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Providing insight into heart rate variability and its significance

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: My heart rate variability (HRV) on my heart rate tracker has ranged from 12-14 ms for years now. I read that this means something is going on inside me. Do you have any insight into HRV? I’m a 64-year-old male who is in decent health. My Lipoprotein(a) level is 224 mg/dL, but my other heart tests are OK. I play pickleball often, walk a lot, and go to the gym once a week. My heart rate is in the 40s when I’m sleeping and in the 50s when I’m resting. I’m 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weigh 170 pounds. — J.N.J. ANSWER: HRV is a measurement of how steady the heart ...

The art of taxing fairly is messy

Columns

“The rich should pay their fair share of taxes.” Who can argue with that? But then we must decide who is rich and what is meant by fair. Neither political party has distinguished itself in making such distinctions. But Republicans play an especially outrageous game in portraying the Internal Revenue Service as the working stiff’s enemy. For salaried workers, taxes come straight out of paychecks, meaning most are already paying what they owe. Owners of small businesses have more deductions at their disposal, but the neighborhood bakery that tries to follow the rules doesn’t ...

Dear Annie: A big birthday with an even bigger price tag

Columns

Dear Annie: My younger sister is turning 30 and has planned a birthday dinner at a trendy rooftop restaurant where the tasting menu is $165 per person — not including drinks, tax or tip. She also wants us to split the cost of a professional photographer “to capture the moment for all of us.” I want to celebrate, and the dinner does sound fun. But I just had to replace my transmission and pay an almost $2,000 dental bill. I’m in penny-pinching mode, and I think a home-cooked dinner or a less-trendy restaurant would be just as fun. I told my sister I might skip the dinner and ...

If the filibuster falls, Trump would be eerily close to getting his wish — King powers

Columns

The Republicans’ greatest allies are the Democrats. They make error after error and repeat their errors. They say a dog goes back to its poop. Well, maybe that would explain it. In the spirit of March Madness basketball, the Democrats will jump for the “head fake” and simply go the wrong way, every time. It is sad to see. For example, the Save America Act is a tool in President Donald Trump’s toolbox. He is using this bill to get rid of the Senate filibuster. He has even stated that he would sign no other bills until this bill has been signed into law. That is an ...

Cosmetic results of surgery for a fatty tumor can vary greatly

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with a large fatty tumor on my left thigh. It’s very ugly. What can I do to get rid of it? — V.O.P. ANSWER: Lipomas are common fatty tumors that may occur on the trunk or the limbs. The vast majority are benign, but very large tumors can possibly be liposarcomas. So, an ultrasound or MRI prior to treatment should be considered. Surgery is the standard treatment. I’ve had patients in whom surgery was done very easily and took very little time, while others have had much more extensive surgeries when the tumor is deep and not ...

Dear Annie: Our marriage is great, but our love has gone quiet

Columns

Dear Annie: I have been married for 22 years to a good man. He is faithful, hardworking and, by most people’s standards, a wonderful husband. He has never given me any reason to doubt his loyalty, and he has always taken his responsibilities seriously. From the outside, we look like a solid, dependable couple. We raised our children together, built a home, paid the bills and showed up for the holidays, the school concerts and all the ordinary moments that make up a life. But somewhere along the way, I seem to have disappeared. My husband still remembers to ask if the car needs gas ...