DEAR DR. ROACH: I have high blood pressure that’s under pretty good control with medicines. I recently read that the glass of wine I have per day may make blood pressure go out of control. Do I need to stop my glass of wine? I will if I have to, but I’d prefer not to. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Would you please write about pleurisy? I suffered from it 30 years ago, and now I have it again. Are there any medications that will help me? Aspirin seems to work. — R.L. ANSWER: “Pleurisy” is a term for inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the lungs. The major symptom is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. However, the only time I am affected with multiple bowel movements, cramps and loose, watery stools is after breakfast and lunch. Do you have any ideas of why this could happen at these two meals only? I did not have any problems until after […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: When I was 39, I had a total hysterectomy. The doctor put me on hormone-replacement pills — first strong, then gradually weaker ones. Now I am on a patch, estradiol derm 50. My doctor told me to take it for the rest of my life, because it is good for the bones. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I realize most of the letters you print are from senior citizens, like me. I am 72 and have health issues — high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and arthritis, and I realize I will not live forever. One of my friends woke me up when she said she “has to die of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Are Epsom salts good or bad for blistered or cut feet in a diabetic? — F.S. ANSWER: This isn’t an easy question to answer. I found conflicting advice and no clear evidence to support either side, so let me tell you what I think: First off, cuts and blisters on the foot […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 61-year-old male. Most of the hair around the outside and front of my legs has disappeared. My family doctor sent me to have the blood pressure in my legs checked and get a testosterone test, both normal. He sent me to a neurologist, and all the tests there were […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 70 years old, male, about eight pounds underweight, walk 3 miles almost every day, have high blood pressure and am at high risk of developing diabetes, since my mother and brother had diabetes. I take losartan/HCTZ (I used to take quinapril/HCTZ), which, according to the literature, causes elevated blood glucose. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 72-year-old man. About three weeks ago, I saw my primary doctor for a checkup. Routine blood work was fine, except the results of my hemoglobin A1c, which was 5.7 percent (a normal range is 4.8-5.6). I was told to change my diet drastically, and was given a brochure with […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is 50 years old; 6 feet, 6 inches tall; and weighs 185 pounds. He exercises regularly. Last weekend he woke up with some pressure in his chest. He has a history of heart disease in his family, and we went to the emergency room. One of the first things the […]