ArcaMax

Conventional wisdom suggests that higher levels of education directly protect against cognitive decline and brain aging. That is, if you're a college graduate, you're less likely to experience dementia compared to people with less formal education.

A new international study puts that thinking in doubt. Researchers analyzed longitudinal data ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there anything a person can do to make it less likely that a COVID infection leads to long COVID symptoms? Does activity help or harm a person in this case? -- L.B.

ANSWER: Before getting COVID in the first place, being vaccinated helps prevent a COVID infection, and even if you get infected, it probably reduces the ...Read more

Depending on what survey you read, Americans consume between 17 and 29 pounds of French fries a year -- that's up to 77 large servings of McDonald's fries annually! And that's fueling the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and its associated complications, which affect around 35 million folks in America.

Research published in BMJ reveals that for ...Read more

About 29% of U.S. adults have undiagnosed chronic inflammation (another 125 million live with some form of chronic inflammatory disease). That's a lot of hot spots, not to mention cases of autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and certain cancers. That's why it is so important to recognize the (often subtle) ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband has a pacemaker. We have an induction stove, and his cardiologist was uncertain if it was safe for him to use it. So, he does not cook on the stovetop and stays clear when I am cooking.

Is it safe for him to use at least the back burners? When I am out of town or just not home, he is afraid to use the cooktop. I ...Read more

Less than a third of American kids ages 2 to 19 have a healthy cardiovascular system! And that means that around two out of every three youngsters are headed toward high blood pressure, premature and fast-worsening Type 2 diabetes, and a roster of other health challenges that reduce their quality of life and shorten their lifespan.

You know ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old male who weighs 130 pounds and is 5 feet, 7 inches tall. I am in good shape and work out regularly. I had my prostate removed in 2023 after about six years of active surveillance, and I just finished radiation treatment.

I've taken vitamins for as long as I can remember. I take Centrum Silver multivitamins, ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and had a spinal tap a few months ago. It helped my brain fog, but my neurosurgeon didn't want to put in a shunt. I am 96. Can repeated taps help me? -- M.G.

ANSWER: NPH is a condition where the fluid inside the brain has a high pressure. It is unknown why this happens, but symptoms ...Read more

You've heard (over and over) how important it is to walk every day ... but if you're getting older and contending with increasing weakness and tiredness and moving more slowly than before, the recommended target of 7,000 to 10,000 steps may be too much for you (at least to start). Well, two new studies have great info on the amount of time spent...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am considering a new supplement to help my bones. My recent DEXA scan shows osteopenia with a T-score of 1.1 in my lumbar spine. My hips have a T-score of -1.5, and my FRAX 10-year risk score for hip fracture is 3.4%. The supplement contains plant-based calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin K3, boron, selenium, and other ...Read more

Although it sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, a new study in Nature suggests that your brain can sense when someone with an infection comes into your vicinity (or a pathogen floats by in the air) and send messages to your immune system so it can create a defense against the disease before you are actually infected with it. Wow! The ...Read more

All water is fundamentally composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms -- two of the former, one of the latter. But you might think otherwise when perusing grocery store shelves where you can purchase alkaline water, electrolyte water, water with special enhancements and even water associated with being smart.

They all purport to offer specific ...Read more

Human activities like coal burning and gold mining can cause mercury pollution in the air, which eventually settles into water, where it is absorbed into the food chain, resulting in the risk of mercury poisoning in apex predators like bluefin tuna -- and people who eat tuna.

Mercury poisoning can cause birth defects, particularly ...Read more

As every oenophile knows, wines that convey hints of smoke or woodiness are generally the result of winemaking techniques, particularly oak aging. They are often appreciated.

But as wildfires become more frequent and intense in wine-growing regions, they don't just threaten the landscape, they change the nature of the grapes, which act like ...Read more

Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as full-fledged diabetes. It's estimated that one in three American adults has prediabetes. In the short term (three to five years), 25% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes. The lifetime risk is 50% to 70%. ...Read more