Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 66-year-old woman who recently had an ECG prior to my knee surgery. The interpretation I received stated that I had an abnormal ECG with a “left anterior fascicular block.” Needless to say, this alarmed me. I saw a nurse practitioner who stated: “Don’t be concerned by the language; your doctor viewed the ECG and said it was fine.” Your thoughts, please? -- M.M.
Q: Since I turned 50, I’ve been gaining weight and don’t seem to be able to stop the slow decline I’m feeling. What’s the secret to avoiding adding more weight and getting rid of what’s accumulated? -- Haley T., Greensboro, North Carolina A: You’ve asked a question that concerns many women your age. According to a new study on “Preventing Obesity in Midlife Women,” from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative, women gain weight at an average of 1.5 pounds per year during midlife-putting on 30 pounds between the ages of 40 and 60. The research found that 43% of women that age were obese in 2017!
Dear Amy: I have a very close friend who is 30 years older than I am. We two men have known each other for years.
Dear Amy: My daughter and son-in-law recently welcomed our first grandchild. Both the other grandma and I have shared part-time babysitting to help the parents with their work schedules.
Dear Dr. Roach: I have osteoporosis. My mother had it very badly, so I was screened and treated early. I’ve had a five-year-long Reclast prescription, and I worry about my chance of a femur fracture. My T-score for my hip is -3.4 and has worsened despite the Reclast. Prolia scares the heck out of me. I just wonder if you know anything about Evenity. My endocrinologist has only one or two other patients who are on this drug. I’m really struggling with deciding which course of action to take. -R.C.
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Q: Is it safe to get an antiviral COVID-19 medication prescribed by my pharmacist? Seems a bit dicey. -- Alan R., Topeka, Kansas There are around 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S. They provide customers with many of the 4 billion prescriptions from doctors that are filled annually in this country. But now, pharmacists can prescribe and fill a prescription for the COVID-19 antiviral medication Paxlovid. That way, if you are at high-risk for severe COVID-19, you can get treatment pronto. The antiviral needs to be taken within five days of your first symptoms and is approved for adults and kids age 12 and older.
DEAR DR. ROACH: What causes a sudden feeling of being nervous and having your chest beat hard and restless? One time, I ran to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack, but all test results came back normal, including my electrocardiogram, hormone level, potassium, complete blood count, cholesterol, uric acid, liver, blood pressure and pulse rate tests.
Dear Amy: I lost my wife to cancer over 10 years ago. I was devastated.
DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I recently achieved the near impossible task of becoming attached to a family doctor! After many years without getting tested, our first order of business was a complete blood panel test, which -- to our horror -- showed that we both have high cholesterol. Our results are almost identical with high HDL, normal LDL, good ratios and low triglycerides, but our total cholesterol is flagged as high.