THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2022 Page 19 BEACON | FROM Page 14 trail will give particular attention to the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the women who have transformed Massachusetts.” The House approved the bill in the 2019-2020 session on September 18, 2020 and sent it to the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it died without further action and without a vote by the Senate. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of April 4-8, the House met for a total of 36 minutes and the Senate met for a total of fi ve hours and 46 minutes Mon. April 4 House 11:04 a.m. to 11:27 a.m. Senate 11:20 a.m. to 11:31 a.m. Tues. April 5 No House session No Senate session Wed. April 6 No House session No Senate session Thurs. April 7 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. Senate 11:16 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. Fri. April 8 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association 1. On April 15, 1947, who put on a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and broke the “color line” in Major League Baseball? 2. What is branded as the “happiest place on Earth”? 3. In the 1930’s at which prison did Al Capone spend most of his sentence for tax evasion? 4. On April 16, 1889, who was born who popularized a tramp character? 5. What was the fi rst fi lm entirely made with computer-generated imagery? 6. What children’s book’s fi rst chapter is called “The River Bank”? 7. On April 17, 2002, what hospital drama TV series aired its 10,000th episode? 8. Who scored more points in the NBA than LeBron James? 9. From 1900-1920, what sport involving pullers took place at the Summer Olympics? 10. On April 18, 1692, Bridget Bishop, Giles CoAnswers rey, Abigail Hobbs and Mary Warren were arrested on what charge? 11. What is sinology? 12. On April 19, 1775, what patriotic pair took a midnight horse ride? 13. Who has a Guinness World Record for most World Artistic Gymnastic Championships medals (25)? 14. The World Cup is being hosted by what country that has never participated in it before? 15. What was Janis Joplin’s only Top 40 hit? 16. On April 20, 1912, Bram Stoker died, who authored what 1897 novel based on Transylvanian history and folklore? 17. In what city was the po’boy sandwich invented? 18. What is known as highlife? 19. In what city would you fi nd the “La Brea Tar Pits”? 20. On April 21, 1676, Algonquins attacked Sudbury, Mass., during what war? A Common Heart Problem That’s Often Ignored Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about atrial fi brillation? Every so often, I’ve noticed my heart starts beating rapidly for no particular reason. Is this something I should be worried about? Anxious Annie Dear Annie, Heart palpitations can be harmless if they are brief and infrequent. But if you’re experiencing an erratic heart rhythm, you need to get checked out by a doctor for atrial fi brillation, or AFib. AFib – which is marked by rapid, fl uttering beats – can lead to serious complications such as stroke and heart failure, when the weakened heart can’t pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Normally, your heartbeat follows a steady rhythm as your heart contracts and relaxes. But when you have AFib, the upper chambers of your heart (atria) beat rapidly and irregularly, sending blood to the lower chambers (ventricles) less effi ciently. These episodes can last for minutes to hours or longer, and can cause palpitations, lightheadedness, fatigue, and/or shortness of breath. Over time, AFib tends to become chronic. Age is a common risk factor for AFib, which aff ects roughly 10 percent of people older than 75. Other factors include genetics, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and alcohol and tobacco use. The condition has also been linked to viral infections, including COVID-19. Diagnosing AFib If you’re experiencing AFiblike symptoms you need to see your doctor who will listen to your heart and likely recommend an electrocardiogram (EKG) or a treadmill heart test, or you may wear a portable monitor for several weeks to look for abnormal heart rhythms to confi rm a diagnosis of AFib. Such tests can help distinguish AFib from less serious conditions that may cause the heart to fl utter, like anxiety and stress. AFib aff ects some three million adults in the United States, a number that is expected to quadruple in the coming decade as the population ages and risk factors like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure become even more common. The lifetime risk of developing AFib is greater than 20 percent, yet many people don’t even know they have it. Treatment Options A growing body of research underscores the importance of lifestyle steps such as exercise, a healthy diet, and limiting alcohol for treating AFib. Depending on your age and symptoms, your doctor may prescribe drugs to help control your heart rate, like beta blockers such as metoprolol (Toprol XL); and/or rhythm, such as antiarrhythmics like flecainide (Tambocor). You may also need an electrical cardioversion, an outpatient procedure that delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm. You will be sedated for this brief procedure and not feel the shocks. Catheter ablation is another outpatient treatment for AFib that scars a small area of heart tissue that causes irregular heartbeats. This procedure is becoming more common based on evidence of its safety and ability to normalize the heart rhythm and ease symptoms. Ablations can be eff ective in people 75 and older, but medication may still be required afterward. If you’re at higher risk for stroke, you may be prescribed a blood thinner, too. In the past, Coumadin (warfarin) was the only such drug widely available, but it requires monitoring with regular blood tests. Newer anticoagulants, like apixaban (Eliquis) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto), don’t have that requirement and have been shown to be just as eff ective at preventing strokes. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 1. Jackie Robinson 2. Disneyland 3. Alcatraz 4. Charlie Chaplin 5. “Toy Story” 6. “The Wind in the Willows” 7. “General Hospital” 8. Kareem AbdulJabbar (38,387) 9. Tug-of-war 10. Witchcraft 11. The study of the Chinese 12. William Dawes and Paul Revere 13. Simone Biles 14. Qatar 15. “Me and Bobby McGee” 16. “Dracula” 17. New Orleans 18. West African jazz dance music 19. Los Angeles 20. King Philip’s War
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