ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a serious problem with my fingernails splitting and coming off at the edges. I have tried biotin and keratin for almost a year without results. I am an 89-year-old man who takes ibrutinib, Valtrex, allopurinol, cetirizine, and recently Eliquis and metoprolol succinate. Is there a solution for this sore, uncomfortable ...Read more

The story of your health is often told by the numbers. For example, you're healthy if your LDL cholesterol is below 70 mg/dL; your blood pressure is around 110/75; your fasting blood sugar is under 99; and you have a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. And here's one more to pay attention to: your Brain Care Score (BCS).

A BCS is determined by ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on shingles. I am 66 years old and in fairly good health. I had both Shingrix shots about five years ago. I take hydroxyurea for polycythemia vera (PV).

Around Aug. 1, I noticed some spots on my forearm that appeared to be a spider bite. I went to my family doctor, and she immediately diagnosed me ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Having seen a lot about forever chemicals in print lately, I've found a charcoal filter pitcher that removes forever chemicals from water, in addition to the usual contaminants. In my city water, they're 5-10 points above the nationally accepted concentration. Is it worth the effort to use this pitcher for drinking, rinsing, ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I contracted COVID on the last couple of days of a cruise in August. COVID ran its course, but I contracted a nasty lung infection that took about three weeks to clear. Following this, I developed severe achiness in my knees, to the point that I am still walking stiffly and, at times, nearly unable to walk down a hill due to ...Read more

Your microbiome is the collection of all the microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) that live on and in you. It profoundly affects your health and, studies increasingly show, the health of your children.

Past research in mice has found that maternal gut bacteria play a role in offspring behavior and placental growth during pregnancy. Now ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 72-year-old woman who has been taking Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for years. I recently got diagnosed with "nonobstructive coronary artery disease" by a CT angiogram. Do I need to stop taking Adderall? -- V.P.

ANSWER: The studies designed to answer this question have shown mixed results....Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: A recent fall split the skin below my left eye. I went to the emergency room to see if it required stitches. Since I complained of a headache in the back of my head on the left side, they ordered an MRI, which showed "atherosclerotic vascular disease with mild small vessel ischemic disease." They also saw plaque within my ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 63-year-old woman. I walk or do the elliptical four to five times per week for 30-40 minutes, and I also do strength training at the gym three times per week. I eat most of my meals at home, and I eat mostly healthy -- daily salads, fruits, fish and chicken. Although I do go out to eat on weekends and enjoy some ...Read more

ATTENTION! There is Language in the 25th Paragraph That Some Readers May Find Offensive. Thank You For Your Attention.

In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that in seven states, the adult obesity rate was 35% or higher. Six years later, it's now 23 states, plus Guam and Puerto Rico, with obesity rates of 35% ...Read more

The futuristic notion of a brain-computer interface just got one step closer.

Synchron, a neurotechnology startup, reports that implanting its Stentrode device, which allows users to control personal devices using their thoughts, in six patients with neurodegenerative diseases did not produce dangerous side effects.

A few participants ...Read more

If you're on a med for high blood pressure, paid for by insurance, take one now.

It should come as no surprise that the CEOs and leaders of health care companies are well compensated. (They probably don't even have to do the copay.) In 2023, the median industry CEO salary was $4.1 million. That means half of CEOs made more, half made less. ...Read more

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis is a kind of chronic liver inflammation and scarring caused by excessive fat cells in the organ. It is quite common -- approximately 22 million Americans have it. Untreated, it can progress to liver cancer and organ failure.

As with diabetes, intensive lifestyle and diet interventions are the ...Read more