Health Advice
/Health
/ArcaMax
Of all the nerve: neurological symptoms to get checked out
There are more than 600 known neurological disorders, but the most common are neurodegenerative diseases like stroke and migraine, as well as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and other motor neuron conditions that affect more than 7 million Americas. In addition, around 20% to 30% of people with diabetes contend with diabetic neuropathy. According...Read more
How To Follow The Recommended Daily Protein Allowance
DEAR DR. ROACH: What is the recommended daily protein allowance for older adults? I am in my 70s. -- P.R.
ANSWER: The best studies recommend 1-1.2 grams of protein daily per kilogram of body weight, so if you weighed 75 kilograms (177 pounds), you should be getting 75-85 grams of protein. This is a lot less than what I have seen recommended, ...Read more

Partnering for pediatric EMS training
PHILADELPHIA — CPR can be lifesaving when a baby stops breathing — but only if it’s done properly.
Paramedics must push down hard enough on the infant’s chest to manually squeeze blood from the heart through the rest of the body, but not so hard that they risk puncturing an organ.
The hard-to-perfect technique is at the center of a new...Read more
Lose now, gain benefits later
You've heard of lose-lose and win-win situations -- but it turns out that lose-win is not only possible, it can also benefit your life enormously. A new study in JAMA Open Network looked at health outcomes for more than 23,000 folks in their mid-30s to mid-40s who were overweight or obese. Those who lost (and kept off) just under 7% of their ...Read more
Examining The Common And Available Treatments For Gallstones
DEAR DR. ROACH: What advice do you have for the treatment of gallstones? -- N.W.
ANSWER: Gallstones are common (6% of men and 9% of women will get one over a lifetime) and are mostly composed of bile salts and cholesterol. The goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms and the risk of complications. Depending on the size and composition of a ...Read more
Revaccination May Not Be Necessary For New Grandparents
DEAR DR. ROACH: I was vaccinated as a child with the combination MMR vaccine. My husband and I are expecting a new grandchild. My friend advised me that we, as elder adults, should get revaccinated to protect the newborn. Is this really necessary? -- Anon.
ANSWER: Revaccination is probably not necessary. Two doses of the vaccine afford most ...Read more
More sour news about sweetened beverages
Americans are sweet on sweetened drinks like soda, fruit drinks, sports/energy drinks and sweetened coffee and teas. The daily consumption of those liquid "health bombs" ranges from 44.5% of adults in Alaska to 76.4% of adults in Hawaii, according to the American Heart Association. And that ups those folks' risk of everything from obesity to ...Read more
Nonmedication Treatment For Sleep Is Recommended Over Meds
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 90 years old and cannot sleep at night. I have tried taking two or three times the dosage of most over-the-counter drugs to no avail. A doctor put me on a prescription medicine, but it didn't work. Is there an alternative, or must I spend the rest of my life sleepless? -- D.J.
ANSWER: At the age of 90, you need careful ...Read more
Is your heart aging faster than you are?
Your body's internal organs can become a lot older than your chronological age -- and it's usually from the lifestyle choices you make.
A new study in European Heart Journal Open used an MRI to accurately assess the functional age of a person's heart (like its RealAge or ActualAge) and the researchers discovered there are structural and ...Read more
State of Mind
The American Psychological Association says more than three-quarters of U.S. adults report stress-related symptoms, including depression and fatigue. Topsure, a luxury product website, ranked all 50 states based on work, finances, family, health and safety and work-life balance to see where most of these stressed-out folks lived.
The 10 most ...Read more
Bony Nodes On The Hand Joints Are Common With Osteoarthritis
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 64-year-old man in good medical health. Recently, a bump the size of a pea appeared on the large knuckle of my index finger. My general physician glanced at it and said that it was an arthritic node. I asked him who could remove it, and he told me not to worry about it until it grew or started to cause pain.
I want a ...Read more
Condiment confusion
That little touch of tomato-y goodness you dip your fries into and the creamy sauce that makes your chicken salad smooth and tasty may seem like minor grace notes in the symphony of foods you eat every day. But ketchup -- or catsup, depending on where you're from -- can be loaded with food felons.
Ketchup was once considered a cure-all for ...Read more

On Nutrition: Don't miss the fine print on weight-loss drugs
I hear a lot of talk around our small town when someone becomes noticeably thinner. “He sure has lost a lot of weight.” “Did she have weight loss surgery?” “I hope he’s not sick.”
What seems to be getting the most attention lately, however, are the number of people who have lost weight with certain medications. And the most ...Read more
Vaccine News
For folks who believe vaccines work, here's a shot in the arm:
Three recent studies looked at the effectiveness of specific vaccines, two estimating the difference in outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.
According to STAT:
-- An early estimate of the effectiveness of this year's COVID-19 shot showed its effectiveness in...Read more

On Nutrition: Processed or ultra-processed?
When I hear the term “ultra-processed” food, my mind goes directly to what I see in most convenience stores. Sodas, energy drinks, candy bars, pastries and cheese puffs come to mind. These items contain more than their fair share of sugar and/or salt and are sorely lacking in essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals and ...Read more
Muscle Madness
Fueled by social media, more boys and men are turning to supplements like amino acids, creatine monohydrate, pre-workout drinks or powders, protein bars and whey protein product in an effort to bulk up and look like their favorite superhero.
But that increase in muscle is associated with another kind of boost: body dysmorphia, a mental health...Read more

On Nutrition: The power of food on mood
We were driving through a small (as in 158 people) town in the far northwestern corner of Colorado when I saw something that made me smile. Several yards from a small farmhouse, a white wooden container was perched on a stand about as high as a mailbox. It had three sides and was open in the front. Out of the elements and neatly placed inside ...Read more

On Nutrition: Sugar from zero to 50
I just survived a grueling 24 hours existing on nothing but clear liquids — tea, broth, jello, apple juice and the like. It didn’t kill me but let’s just say the nourishment in these foods didn’t last long. My suffering body was thankful, however, for the small amount of energy derived from the little bit of sugar in some of these foods....Read more
American Health -- The Short of It
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

On Nutrition: The science of salt
I have a weird habit of checking out food labels; it goes with the job. This one really grabbed my attention. It was on an electrolyte beverage and stated its case for the 1,000 milligrams of sodium in each 16-ounce can.
“Welcome to the Salty Rebellion,” the label reads. “The latest science reveals we’ve misunderstood salt. Electrolytes...Read more
Inside Health Advice
Popular Stories
- What about those ‘guaranteed’ life insurance ads?
- 5 foods to stock up on in July
- This dental clinic is bringing confidence and smiles to underserved communities
- Men under 40 are most at risk for testicular cancer. Few know it
- Ask the Pediatrician: Preventing heat-related illness in children as temperatures rise