DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 92-year-old woman in reasonably good health. I weigh about 145 pounds and have shrunk down to 5 feet, 5 inches tall. I attend a 45-minute exercise class at a wellness center three times a week. I am diabetic and have glaucoma. I take Januvia, simvastatin and losartan, and use […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 67-year-old male. For most of my later adult life (50s to the present) I have had a very low libido. My testosterone level was very low, so last year the urologist prescribed shots of testosterone that I’m giving to myself. My testosterone level now is well within the normal range, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: If a person has a titanium hip as a result of hip replacement surgery and that person later falls, is it possible that their hip would break? — A.W. ANSWER: A hip replacement, or total hip arthroplasty, replaces the head and neck of the femur with a prosthesis, which will go into […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-year-old man, in pretty good health. I have some normal age-related arthritis in my hand. I am an active walker and hiker; all in all, I have no major issues. I do pushups and have done so for many years as a way to keep my upper body and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am one of legions of women with osteoporosis and considering a bisphosphonate or similar medication. I am 72, and my osteoporosis is in my hips and spine. I know some women who have taken these drugs and shattered a bone so badly that it could not be mended, because these drugs […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a question about prescription pain relievers. In the past, after getting stitches, I was given Percocet, which made me nauseated. I tolerated Vicodin after my knee surgery. A friend recently had foot surgery and was prescribed Nucynta. I am not familiar with this medicine. Is it similar to Vicodin and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Over the past year of pandemic lockdown, I have worked hard at reducing calories to lose weight and increasing my exercise on an elliptical trainer. I am 5 feet, 7 inches tall and age 70. I went from 202 pounds to 149.3. My weight goal is 145. My waistline is 25.5 inches. […]

Dr. Keith Roach DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you elaborate on how the COVID vaccine is different — or inferior, or maybe just not as fully tested — from other vaccines? As far as I know, we do not need to continue to take precautions for polio, or the Spanish flu or bird flu — those […]

Dr. Keith Roach DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a teacher scheduled to get the Pfizer vaccine on Friday. My mom keeps sending me stuff about why I shouldn’t get it — fear of what it will do to the immune system in the future. Everything I’ve read confirms it’s safe, but she is freaking me out […]

Dr. Keith Roach DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had both COVID-19 vaccinations and am planning to donate blood. Would any of my immunity pass on to the person receiving my blood? — D.J. ANSWER: Although we may think that blood is taken out of the donor and given whole to the recipient, that almost never […]