ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: I also have a dry cough that's been going on for about 13-14 years. I'm a healthy 62-year-old and read that it is called "cough variant asthma." I would like to know more about this but really can't find anything about it, except that it will eventually get worse if it's not treated. I was checked twice in the past 15 years for...Read more

A 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around one in nine kids, ages 3 to 17, have been diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and that's over a million more than were identified with the condition in 2016.

Better recognition of the condition may be one reason for the increase, but it...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: In a recent column, you OK'd stevia, which I had heard could negatively impact our microbiomes. I am borderline prediabetic, and I had stopped using stevia accordingly. However, I hate unsweetened coffee. Can you comment on stevia's impact on our microbiomes in your column? -- M.M.

ANSWER: I wish I could give you an answer that ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-year-old female in excellent health, other than having been treated for breast cancer eight years ago. (I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, then five years on an aromatase inhibitor.) Since then, I have gained 40 pounds. I am 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and weigh 178 pounds. I have been unable to lose the weight ...Read more

As we wait for a breakthrough that can block or reverse Alzheimer's disease, there is some consolation that we finally have three kinds of medications and a treatment that can damp down or slow the progression of symptoms -- cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and a monoclonal antibody, lecanemab.

Cholinesterase inhibitors increase levels of ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have erectile dysfunction (ED). I am 71, and this has been an issue for over a year. But it seems to be getting worse. I have used sildenafil and Cialis with no effect. I also received testosterone injections for over a year. I have used Trimix and Quadmix, which worked initially to a certain extent, but now it doesn't work ...Read more

In 2022-2023, almost 3.5 million girls and just over 4.5 million boys participated in high school sports. That's a lot of soccer, softball, basketball and football (including 4,094 girls on 11-player high school tackle football teams, and 42,955 girls playing flag football).

That's wonderful -- it means they're getting physical exercise that ...Read more

Researchers report that both maternal and paternal exposures to outdoor air pollution can negatively affect human embryo development in in vitro fertilization cycles. In other words, air pollution may make it harder to get pregnant.

The study in Environment International presented a new approach to understanding the associations between air ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 66-year-old husband recently received a diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. He is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and weighs 270 pounds. He is treating his fluid retention with 100 mg of furosemide daily. He also has mild, untreated sleep apnea.

He would like to try one of the GLP-1 drugs to lose some weight, ...Read more

About a quarter of U.S. adults have been diagnosed with arthritis -- and many others contend with sore, aching joints. That's more than 55 million folks who deal with varying degrees of pain, restricted motion and a compromised ability to feel content or happy. That's because joint-related pain (and we don't mean from marijuana ... that's a ...Read more

Did you know that nearly half of women ages 50 and older experience urine leakage occasionally and 51% of those 65 and older say they contend with urinary incontinence? Now, you may think childbirth, menopause and muscle weakness are to blame, and you may be right. But a new observational study of more than 1,000 women ages 47 to 55 reveals that...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 71, and I recently saw my urologist for urinating a lot and not getting enough sleep. He performed a flow test and a scope, then told me that I have an enlarged prostate. My urologist is recommending a procedure but doesn't support the idea of using a balloon treatment.

Next week, I am scheduled to have my prostate ...Read more

Young and old, Americans average 7 hours and 3 minutes a day looking at Internet-connected screens! And kids ages 8 to 12 log around five and a half hours every day accessing entertainment on screened devices.

Most people are blind to the fact that youngsters are doing more than damaging their muscles, blunting cognitive growth and fueling ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Several months ago, I developed a case of a bigeminy heartbeat. My cardiologist prescribed metoprolol. At about the same time, I had reduced my intake of magnesium from about 50% of the daily value (DV) to 35%. (This may have preceded the bigeminy onset.)

Quite by accident, I read an article recommending magnesium for a heart ...Read more

In one of his final acts, Vivek Murthy, former U.S. surgeon general, said alcoholic beverages should carry an updated warning label that says consumption increases the risk of cancer. Murthy said most Americans have no idea.

Recent research underscores the point, finding that quitting or reducing alcohol consumption reduced the risk of a ...Read more

Let's all agree that indulging in late-night snacks isn't good for your teeth unless you immediately follow up with a thorough brushing. But is midnight munching bad for your overall health?

Apart from the fact that these are calories added to the day's menu but with less opportunity to burn them off, late-night snacking can pose two ...Read more