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Dear Amy: I recently found out that my husband of seven years has been using high-interest credit cards in his own name to buy expensive luxury items (wine, watches, clothing, etc.). The total bill of this debt is $20,000.

Q: I’ve heard that there are some breathing exercises that can help me control my anxiety. How does that work exactly? -- Olivia F., Richmond, Virginia A: That’s a great question! There are a couple of new studies out that show how powerfully breathing affects brain function, including mood and emotions. One published in Psychological Review found that brain rhythms are closely tied to the rhythm of your breathing and how you breathe affects emotions, attention, and how you process the outside world. The researchers also observed that you are more sensitive to the outside world when you breathe in deeply and you tune out the outside world when exhaling.

DEAR DR. ROACH: My friend lost hearing in one of her ears af ter a vertigo and dizziness spell a few months ago, when she also noted tinnitus. Her hearing issues have not resolved, unfortunately. Given some anecdotal reports of issues like this happening after receiving a COVID vaccine, she is wondering whether to get the new booster or not. She wants to, but losing hearing in her other ear would be devastating. Her doctors haven’t had real answers. Any thoughts on the issue or on who to contact for a more educated answer? -- K.L.R.

Dear Amy: I dated “C” for only a month in 2020. It was obviously not long term.

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DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 64. I started taking statins to lower my cholesterol about two years ago. My cholesterol level sometimes went over 200, and after seesawing results, my doctor advised that I was unable to maintain a low cholesterol by diet alone and prescribed a statin. I took 10 mg of atorvastatin. I noticed I started having very detailed and vivid nightmares. (I would rather be awake than be in these nightmares.) The doctor changed me to 5 mg of rosuvastatin. The doctor says my results are very good (cholesterol is 140). I am still having nightmares, but not as frequent as before. I also am having memory issues (e.g., could not remember the names of close colleagues from only two years ago). I recently saw an article that suggested there may be a link between dementia and use of statins.

Q: Will eating a plantbased diet do anything for my prostate or my sexual health? -- Jay S., San Francisco A: We know that a plantbased diet (which avoids highly processed carbs and added sugars and syrups) is great for your cardiovascular system, brain and immune health. All of that contributes to resistance to infection and helps prevent inflammation, heart disease, cancers, erectile dysfunction and more. But until this year’s meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, no one had done a review of published research to see what it might do for men’s prostate and sexual health.

Dear Amy: I have three children in their 30s. My oldest son (no.