Ten "most popular" diseases treated by Charles Waisbren, M.D.

Charles Waisbren, MD



Hypertension (High blood pressure) is a serious condition that affects one in three adults in the United States. It can lead to a brain stroke, blockages in the heart and kidney damage. Dr. Waisbren recommends maintaining optimal weight, exercise, limiting salt intake and smoking cessation as a starting point in lowering a high blood pressure. If these measures are not successful in achieving a blood pressure of less than 140/85, he is adept in adding low doses of a variety of medications which will achieve the desired blood pressure.
Hyperlipidemia (High cholesterol) is a malady that involves high levels of fats in the blood stream. Such buildup increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral artery disease. Dr. Waisbren promotes reducing the consumption of sugar and flour, avoiding trans-fats, increasing the consumption of monounsaturated fats and exercise. If LDL levels remain high and HDL levels remain low, Dr. Waisbren adds cholesterol lowering agents until the risk of atherosclerosis diminishes.
Diabetes Mellitus (Elevated blood sugar) affects 382 million people throughout the world. It can lead to blindness, coronary heart disease, kidney failure and peripheral nerve damage. Dr. Waisbren treats diabetes by starting patients on a very low carbohydrate diet, a vigorous exercise program and by instituting a careful monitoring of home blood sugars. If these measures are not effective in achieving good blood sugar control, Dr. Waisbren institutes both oral and injectable therapies to achieve such ends.
Hypothyroidism (Low thyroid level) affects nearly every part of the body: from your heart and brain to your muscles and skin. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, weight gain, dry skin, cold intolerance, constipation, depression and memory loss. Diagnosis is made by a simple blood test and treatment consists of thyroid supplementation. Dr. Waisbren utilizes a conventional synthetic analog of thyroid hormone but will utilize desiccated thyroid and T3 if traditional treatment is ineffective in alleviating symptoms.
Depression is one of the most common types of mental disorders, affecting 340 million people worldwide. Core symptoms include a sullen mood, feelings of hopelessness, guilt and anxiety, loss of interest in things that used to be pleasurable, change in appetite, change in sleeping patterns and an inability to concentrate. Dr. Waisbren tries to address the root of depression and to impact change. He promotes exercise, a low calorie diet and medication if necessary.
Obesity obviously is a tremendous problem we are facing in today’s land of plenty. It leads to hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and terrific joint issues. Weight loss programs such as Jenny Craig, Optifast, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, Overeaters Anonymous and Weight Watchers have moderate success in helping people lose weight. New pharmaceuticals have become available over the past year which assist patients in losing weight. Dr. Waisbren utilizes exercise programs, eating programs and some of the new pharmaceuticals to get patients to a safe body weight.
Smoking Cessation is still a goal of all health care providers. Smoking leads to emphysema, lung cancer, coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease. Hypnosis, acupuncture, support groups, nicotine replacement therapy and several new medications assist patients in trying to combat nicotine addiction. Dr. Waisbren utilizes all these modalities in helping getting his patients to quit smoking.
Generalized Anxiety is characterized by chronic, unrealistic and exaggerated feelings of worry and tension. People may feel anxious all of the time without any apparent reason and can have such extreme anxiety that they have to avoid certain everyday activities. Dr. Waisbren promotes exercise, cognitive behavior therapy and several pharmaceutical agents to treat this disease.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is characterized by an unexplained, persistent tiredness for more than six months. Three out of every 1000 Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. Common symptoms include sore throat, headaches, joint pains, muscle pains and tender lymph nodes. There seems to be no primary identifiable cause of this malady but depression, anemia, cancer and undiagnosed infectious diseases need to be excluded. For treatment of this disorder, Dr. Waisbren advocates exercise, cognitive behavior support groups, sleep hygiene and Norepineprine/Serotonin uptake pharmaceutical intervention.
Headache can be caused by a multitude of issues. A structural etiology needs to be ruled out. If the brain is indeed intact, headaches can be caused by a vascular etiology (migraine headache) or muscular induced cause (muscle tension headache). Dr. Waisbren assesses the possible causes of headache and treats it depending on its etiology. He emphasizes avoidance of food triggers, good sleep hygiene and pharmaceuticals if necessary to alleviate the debilitating effect headaches can have.
Comprehensive Preventive Medical Examinations are proactive approaches to illness and premature aging. They help identify risk of future diseases and create personalized programs to improve health and maintain active lifestyles. They attempt to provide early detection of heart disease, cancers and aneurysms that are often missed in a typical wellness exam. Dr. Waisbren emphasizes nutrition, fitness, lifestyle and an aggressive control of blood pressure and lipid blood levels.


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