DEAR DR. ROACH: My doctor put me on atenolol for occasional racing-heart incidents: In the past five or so years, I’ve experienced only three or four such incidents a year, lasting five to 15 minutes each time. I also have had a cough for years. I have had lung X-rays, a medication trial for asthma […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife is suffering from Meniere’s disease, a condition that causes, at times, severe vertigo and disorientation. Although she’s never actually been diagnosed with the condition, after several months of numerous tests on her heart, brain, ears, eyes and balance, the doctors “think” it’s Meniere’s disease. It came upon her rather suddenly, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband has a terrible rash on his back and front, diagnosed by a dermatologist as Grover’s disease. He is 79 and has had it for five years. My husband’s internist said it would go away within six to 12 months, but his never went away. The doctor gave him some triamcinolone […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 18-year-old grandson has just been informed that he has left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. He has been VERY active his whole life, playing football, baseball, basketball and soccer all through high school. He had no symptoms. This was found when getting a physical for college, where he was supposed to play football, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband has cancer in his bladder. It was found when he was having his prostate checked. He asked the doctor what caused it. My husband used to smoke and drink in his younger years and was told that those probably took a toll on his bladder. He has had outpatient surgery […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I wonder why you never talk about holistic measures to prevent illnesses, such as cancer. I just read an article by an oncologist who said there are certain anti-cancer supplements that work, including vitamin D, magnolia extract and artichoke extract, all of which have been shown in laboratory studies to kill a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been taking niacin for many years. What side effects should I be looking for? My cardiologist recently added Lipitor to my medications, which tells me that the niacin was not doing the best job. — A.H. ANSWER: Niacin has been used for decades as a treatment for high cholesterol levels […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For about 30 years, I have heard I should avoid contact with aluminum for sustained good health. Is there science or proven studies of adverse health effects behind these recommendations? Or is avoiding contact with aluminum in deodorant or cookware an incorrect or unsupported assertion that someone once made and that has […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In August 2014, my urologist ordered a CT scan to confirm a possible recurrence of kidney stones. The stone results were negative; however, the printed scan report described findings of a small, low-density lesion in the pancreas measuring 4.3 mm in the proximal tail. In the past 11 months, my gastroenterologist has […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Your recent discussion on prostate cancer screening appears to bear out my belief that neither statistical evidence nor anecdotal evidence can be ignored in proving or disproving a case for screening. I am a 93-year-old who is 17 years post-op, having had a radical prostatectomy in 1998. My PSA had been 2.4 […]