DEAR DR. ROACH: I had an MRA scan, and it was noted that I have calcifications in my cerebellum, suggesting dystrophic calcifications. Is this hereditary? How do you know you have it? — D.S. ANSWER: Calcifications are deposits of calcium buildup, and can occur in virtually any tissue of the body. In some areas they […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 85-year-old man in reasonably good health, with a problem of excess saliva and drooling. My neighbor has the same problem, and his doctor prescribed prednisone. Could this cure my problem? I hesitate to take a medicine that helps only when using it. Can prednisone be damaging to my overall […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Thank you for your recent column about the benefits of HPV vaccine for males. I would like to add that, from a public-health perspective, there is little controversy about the idea that the HPV vaccine prevents cancers in all the parts of the body that can be infected by high-risk types of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have great confidence in my doctor, but my friends and family are concerned about my medical care. I’m in my late 60s, fit and enjoy good health. I have high blood pressure, which is now well-controlled with one pill a day. Last year, my annual physical was very cursory, and my […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a senior, have exercised regularly for years, walking 2 or more miles a day. I am in good health, take no medication but for thyroid, and have no weight problem. Very recently I have developed pain in my hips, mostly in my left hip. The pain is a burning sensation, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been told that vinegar diluted with water and taken prior to a meal is an effective way to reduce one’s blood glucose level. Is this accurate? If so, how much vinegar and how much water? Is there a difference between apple cider vinegar and white vinegar? Will consuming vinegar on […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Will a blood test reveal deficiencies in levels of vitamins D and C, magnesium, Co-Q10, etc.? — D.S. ANSWER: Vitamin levels can be measured in the blood, but it is seldom necessary to do so. There are some exceptions. Vitamin D remains controversial, with most experts recommending checking vitamin D levels in […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My brother started having pains in his body and swelling in his shoulder/collarbone area and feeling quite bad when he was 49. Doctors puzzled over what might be wrong for several months before my brother decided to go to his urologist. The urologist gave him a digital rectal exam that revealed no […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 87 and in fairly good health, except for some well-controlled high blood pressure and greater-than-average atherosclerosis. A recent catheterization of my heart revealed a 90 percent blockage of a large artery, requiring a stent. It also revealed stenosis of the aortic valve. The opening to the artery is only 1.3 […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I don’t know why everybody keeps debating the accuracy of the PSA test. At least it’s a test that shows something. There’s nothing like it for ovarian cancer. Why is that? — R.R. ANSWER: There are several analogous tests to the PSA for ovarian cancer, and the most commonly used is called […]