44 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JULY 20, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Flushing optometrist celebrates 30 years serving the community
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Th is Flushing health care professional
has been serving Queens for three decades
— and there’s no end in sight.
Dr. David Orenstein, a licensed optometrist,
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
This simple test can set you on the road to a lifetime of better health
Here’s a sobering statistic for you: 20
percent of all deaths in the United States
can be attributed to poor lifestyle factors
and behavioral choices. It’s diffi cult
to swallow, but fortunately new research
also fi nds that those who take the time
to establish a simple screening routine
improve their chances of modifying their
behavior toward a healthy lifestyle.
Th e research, appearing in the Journal
of Community Medicine and Health
Education, shows that individuals who
had undergone a cardiovascular screening
were more likely to take action to
modify their lifestyles aft er the screening.
In addition, these steps toward potential
better health appear to exist regardless of
the actual screening results.
Th e survey gathered information from
3,267 individuals who were set to receive
a cardiovascular screening through Life
Line Screening. Participants were predominantly
over 50 years of age and
mostly women. Th e survey respondents
were divided into two groups: those who
were surveyed aft er they had their cardiovascular
screening and those who were
screening-naïve, meaning they had yet to
undergo a cardiovascular screening.
Both groups were asked questions about
their current and future health plans and
once the surveys were completed, results
from the two groups were then evaluated
to determine a participant’s motivation
to modify their lifestyles. Th is evaluation
took into account the act of the screening
and whether the presence of a completed
screening modifi ed behavior.
Results of the research show a statistically
signifi cant diff erence between
those who had been screened and those
who hadn’t with regards to modifying
future behavior. Th ese behavior modifi ers
included healthy initiatives such as enjoying
a healthier diet or adding exercise to a
person’s daily lifestyle.
Perhaps more interesting, researchers
found participants were more interested
in improving their healthy lifestyle
aft er the screening regardless of their
individual screening results. In addition,
patients who tested normal, abnormal or
even critical during their screening were
all more likely to make health changes
aft er the screening when compared to
their prescreening counterparts. Th ose
who recorded abnormal or critical results
also reported being more likely to follow
their doctor’s exact directions and take
all of their medications on the predetermined
schedule.
You can’t know where you’re going if
you don’t know where you are
Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer
of men and women in the United
States, accounting for roughly one quarter
of all deaths according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet
despite this shocking statistic, many people
remain unaware of their current cardiovascular
health.
Enrolling in a cardiovascular screening
is a fast, easy way to understand your
current cardiovascular health and provide
you a basis for future health care
decisions. It’s an important fi rst step and
one that can ultimately lead to a healthier,
longer life.
To learn more about cardiovascular
screening and to fi nd screening options
in your area, visit www.lifelinescreening.
com.
Courtesy BPT
has served the community from
his space at 36-03 162nd St. since July of
1987. Th e longtime Queens resident said
the storefront, located just off Northern
Boulevard, has been used as a doctor’s
offi ce since the 1940s.
Orenstein attributes “perseverance and
patience” to his ongoing success.
“You go to another place, it’s strictly
business, selling,” the doctor said. “We
know our patients by name, their families
… We have patients from all over. Th ey
move, but they come back.”
Th e optometrist was proud to share that
he has served four generations of the same
family. Eileen Pfuhler, whose late mother
Enez Facchin suff ered from macular
degeneration, noticed Orenstein’s “Low
Vision” sign in the window in 1987. She
was one of the optometrist’s fi rst patients.
“When my mother found out she had
this problem with her eyes, she was very
depressed,” Pfuhler said. “We came in,
and from that day on, my family hasn’t
left . He was compassionate with my
mother and very understanding. He gave
her such a lift . You don’t fi nd that anymore
when you go to doctors; you’re a
number. You’re not a number here.”
Today, Orenstein also treats Pfuhler’s
two children and two grandchildren.
“We’d never go to any other place,” she
continued.
Th e medical professional has also been a
member of the Flushing Rotary for as long
as he has operated the business. Th rough
the community group, which was established
in 1953, Orenstein has been involved
with a number of charitable initiatives,
including work for the international Gift
of Life organization and local veterans at
the St. Albans Community Living Center.
Th e group also awards scholarships to local
high school students who have shown the
most improvement in their academics.
Patients can make appointments for eye
exams and low vision work and purchase
eyeglasses and contacts at Orenstein’s
practice. His offi ce can be reached at 718-
353-1220.
Dr. David Orenstein (center) has served the Queens community for 30 years.