DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently had a column about a person who measured his blood pressure several times a day. You also recommend home blood pressure cuffs. I have a question about the accuracy of blood pressure cuffs. I am a 70-year-old male in good general health. The only medication I take is rosuvastatin 10 […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is it advisable to get the Shingrix vaccine at the same time as the annual influenza vaccine? — T.H. ANSWER: It can be done, but whenever possible, you should get the new Shingrix vaccine by itself. The side effects of this vaccine are more pronounced than with most approved vaccines, and more […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: A recent column from a woman with recurrent chest pain and normal stress tests had me wondering: Could this be Prinzmetal angina? — K.O.S. ANSWER: That’s an excellent question. Vasospastic angina, also called variant angina or Prinzmetal angina, is caused by spasmodic constriction of the artery, often with blockages, but sometimes without […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have some questions about my lab results. My doctor’s office called to say all results were good and everything is fine. However, when I received the printout from the lab, I read several readings that alarmed me, including a hemoglobin A1C of 5.9% (flagged as high) and glucose 114 (again flagged […]

DEAR DR ROACH: You seem to promote statins. How about statins for older people? A recent study from 2017 that appeared to be peer reviewed and well done found “no benefit was found when pravastatin was given for primary prevention to older adults with moderate hyperlipidemia and hypertension, and a nonsignificant direction toward increased all-cause […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I would like your opinion about the need to lower blood pressure to the standard 120/80. I read the following in a scientific article: “Older people with preexisting vascular disease or circulation deficits, however, often need higher systolic pressure (around 130-140 mmHg) to ensure adequate circulation to their brain and kidneys.” Is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: After five years, I still have questions after my husband (at the time) started getting more and more critical, until culminating in a few weeks where he started ranting, calling me profane names and leaving me emotionally depleted and confused. We had been married for 17 years, and I had never seen […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: About five months ago, my 16-year-old son complained of soreness in the chest area. His doctor took X-rays and an EKG, and found everything to be normal, including blood pressure and oxygen level. However, he still has episodes of sharp pain on the left side of his breastbone. He says it hurts […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: With all the misinformation flying around, can you comment on whether it’s a good idea to wear N95 masks if you have them on hand? — F.C. ANSWER: N95 masks are the standard for personal protective equipment for most health care providers in the hospital. Ideally, health care workers would have enough […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 72-year-old woman on medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol. For 15 years, I took atenolol, 25 mg twice daily. I developed hair loss, and my doctor said to stop the atenolol immediately, that hair loss was a known side effect. He put me instead on 120 mg of […]