Expert Column
Dr. Harvey Gilbert, MD 
Medical and Policies Director
Harvey Gilbert, MD, is a radiation oncologist with over thirty-five years of professional experience...read more
Articles In This Column
- Prevent a Heart Attack: Learn How Metabolic Syndrome Affects Your Chances of Heart Disease
- How to Prevent Cancer & Improve Your Chances of Survival After Diagnosis
- How Stroke Symptoms Affect Your Brain
- Do You Know What to Do If You Think You Are Having a Stroke or a Mini-Stroke?
- What to Expect After a Major Stroke: Examination & Therapy
- Parkinson's Disease Symptoms & Disease Progression
- Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis
- Treating Parkinson's: Deep Brain Stimulation, Neuro-rehabilitation & Parkinson's Disease Medications
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Treatment Options
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Causes, Symptoms & Prevention
- Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Common Forms of Arthritis & How to Treat Them
- Treatments for Osteoarthritis
- Cancer Treatment: The Effectiveness of Herbal Medicines
- Healthy Eating Guidelines to Help You Avoid the Deadly Metabolic Syndrome
- Safe & Effective Alternative Therapies for Cancer—& Which Ones to Avoid
- 4 Essential Lifestyle Changes that Can Help Prevent Diabetes, Heart Diseases & Dementia
- 4 Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease
- A Miracle Food to Protect Your Heart & Blood Vessels
- Natural Treatment for Arthritis Pain
- Hormone Replacement Therapy, Breast Cancer & Dementia
- Depression: Do You Need Antidepressants?
- Hormone Replacement Therapy & the Breast Cancer Link
- Osteoporosis: Prevention, Treatment & Risk Factors
- Polypharmacy & Seniors: Avoiding Drug Interactions
- How to Find the Medical Information You Want on the Internet
- Study: Baby Boomers on Aging, Working, Technology & Financing Long Term Care
- 10 Types of Dementia That Aren't Alzheimer's & How They're Diagnosed
- What are the 7 Stages of Alzheimer's Disease?
- What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?
- Exercise Guidelines for Seniors & Cancer Patients: Part 2
- Exercise Guidelines for Seniors and Cancer Patients: Part 1
- Is Exercise or Rest Better for Patients with Cancer or Chronic Illness?
- The Effects of Exercise on Specific Cancers
- Do Vitamins Help or Hurt Cancer Patients?
- How Does Your Health Affect Your Response to Cancer Treatment?
- The All-In-1 Pocket Guide to Healthy Choices
- A Summary: Older Americans Update 2006: Key Indicators of Well-Being
- Is Obesity Linked to Cancer?
- How Ethnicity & Gender Affect Cancer Incidence & Mortality Rates
- Prostate Cancer: Is Surgery REALLY the Most Effective Treatment?
- What the Future Looks Like for Cancer in the US
- How Yoga, Oriental Herbs and Acupuncture Help Treat Cancer
- Cancer: Aggressive Treatment or None at All?
Senior Health
Parkinson's Disease Symptoms & Disease Progression
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative, age-related disease of the brain that affects speech, movement, thinking, memory and other functions. Except for a few patients who have genetic mutations, it is thought that Parkinson's disease is most likely caused by: direct trauma to the head; some drugs; the neurotoxin MTPT; and/or other medical disorders. In most cases, the exact cause is unknown. The incidence of Parkinson’s is slightly lower in blacks as compared to other ethnicities. It is estimated that...Read entire article »
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Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis
Parkinson's disease diagnosis has many variables—and as such the course of treatment chosen by patient and doctor depends upon many factors, but always starts with diagnosis of the type of Parkinson's disease. The multiple forms of Parkinson's disease are each associated with different symptoms. The most common forms are slowly progressive, but there are a few forms of Parkinson’s disease which are more rapidly progressive. These include: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Patients with dementia who show abnormal protein deposits...Read entire article »
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Treating Parkinson's: Deep Brain Stimulation, Neuro-rehabilitation & Parkinson's Disease Medications
There are a few ways of treating Parkinson's disease; however, currently deep brain stimulation, a form of surgery, and neuron-rehabilitation are less common than Parkinson's disease medications. As with any long-term chronic illness, many patients find that regular exercise and a balanced diet can help their overall health and stress levels over the long term. Parkinson's Disease Medications Most Parkinson's disease medications do not actually slow or halt disease progression (the so-called "neuro-protection" effect), but rather work to alleviate...Read entire article »
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Treatment Options
Currently, there is no cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, treatment for COPD takes a multifaceted disease management approach. The major current directions of COPD management include: assessing and monitoring the disease, reducing risk factors, managing stable COPD, preventing and treating acute worsening of the disease, and managing associated illnesses. Bronchodilators Bronchodilators are medicines that relax smooth muscle around the airways, increasing the caliber of the airways and improving airflow, a major symptom of both chronic bronchitis...Read entire article »
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Causes, Symptoms & Prevention
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, chronic lung disease. Several conditions fall under this umbrella diagnosis, the two most common being chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which often coexist in patients with COPD. Twelve million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COPD and it is the second most common cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the country. What Causes COPD? The most significant cause of lung damage is tobacco smoke. It...Read entire article »
