angina is a squeezing type of chest pain that happens when the muscles around the heart don't get enough oxygen. It can be regular or infrequent. Usually, angina is caused by coronary heart disease. However, not all chest pain is angina. Chest pain can also be caused by a lung infection or panic attack, for example, so it is important to have any sudden pain checked.
Arrhythmia is the word for when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly with skipped beats. It can feel frightening, and depending on the type it can be dangerous, but in most cases arrhythmia is not serious and can be treated. It is very common, especially in older adults.
Heart valve problems can happen in any one of the the heart's four valves that keep blood flowing where it needs to go. Babies can be born with problems in their heart valves, or valves can be damaged by infections. The valves can stiffen and become less mobile, or they can stop closing properly and 'leak' when the heart beats. Valve problems can usually be repaired surgically.
Nutrition Counseling
Food is one of the most basic resources the human body uses for growth and energy, tied intricately to well-being. Not only can diet affect health, but certain conditions can affect how the body processes food. Nutrition is the study of this complex interaction, and when patients seek the advice of an expert to help them manage food in their life, it is called nutrition counseling.
At the most basic level, nutrition counseling can be simply a talk with a family physician. Doctors receive training in nutrition as part of their education, and they are generally qualified to make recommendations about diet for their patients. Some doctors take a professional interest in nutrition and become experts by taking extra classes or studying nutrition in their practice. In general, however, complex nutrition guidance will be referred to a nutrition specialist, generally a dietitian.
Registered dietitians are nutrition experts that have passed specific higher education, accreditation, and internship requirements. They may work in hospitals, nursing facilities, or private practices to provide nutrition therapy and advise patients about their health and diet. Like dietitians, nutritionists also work to counsel patients about food and health. Some nutritionists have degrees in nutrition or food science, but the title 'nutritionist' is not protected by law. In the United States, anyone is allowed to call themselves a nutritionist, regardless of their education level.
Nutrition counseling can be useful for anyone who is looking to get to a healthy weight, manage a chronic illness through diet, or simply lead a healthier lifestyle. Some examples of issues that benefit from nutrition counseling include:
During a nutrition counseling appointment, the provider -- doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian -- typically will look over a the patient's medical history and talk to them about their current diet, their goals, what kinds of food they like, and any problems that they are currently struggling with in their health or diet. Then the specialist will help the patient set food goals and create a customized plan to help them meet their nutritional needs. Nutrition specialists may also offer classes, workshops, cooking demonstrations, and more. Their role is not to lecture the patient about what one should be eating, but to offer education and resources to make eating healthy foods easier.
Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery)
Bariatric or weight-loss surgery is a surgical procedure performed to help significantly obese patients lose weight when more traditional methods, such as dieting and exercise, have not helped. Depending on the type, these surgeries change the gastrointestinal tract to limit how much food can be eaten and also change how food is absorbed by the body. Of the various bariatric surgeries available, the most common is gastric bypass.
By far the most common of the gastric bypass surgeries is called Roux-en-Y. During this surgery, part of the stomach and small intestine are detached from the gastrointestinal tract, in order to make the tract smaller. The surgeon divides the stomach into two parts. The working stomach, at the end of the esophagus, is now tiny - only the size of a walnut. This makes patients feel full after eating a small amount of food. Then the small intestine is also divided, and after bypassing a section of the small intestine to reduce food absorption, the intestine is attached to the small stomach pouch. The patient now has a working stomach and intestine like before, only much smaller.
Because gastric bypass is used to treat extreme obesity, it can reduce the risk of some of the problems associated with obesity. Gastric bypass can help treat or reduce the risk for such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. However, it is a major surgery and also carries risks itself. Any surgery can lead to infection, bleeding, or blood clots, and weight loss surgery in particular carries risks of leaks in the gastrointestinal system, malnutrition, bowel obstructions, and vomiting.
