Life

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Man, 76, scared over high CAC score

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 76-year-old Caucasian male who’s in excellent health. (Or so I thought.) Recently, my cardiologist suggested a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test, and my score was a frightening 1,241! I’m now extremely concerned about my heart health. I’ve been extremely active all my life, and I routinely work out — about 10 hours per week. My resting heart rate is about 50 bpm, and my blood pressure has long been about 110/70 mm Hg. Once or twice a week, I’ll raise my heart rate to a measured 162 bpm during a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout and feel ...

Music evolves and piano stays the same for Simpson

In some ways, Brian Simpson is a creature of habit. The jazz pianist, who headlines Saturday’s Youngstown Jazz & Wine event at Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, released his first album, “Closer Still,” in 1995. He recently finished his 13th, which doesn’t have a release date yet. ...

‘American Soldier’ play comes to Salem High School

The play “The American Soldier” will be staged for one performance on Saturday at Salem High School. This production tells the story of the American soldier through 14 characters based on real people, actual letters and true experiences spanning from the American Revolution to present day. The play captures the discipline, teamwork and brotherhood of military service while also examining the internal struggles soldiers face when returning home. Audiences meet a Revolutionary War soldier freezing at Valley Forge, a WWII veteran haunted by Iwo Jima, a grieving Vietnam-era ...

To Your Good Health: Aggressive treatment for Crohn’s

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 57-year-old man, and I’ve had Crohn’s disease since I was a child. For the past 18 years, I’ve managed it quite successfully with 6-MP, budesonide and Xifaxan. For the past five years in particular, I’ve been in perfect health. My C-reactive protein (CRP) test was under 5 mg/dL, and my colonoscopy from about four years ago was pristine. Just recently, I had a colonoscopy that showed significant inflammation, and my blood work is showing it, too, with a CRP of 19.5 mg/dL. My doctor recommends an aggressive treatment with Skyrizi. I don’t want to take ...

Thursday evening TV

Bridge by Steve Becker

Locating a missing key card by counting the opponents’ cards as they are played is one of the most satisfying experiences at the bridge table. But for many players, satisfaction can change to frustration when they find themselves unable to remember every card played. Players who experience ...