DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 82 years old and still very active. I have had an irregular heartbeat for four years, and sometimes I feel lightheaded, dizzy or tired. I worry about it getting worse. Would you please give a detailed explanation about irregular heartbeat, including how or why it happens? What I should do […]
Dr. Roach
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Supplementation with strontium not recommended
DEAR DR. ROACH: I just started taking strontium for my bones. I have osteoporosis. Will strontium help improve my bone density? — L.S. ANSWER: Yes, strontium will increase your bone density; a better question is whether strontium will reduce your likelihood of getting a fracture, and that answer probably is yes. However, the best question […]
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Orthostatic Hypotension is low BP when standing up
DEAR DR. ROACH: Will you write about orthostatic hypotension? I’ve been told I have this disorder. I’m a retired 86-year-old man in fairly good medical shape. I want to regain my regular activities. My regular doctor put me on labetalol. I think he is researching this a bit himself. This apparently is not a frequent […]
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Making sense of cholesterol numbers
DEAR DR. ROACH: Several years ago, I started going to a new doctor, who said that the way to get the correct cholesterol number is to divide the HDL into the LDL, and if the answer is not 2.5 or lower, I have a problem and should be taking steps to lower it. I am […]
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Revisiting recommendations on routine testing
DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your response to the 67-year-old woman whose insurance wanted her to have a routine urinalysis, which you felt was unnecessary. Being such a simple test to do, with no pain or downside to the patient, why wouldn’t you recommend it? For women, it can catch chronic infections that are sometimes […]
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Ferritin level concerns one doctor, not another
DEAR DR. ROACH: What’s the best advice when one doctor seems more concerned about something than another? I am a 49-year-old woman who doesn’t smoke, is relatively healthy and who weighs about 150 pounds. I have had celiac disease since 2009 and hypothyroidism. I tend to run on the low end of normal with my […]
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With many opinions, whose do you trust?
DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer about seven weeks ago. I had a complete hysterectomy four weeks ago. The pathology report came back as “Stage 1, Grade 3, size 4.5 cm undifferentiated carcinoma with myoinvasion of under 50 percent, clear lymph nodes and margins.” My case was discussed at a tumor board, […]
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Sudden vision disturbance may be more than migraine
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 58-year-old female. One year ago, I was sitting on a friend’s porch when suddenly it was as if someone had poured thick oil over my left eye. After consulting with my eye doctor and my family physician, the occurrence was diagnosed as an ocular migraine. Bloodwork and a […]
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Strange ‘pimples’ may be rare disease
DEAR DR. ROACH: After having several strange-looking “pimples” on my thighs and one on my face, I was told it is lymphomatoid papulosis. One or two people in a million are diagnosed with this. I know that it is not contagious, but what is it? What causes it, how is it treated, and what can […]
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LIVdrroach092115
DEAR DR. ROACH: Articles on strokes or TIAs rarely mention that they can be caused by a congenital heart defect. I had a family member with a patent foramen ovale, found at age 54, after he’d had several strokes. He had surgery to repair it and has been well ever since. I would like to […]