An aortic tear is often a death sentence

Dear Dr. Roach: I wrote to you previously about my wife’s death from an aortic dissection. She was in the hospital for a urinary tract infection and was being examined by a resident doctor so she could be released within 12 hours. All of a sudden, she cried out because of a sharp pain in her back. Then she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. I would like to know what caused this. Was it medicine, old age or high blood pressure? I have lost a lot of sleep over this shock. She was 82.

Asthma meds tied to high blood pressure?

Dear Dr. Roach: I use Advair every day, two times a day, and I now have high blood pressure. I have heard there is a connection between the two.

Report: Kids need to be more active

Washington — Reading, writing, arithmetic — and PE?

Nearly all U.S. states see hefty drop in teen births

New York — The nation's record-low teen birth rate stems from robust declines in nearly every state, but most dramatically in several Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to a new government report.

Report: Nation’s kids need to get more physical

Reading, writing, ‘rithmetic — and PE? The prestigious Institute of Medicine is recommending that schools provide opportunities for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for students and that PE be designated a core subject.

Cirrhosis of the liver cannot be reversed

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you please explain why alcoholics get distended abdomens, and would the disorder reverse itself if someone quit drinking?

Groundbreaking procedure at U-M hospital saves baby's life

Kaiba Gionfriddo is a healthy toddler, thanks to a groundbreaking procedure at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. Doctors there used 3-D technology to create a bio-absorbable scaffold to hold Kaiba's bronchus open until it grows strong enough to stay open on its own.

Polish man, 33, has quick face transplant after injury

Warsaw, Poland — A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland’s first face transplant.

Measles surges in U.K. years after flawed vaccine research

London — More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of now discredited research that linked the vaccine to autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease.

New food map will tell us what we actually eat

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Do your kids love chocolate milk? It may have more calories on average than you thought. Same goes for soda.

Body's testosterone serves a legitimate need

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you help explain the preponderance of testosterone-enhancing drugs that I see advertised lately for

Lawmakers push state to make sure pet coke piles are safe

Two members of Michigan's congressional delegation are targeting the growing piles of petroleum coke along the Detroit River, calling on the state's environmental agency to enforce all applicable regulations against the company handling the material.

Balance meds with the quality of life

Dear Dr. Roach: Several years ago my husband received a stent for a 99 percent blockage. What had kept him alive was a network of collateral arteries, thanks to a lifelong high level of exercise. His cardiologist put him on Crestor, and he became an old man before his time — muscle cramps, muscle weakness to the point that he was unable to exercise and our sex life became nonexistent. Also, his mental functioning dropped off noticeably.

Thyroid scores concern senior

Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 64-year-old woman in fairly good health who takes no medications. Both my mother, 88, and my sister, 53, take medication for ...

Measles surges in UK years after vaccine scare

London — More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the ...

CMU OKs design spending for Saginaw medical campus

Saginaw — Central Michigan University trustees have approved an additional $350,000 for planning and design for the Saginaw campus of its new medical ...

New state law requires one form for authorization of medicine

Lansing — A new Michigan law calls for the creation of a universal form doctors can use when patients need prior authorization for coverage of ...

ARDS is a breathtaking illness that can be fatal

Dear Dr. Roach: My son-in-law, age 48, suffered for a week with what he thought was the flu. Then he started having trouble catching his breath. He went to the ...

St. Clair Shores nun confronting death inspires others to seize the day

Sister Carol Juhasz, 63, a pastoral associate at St. Joan of Arc in St. Clair Shores, was stricken with breast cancer and given six months to live in March. ...

Detroit Komen race fundraiser may benefit from Jolie’s story, good weather

Detroit — A promising weather forecast, a more favorable spot on the calendar and a revelation by actress Angelina Jolie all are contributing to what ...

Calcium supplements are not necessary for all women

Dear Dr. Roach: I have been taking 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium daily for a long time now — more than 12 years. I am 46.

Delusions are real for the sufferer

Dear Dr. Roach: I am writing on behalf of my mother. For the past 17 months she has been experiencing what she feels are parasites coming out of her skin. She ...

Preemies get a boost from live music therapy

Chicago — As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes. ...

Angelina Jolie's cancer testing may help millions of at-risk women

Angelina Jolie, named the highest-paid actress in Hollywood by Forbes in 2011, said she had a double mastectomy after learning she has a gene mutation linked ...

Even topical estrogen can cause side effects

Dear Dr. Roach: For the past five years I have been using vaginal estrogen. I was first given Estradiol Cream. I have always had very thick, curly hair. In ...

Tools tap power of smartphones for health monitoring

Washington — It’s not a “Star Trek” tricorder, but by hooking a variety of gadgets onto a smartphone you could almost get a complete physical — without the ...

U-M study: African-Americans need education on stroke response

African-Americans know the signs of stroke but more interventions are needed to get them to call 911 since they are unfamiliar with the need to get immediate ...

Women have new options for breast cancer surgery

Chicago — Treating breast cancer almost always involves surgery, and for years the choice was just having the lump or the whole breast removed. Now, new ...