ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife was diagnosed with depression, and she has tried many medications such as risperidone, lamotrigine, amitriptyline, Depakote and others. The longest time a combination worked before her relapsing was less than three months. Some of the medicines that were given were even making the matter worse, and all efforts to ...Read more

We know obesity increases your risk for sleep apnea and GERD, both of which can make it tough to rest easy. But it now appears that it's a two-way street. Poor sleep habits contribute to becoming obese. A study in BMC Public Health found that the amount of sleep you get (too little or too much) and the quality of your sleep (you wake up ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read an article a few years back that said if you had vertigo, you more than likely would also have restless legs syndrome and/or hypnic jerks of the body. Did I read this right, or are these symptoms totally unrelated to each other?

I'm inquiring because I have all three conditions. I began with vertigo a few years back, ...Read more

Your metabolism is the combination of reactions that happen within your body as it turns food and drink into fuel. It provides you with energy -- and burns calories. Plus, it helps with blood circulation, breathing, digestion, hormone regulation, body temperature and growth and repair of cells.

Some folks have a slow metabolism, so their body ...Read more

New findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine report that Americans live shorter lives than Europeans, regardless of their wealth.

To be sure, people with more wealth tend to live longer than those with less wealth, especially in the U.S., but when comparing all demographics, the wealthiest Americans have shorter lifespans on ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 85-year-old woman who is physically, mentally and socially active and in quite good health, except for osteoporosis issues. The only medications I take are Maxzide for blood pressure, rosuvastatin for cholesterol, and Prolia injections for osteoporosis. My most recent cholesterol readings were 119 mg/dL (total), 58 mg/...Read more

Almost everyone deals with negative stress -- there's pressure in relationships with co-workers, friends and family, and often, related to finances. When you add the physical stress caused by smoking, excess drinking, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea or certain medications to the mix, there's a good chance that over time your systolic (the top ...Read more

You're at high risk for Type 2 diabetes if you're diagnosed with prediabetes, are overweight or obese, have a family history of Type 2 diabetes, are physically active less than three times a week, have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD -- now called MASLD), or have had gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby who weighed over 9 ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 70-year-old active dentist and pharmacist with chronic lower back pain. My MRI shows a compressed/extruded disc in contact with a specific nerve. It is extruded by 5 mm. I know that this is very common, and not all patients with compressed nerves are symptomatic. I have specifically located lower back pain and numbness in...Read more

It's shocking that a recent study in Nature Medicine found that less than 10% of folks achieve healthy aging -- that is, living to age 70 without developing a chronic disease.

The most common chronic disease is cardiovascular disease (CVD). To avoid premature aging, you want to stay young at heart -- physically and emotionally. And according to...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read a recent column of yours in which you said that everyone who is my age can assume we've had measles. I remember having measles when I was in the second grade but have a vague memory of my parents calling it German measles, which I believe is rubella. If a person has had either, do they have immunity to both types of ...Read more

Numerous studies have shown that education offers protective effects against late-life cognitive impairment. College-educated people are at lower risk.

But the quality of one's high school experience seems to play a role too.

"When we talk about education, the quality of your high school experience, not just whether you received a diploma or...Read more

Airplane air quality is generally regarded as good, comparable to or better than other indoor environments thanks to high air exchange rates and the use of high-efficiency particulate air filters. But any air traveler will tell you that flying seems to provoke a particular kind of air turbulence. Namely, increased flatulence.

It's a matter of...Read more

• Ignatia: Ignatia, derived from the seeds of the Ignatia amara tree, is a homeopathic remedy that may help alleviate mood swings caused by fatigue and emotional stress. It can be beneficial for individuals experiencing sudden changes in mood, such as sadness, anger, or irritability.

• Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica, prepared from the seeds...Read more

People who get a common surgery on a Friday have a significantly higher risk of complications, readmission to the hospital and death as compared to people who got the same types of operation on a Monday, say researchers in a new study.

It's colloquially known as the "weekend effect," alluding to everybody's -- even surgeons' -- distraction ...Read more