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3 scores used for testing bone mass

Lifestyles

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a woman of 54 with somewhat limited mobility due to back pain. Perhaps for this reason, my primary care physician ordered a DEXA scan in 2023 and again in 2026. I was alarmed when the recent scan showed osteopenia in five of the six areas that were tested. I thought the 2023 scan was normal, but when I revisited it, I saw that I had osteopenia then as well. But in the 2023 report, they had only looked for a Z-score of less than -2 as an indicator of a problem, whereas in 2026 they used the T-score. Had I realized that I had osteopenia three years ago, I’d have ...

Hummingbird secrets

Lifestyles

Most of us know of the ruby-throated hummingbird, a common visitor that weighs between 3 and 5 grams, less than a nickel. Behind that dazzling beauty, however, lies a solitary and aggressive territorial warrior. How does such a tiny bird survive the extreme demands of high-speed ...

Get started with vermicomposting — worms, that is

Lifestyles

ave you ever thought of creating a nutrient-rich soil using…worms? Vermicomposting (vermin is the Latin word for worm) is the end product of the natural breakdown of vegetable or fruit waste by worms, leaving behind worm castings or worm manure. The species most used is the red wiggler worm (Eisenia foetida), a smaller (about 1 to 4 inches in length), thinner and, of course, much cuter worm than we commonly see in our gardens. Composting worms are available online from mail-order suppliers. It is best to purchase them during warm months, as these red wiggler worms do not cope well in ...

Valley Grows Calendar

Lifestyles

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...

Anniversary: McCarthy 50th

Society

Jerry and Kay McCarthy recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple was married on July 17, 1976, at Holy Trinity Church in Struthers. Their daughters, Colleen Speer, Carrie McCarthy, Christine Saltsman and Molly Finke, hosted a private family dinner at The Chophouse in ...