DEAR DR. ROACH: A recent column about thinning hair prompts me to ask your opinion about laser devices claiming to promote regrowth of “retired” hair follicles. Have you had any experience with them, and do you have an opinion about them? — M.T. ANSWER: I have had very little personal experience with them, but the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have taken a thyroid supplement since it was first prescribed for me, nearly 30 years ago. The dose has changed from time to time as the lab work would indicate. My dosage has been 75 mcg for the past several years. A year ago, my TSH reading was 5.21 and my […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: During a pre-op exam before minor surgery, I was told that I have a leaky heart valve (my heart has always been strong). I was told “Everybody has one” and “not to worry.” I am elderly. What does this mean for me? — M.C. ANSWER: The heart has four valves: the aortic […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Are there any natural substitutes for blood thinners? Natural ingredients in aspirin work on some aspect of thinning the blood, perhaps for everyone taking them. It seems to me that testing natural substances would be relatively easy and cheap. — G.T. ANSWER: The term “blood thinners” is a misnomer. Although blood viscosity […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 59-year-old Caucasian woman. My iron level was tested, at my request, during my recent annual physical. The results showed that both my iron and iron saturation were high. My physician ordered a ferritin level and a hereditary hemochromatosis DNA test. The ferritin came back normal, but the hereditary hemochromatosis DNA […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Since 2013, my CPK has been elevated. It was 488 in September 2013, and I was told to stay on atorvastatin for high cholesterol. In December 2013, the CPK was 533, and I stopped the atorvastatin. I was retested six weeks later, and it went up to 562. In February 2014, it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 73 years old, and I consume a glass or two of merlot wine with dinner each day. What, if any, problem exists with sulfites present in this wine? — H.D. ANSWER: Sulfites are used as preservatives in many foods, including most wines. A dry red wine like merlot typically has […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For the past several years, I have had an abnormal creatinine reading. The readings range from 2.2 to 2.9. Every time I go to the doctor, I get a different reading. He is very cautious and wants to see me every month, which is economically very difficult. I have had Type 2 […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 60-year-old male in good health, and I play tennis and swim several days a week. I have suffered from neuralgia for the past three years, but I have it under control with medication: 800 mg of carbamazepine and 25 mg of amitriptyline per day. They work wonders, but are […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an active, healthy 70-year-old lady who, out of the blue, was hospitalized with a pulmonary embolus. I had no prior surgeries or leg involvement. After discharge, my GP diagnosed me with Factor V Leiden mutation, heterozygous and an elevated homocysteine level. I was prescribed folic acid, vitamin B-6 and vitamin […]