DEAR DR. ROACH: I have always been a proponent of the attitude that “no matter how much you make yourself look younger on the outside, you are still aging on the inside.” I read a recent article on the benefits of the supplement NAD+, which describes the inside anti-aging benefits. It appears that there are […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My question concerns the benefits and risks of taking oral estrogen following removal of ovaries and uterus due to my concerns about ovarian cancer. I have recovered well from having this laparoscopic-robotic surgery. I am a healthy 69-year-old with a family history of ovarian cancer (mother) and breast cancer (mother and sister). […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read with interest your recent column regarding the benefit of a colonoscopy for detecting colon cancer. I am 58 and started experiencing frequent light nausea about two months ago, a few days after getting my first Moderna vaccine. My doctor had me get a blood test. It was generally normal except […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy woman. I recently had a whole-body thermography exam that highlighted my thyroid rather dramatically. Should I get a blood test for my thyroid and/or an ultrasound? — E.D. ANSWER: Thermography is a technique looking at differences in skin temperature. Back in the 1970s, it was found that breast cancer […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: As I seem to be highly prone to urinary tract infections, I’ve been using vaginal Estrace for decades. I’m 82 years old. I’ve developed serious gastroesophageal reflux disease, and note that there’s a connection with female hormones. Two of my health care providers disagree on whether vaginal Estrace is or is not […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old polio survivor with severe osteoarthritis in my left shoulder, which is the side also affected by polio. I experience pain in varying degrees throughout the day, but at night the pain often wakes me up. I recently had my shoulder X-rayed. My orthopedic doctor said it was “bone […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am responding to a recent letter from a reader anxious about undergoing a colonoscopy. One of her concerns was a possible perforation requiring additional surgery and a temporary colostomy. You reassured her that the probability of such an occurrence was very low. I have seen this fear often. No doubt, it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Please explain the difference between probiotics and prebiotics? I know they are both helpful for the digestive system, but I’m not sure why. — A.B. ANSWER: Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients, such as fiber, that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Probiotics are the healthy organisms themselves, such as […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband suffers from trigeminal neuralgia. This is often very painful for months at a time, then the pain will stop for a few months before it begins again. He does not want to begin taking an antiseizure medication. Are there any natural remedies? — B.K. ANSWER: Trigeminal neuralgia is a pain […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter is approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. She has been slowly putting on weight over the past several years. She is disabled, but she has been watching what she eats and working with a personal trainer to build strength. She takes several medications, including Abilify and […]