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Benign breast mass should not increase breast cancer risk

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had my first mammogram and was found to have a lesion. The mammographer said that I should follow up in six months with another mammogram and sonogram, but I have a grandmother who died of breast cancer. So, instead of waiting, I underwent a biopsy that showed a ...

Ketones not necessary to benefit from fasting

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 50-year-old overweight woman (5 feet, 6 inches tall at 240 pounds). So far, I am not diabetic, but my A1C has been creeping upward. In an effort to control my weight and reap the benefits of fasting, I have been engaging in 36-hour fasts. Although I have lost about 1 ...

What’s known about Parsonage-Turner syndrome

DEAR DR. ROACH: What is known about Parsonage-Turner syndrome? One of my brothers has severe shoulder pain. He had an MRI done and was told that it may be Parsonage-Turner syndrome. Can this be related to COVID? He has been recommended to a neurologist, but they probably won’t be able to ...

Discussing sinus node dysfunction and treatment

DEAR DR. ROACH: At age 76, I was diagnosed with sinus node dysfunction last year after several episodes of what I’d call being “spaced out” (for lack of a better term). I couldn’t explain these instances to myself, much less anyone else lest they think I was crazy, until I had one ...

Narrative medicine — the art of listening to patients

When it comes to providing exceptional care, health care providers are constantly looking for ways to better connect with their patients. That was a lesson Dr. Amanda Bruemmer learned early in her career. Bruemmer was an English major in college who loved creative writing. But she knew she ...

Low-dose lithium for dementia is not yet supported by evidence

DEAR DR. ROACH: Would it be risky to take a low dose (20 mg) of over-the-counter lithium orotate to treat cognitive decline? The recent study in the journal Nature recommended waiting for further studies to look at the benefits and risks of taking this compound. Given the promising findings in ...