Typically patients are considered candidates for gastric bypass surgery if they have a BMI greater than 40, or sometimes if they have a BMI between 35 and 40 but are suffering from obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes. The outlook is generally good, with most patients losing between 50-75% of their excess weight in 1-2 years. However, patients must follow strict diet guidelines so that the stomach can heal, starting with no food at all, then followed by a liquid diet for some time. For many severely obese patients who have tried strict diets before without success, gastric bypass surgery is the tool that allows them to finally achieve their weight loss and health goals.
She is certified by the Board Certification and has a state license in New York.
Board Certification: Board Certification
Licensed In: New York
Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN is associated with these hospitals and organizations:
Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN appears to accept the following insurance providers: MultiPlan, Optimum Choice, Optima Health, MAMSI, Magellan Health Services, United Healthcare Choice Plus, United Healthcare Choice, First Health PPO, Blue Choice, Great-West Healthcare, TRICARE, Coventry, TRICARE Reserve Select, Anthem, Aetna Managed Choice POS, Beech Street PPO, Aetna HMO, Kaiser Permanente, CIGNA PPO, CIGNA EPO, Aetna Medicare PPO, Aetna Medicare PFFS, CIGNA Indemnity, AmeriHealth, AARP, Medicare Advantage, TriWest, Coventry National Network PPO, Highmark, Amerigroup, United Healthcare, Medicaid, Humana, Cigna, Sentara Health Plans, WellPoint, United Healthcare Community Plan (AmeriChoice), Humana Medicare Advantage PPO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan, CIGNA PPO Plus, HealthyBlue PPO, Aetna Premier 200PD, MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice, CareFirst NASCO, Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS), M.D. IPA Preferred (POS), CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO, IH-PPO, DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans, Aetna Advantage 6350PD, CareFirst EPO, MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families, Optimum Choice Preferred (POS), OCI Direct (HMO), Medicare Direct, Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans, Aetna Open Choice (PPO), OA Plus, CareFirst Administrators, United Student Resources, IH-Network Only Plus, IH-POS, Aetna Classic 5000, Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA, Healthy Blue (HMO, POS), CareFirst Community Health Plan of Maryland, IH-POS Plus, Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice, Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA, CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan, Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Choice POS II, CareFirst Blue Card Program, Choice Fund PPO, IH-EPO Plus, Aetna VA Exchange, Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS), Aetna Better Health of Virginia, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced, Aetna Worker's Compensation Network, Options PPO Cardiac Global, Uniformed Services Family Health Plan, Aetna Advantage 5750, IH-Open HMO Option, HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO, Aetna Basic, CareFirst FEP Blue Focus, Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global, MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance, IH-Open POS Plus, IH-Open EPO Plus, Core Essential (HMO), Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO, Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network, MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global, CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO, Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS), IH-Open HMO, Aetna Advantage 6350, Erickson Advantage Plans, M.D. IPA (HMO), POS OA, Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund), Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS), IH-Open POS II, Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO, Aetna Classic 5000PD, CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP, Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice, Aetna Student Health Insurance, Private Health Care Systems (PPO), Choice POS, Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account, IH-Indemnity, CareFirst MedStar PPO, CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity, Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO), United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans, IH-HMO, IH-Open Network Only Plus, HumanaChoice PPO, CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO), Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO, Medicare FFS, Maryland Physicians Care MCO, Veterans Affairs Community Care Network, Advantra Platinum (PPO), Aetna Better Health of Maryland, BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage), Employee Health Plan, Choice POS II Open Access, Navigate, Police and Fire Clinic, Network OA, Aetna Classic 3500 and CareFirst MedStar Select PPO.
According to our sources, Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN accepts the following insurance providers:
Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN does not have any reviews yet, be the first to leave a review of Mrs. Melanie Browning, RD, MS, CDE, CDN here: Leave a Review
Ms. Melanie Browning's specialty is nutrition. These areas are among her clinical interests: obesity, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and diabetes education. Ms. Browning seems to honor Blue California, Coventry, and Coventry Health Care Plans, as well as other insurance carriers. She is professionally affiliated with MedStar Health.
