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A mild decrease in kidney function causes concern in man

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a relatively healthy 54-year-old male. My daily medications are 20 mg of lisinopril, 20 mg of atorvastatin, and 145 mg of fenofibrate. I also take a 500-mg dose of naproxen on an as-needed basis for various aches and pains from military-service-related conditions. My naproxen intake varies anywhere from 0-4 doses per week. I exercise regularly and stay hydrated as well. Every six months, I see my primary care physician for a wellness check that includes a blood lipid panel. Over the past few visits, I noticed that my kidney function results indicated a “mild to ...

US‑Canada trade war deepens as Trump revives Depression‑era trade tool – what’s at stake for consumers and the midterms

Columns

The United States and Canada, historically close allies, are moving further into a full-blown trade war with no end in sight. On Aug. 25, 2026, Canada imposed tariffs of up to 50% on hundreds of U.S. goods after the U.S. placed similar, long-threatened levies on Canadian products. It followed the collapse of trade talks that had been inching towards a deal. The next day, U.S. President Donald Trump called Canada “one of the worst countries in the world to deal with.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney claimed Trump was trying to “destroy” his country’s auto industry. Only ...

Man gets diagnosed with extremely rare form of finger cancer

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: Do you know anything about aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma? My 39-year-old nephew was just diagnosed, and his parents are searching for answers. He’s getting scans to determine whether they should amputate his finger. As far as we know, it hasn’t metastasized. — A.M. ANSWER: No, I’d never heard of this condition. It’s extremely rare (1 in 10 million people). “Adenocarcinoma,” by definition, is cancer of the glandular tissue, and there isn’t really much glandular tissue in a finger. Cancer of any extremity is almost always of connective tissue ...

A message for men over 50

Columns

The diagnosis was not a surprise — well, yes it was, because like many men with a health issue we try to deny it, or delay treatment when everyone knows that “early detection” is critical to a cure. My PSA (prostate-specific antigen) had been slowly creeping upward for the last two years. When it reached 9.0 along with a Gleason score of 9, my doctor said it was time to do something about it. This meant a prostate biopsy. It came back positive for a cancerous tumor pressing against my rectal wall. Two options were explained to me — a complete removal of the gland, or radiation ...

Arthurdale’s New Deal experiment, and the debate over socialism

Columns

ARTHURDALE, West Virginia — The road into this quiet Preston County community gives little warning that it was once the setting for one of the New Deal’s most ambitious, and most debated, experiments. Ninety-three years ago, Arthurdale became the first experimental community established under the federal subsistence-homesteads program, an effort to help impoverished families move from unstable industrial areas into planned rural communities. The idea was that residents could combine wage work with gardens, livestock and small-scale home production. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt ...

Dear Annie: No place for mom guilt in a partnership

Columns

Dear Annie: I have a 9-year-old son from a previous relationship and a 3-year-old daughter with my current partner. He is a wonderful, involved father and partner. He makes lunches, does laundry, cleans up after dinner, helps with bedtime and will often notice something needs to be done before I even ask. The strange part is that instead of simply appreciating the help, I sometimes feel guilty about it. I grew up in a home where my mother did almost everything. My father worked hard, but housework and taking care of the children were considered her responsibility. Somewhere along the ...