DEAR DR ROACH: I am in my early 90s and was diagnosed with “venous insufficiency” in both legs about 20 years ago. Over the years, I have attempted to deal with chronic edema in both ankles and feet by using elevation and compression devices. Of course, these are only temporary measures and only provided a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I will be undergoing a thyroidectomy to reduce the chances of thyroid cancer, given my family history, a CHEK2 mutation and ongoing thyroid nodule growth. My concern is that I had an ECG for pre-op purposes and received results that stated I had low voltage on the extremity leads. Otherwise, I have […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I have been watching our fat intake, and we have eliminated almost all red meat and processed foods from our diet. We do eat a lot of fish (salmon primarily) and boneless/skinless chicken. I am, at times, confused about the information on nutrition facts labels. As an example, the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Which diet styles in particular are associated with a lower risk of heart disease? Many people are confused about what actually is a healthy diet. Is a Mediterranean diet easier than an extreme low-fat diet? — D.H.H. ANSWER: There are several styles of diet that have been proven to be healthier than […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m an 83-year-old male. I eat a plant-based diet, and I exercise at my local YMCA at least three times a week. I’m concerned that my toes and fingers will turn blue daily, in response to getting cold. My fingertips also become numb. — W.H. ANSWER: Fingers and toes turn blue due […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Everyone knows that they are supposed to wash their hands after using the toilet, but does that advice only apply when using a public toilet? Since whatever came out of the person is technically theirs, do they need to wash their hands at home if they live alone? And can you also […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old female who has had four benign breast biopsies/lumpectomies in the last 25 years. I’ve also been dealing with extreme itching on one side of my breast. I recently had my annual 3D mammogram as well as an ultrasound, which didn’t show anything amiss. Could scar tissue from lumpectomies […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old female who was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 32. I am 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 130 pounds. I’ve been taking 240 mg of verapamil for all of these years. A few years back, my medication started coming in 120-mg dosages, so I started taking […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there a possibility of having some type of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), even though it doesn’t show up clearly in the blood work? (My CRP level was 0.3, rheumatoid factor was 10, anti-CCP result was 15 u/mL, and ANA test came out negative.) I have symptoms that I feel I am not […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have seen news reports of many positive results from people using INNOVO, the FDA-approved shorts that provide electrical pelvic muscle stimulation, to possibly eliminate incontinence entirely. I also have heard that insurance companies may help pay the cost of these shorts. Since this may help many of your readers, can you […]