DEAR DR. ROACH: Would you please discuss the use of Evista for treatment of osteoporosis as an alternative to bisphosphonates? The decision of which medication to take is very confusing, since every one of them has serious side effects. I am trying to choose the lesser of the evils. — S.K. ANSWER: Raloxifene (Evista) has […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on calcium. I recently have been informed by my physician that there is a link between excess calcium and heart disease. She recommended that I stop taking my calcium supplements. I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place: osteoporosis versus heart disease. Does the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For the past seven years, I have had an itch under my shoulder blade on my back. It stretches from the left side to the center. There is no rash or anything visible on the skin; it just itches all the time. Neither my physician nor my dermatologist has a remedy. My […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I know so many people who have had a heart attack and open heart/bypass surgery due to blocked arteries. Isn’t there a test or scan we can have done every five years or so to check our arteries and be proactive about this before a heart attack happens? We have colonoscopies; why […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 69-year-old woman in excellent health. I take valsartan and doxazosin for high blood pressure. I am concerned because I have developed swelling in my left foot and ankle, with none at all in the right foot. Until now, I have never had any foot or ankle swelling, even in the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a friend who is the primary caregiver to her son, diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis. I am unfamiliar with this condition and would like to better understand the challenges and prognosis. Can you help? — O.C. ANSWER: Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare disease that is difficult to understand. Expert […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had elevated blood pressure for a very long time. I had my son eight years ago and I don’t recall what it was before that; however, I developed pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and had a cesarean section a week early. When my son was 2, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an active, healthy 67-year-old man. Several months ago, I started having a deep tightness and burning sensation in both lower legs. Nothing I do relieves the pain, including ice, heat, massage and pain medication. It is continuous and worse at night. I have been referred to specialists, and tests for […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 63-year-old overweight woman with low cholesterol, normal-range blood pressure and a healthy heart. I don’t smoke or drink alcohol, and other than my excess weight, I am a healthy person and see my doctor regularly for checkups. My health issue is painful degenerative osteoarthritis in my knees, hips, spine […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Recently, I had my annual checkup and nervously had to wait a while. The doctor’s assistant came in and proceeded to take my blood pressure. She then looked at me disparagingly and said: ”Do you always have a high blood pressure”? Of course, when she said this it probably doubled. Why can’t […]