ArcaMax

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Almost 60% of most Americans' calories come from ultra-processed foods -- stripped of nutrition and packed with refined carbs, sugars, salt, unhealthy fats and unpronounceable chemical ingredients. And, according to a paper presented at an American College of Cardiology-Asia meeting, that's a recipe for disaster.

The researchers looked at data ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: About a month ago, I woke up without hearing in my left ear. I initially suspected a wax blockage or a blocked eustachian tube but eventually realized that it was more serious. I saw an ENT doctor who gave me a steroid shot and put me on prednisone. An MRI doesn't show a stroke or tumor.

About 5% to 10% of my hearing seems to ...Read more

Around 33% to 36% of adults in the U.S. have a lousy LDL cholesterol level of 130 mg/dL or higher, putting them at risk for a heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and dementia. Aiming for 70 mg/dL is heart-smart. But only around 20% of patients at high risk of heart disease manage their LDL -- because they don't want to take a ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I will be traveling to the United Kingdom in July and will be on a ship with about 700 passengers. We are wondering whether it would be smart (or unnecessary) to get a COVID booster before the trip. We are both in our late 60s and have had all of the available COVID shots. (The last one we received was on Oct. 10...Read more

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

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