DEAR DR. ROACH: I had been on hormone replacement therapy for 20 years or so and was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. I had a lumpectomy (stage 1) and radiation (external, five days a week for 21 treatments). Now, the oncologist is saying I need to start taking tamoxifen indefinitely. I have read online […]

DEAR DR ROACH: I am a 74-year-old Chinese man with controlled hypertension, and I’m currently taking a statin at 10 mg. I am puzzled and confused with my recent tests results. They show that my fasting plasma glucose is normal (5 mmol/L), while my HbA1c shows that I fall in the “prediabetic” category at 6.3% […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m an 82-year-old, very healthy woman. In February 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to appear in North America, I had a viral infection that was relatively mild (a bit of coughing, runny nose, itchy throat) and lasted for a few days only, although I felt tired for a bit […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: The newest COVID variant is reputed to be less deadly but highly contagious. What precisely makes one virus variant more contagious than another virus variant? Is it structure, size? — S. ANSWER: It’s not size, because all coronaviruses are just about the same size. It is certainly the structure, but a virus […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: After many bouts of pain in my left leg, I was referred for an MRI. They diagnosed me with left lumbar radiculitis, spondylolisthesis and lumbar spondylosis. There are many people in my independent living facility who have gotten similar diagnoses. As an RN with a masters in nursing education, I have a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My left elbow has been bothering me for eight years. When I bump it, there is a terrible pain, like an electric shock. The pain only lasts for about 10 seconds; however, it happens all the time. Even if I am wearing a heavy winter coat, the slightest bump disables me for […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Any suggestions on how to reverse Type 2 diabetes? — C.B. ANSWER: Strictly speaking, once you have diabetes, you always have diabetes, as the diagnosis is considered “stable,” or lifelong. However, many people can get diabetes under control without medications so that the blood sugar is always in the normal range, which […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife, 68, always feels cold. She has mentioned this several times to her primary care physician, and the physician checks her blood to see if an increase in thyroid medication is warranted. The reading always comes back in the normal range, and the problem is not mentioned again until the next […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Some prescription medications have a warning that they may have an interaction or reaction to grapefruit. Is it dangerous to continue to eat grapefruit even if you’re on these meds, or is that an overreaction of some kind? I love grapefruit, and it’s really hard to give it up. — D.K. ANSWER: […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am having trouble finding a reliable recommendation for the daily supplement zinc. I purchased 50-mg pills, but I think this may be too much. I am 74 and female, and I would like to include zinc in my daily supplements, as my hair has begun thinning quite a bit, straight down […]