Registry push could ease patients' hunt for drug studies

WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists are conducting thousands of medical experiments that can offer tantalizing hope to the ill, but tracking them down and getting enrolled can be incredibly difficult....More

Sandwich generation, already under financial, personal strain, likely to grow

TORONTO (CP) - Canadians providing care for aging parents while raising children - the so-called sandwich generation - are meeting those challenges through sacrifice to their careers, social lives and overall health, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday....More

Northern Mexican state recruits cat army to combat rat hordes

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) - Health authorities in the northern state of Chihuahua said Tuesday they are recruiting hundreds of cats to fight hundreds of thousands of rats....More

Canada must close gaps in its food safety net: Michael McCain

EDMONTON (CP) - Canada should be divided into regional zones to contain the fallout from animal diseases such as mad cow and avian flu, says the chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods....More

FDA seizes prescription drugs shipped by Canadian company from Bahamas

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government said Tuesday intercepted prescription drugs sent by a Canadian company from the Bahamas had been subject to Canadian recall and had cheaper generic counterparts in the United States. The U.S....More

Regulations will ensure elementary schools get rid of junk food: Kennedy

TORONTO (CP) - Education Minister Gerard Kennedy says he will ban junk food from vending machines in the province's elementary schools because not all school boards are doing it voluntarily....More

Canadian study to look at long-term effects of abuse on women's health

LONDON, Ont. (CP) - Canadian researchers are recruiting women who have left abusive relationships to study the impact that partner violence has had on their long-term mental and physical health....More

FDA seizes prescription drugs shipped by Canadian company from Bahamas

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government said Tuesday that intercepted prescription drugs sent by a Canadian company from the Bahamas had been subject to Canadian recall and had cheaper generic counterparts in the United States. The U.S....More

Striking N.B. hospital workers protest at meeting of Atlantic premiers

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Hundreds of striking hospital workers demonstrated outside a Moncton hotel where Premier Bernard Lord and his Atlantic counterparts were meeting Tuesday....More

Thailand confirms 10th bird flu death; possible human-to-human infection

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thailand confirmed its 10th death from bird flu on Tuesday and said the woman may have contracted the virus from her daughter, raising the alarming possibility of human-to-human transmission of the disease. Pranee Thongchan, 26, died Sept....More

Storm stress mounts; experts see rising suicides and violence

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - It's not just roofs that have come apart and walls that are falling down. After four hurricanes in six weeks, many people in Florida are suffering emotional breakdowns....More

Registry push could ease patients' hunt for drug studies

WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists are conducting thousands of medical experiments that can offer tantalizing hope to the ill, but tracking them down and getting enrolled can be incredibly difficult....More

Sandwich generation, already under financial, personal strain, likely to grow

TORONTO (CP) - Canadians providing care for aging parents while raising children - the so-called sandwich generation - are meeting those challenges through sacrifice to their careers, social lives and overall health, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday....More

Northern Mexican state recruits cat army to combat rat hordes

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) - Health authorities in the northern state of Chihuahua said Tuesday they are recruiting hundreds of cats to fight hundreds of thousands of rats....More

FDA seizes prescription drugs shipped by Canadian company from Bahamas

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government said Tuesday intercepted prescription drugs sent by a Canadian company from the Bahamas had been subject to Canadian recall and had cheaper generic counterparts in the United States. The U.S....More

Canada must close gaps in its food safety net: Michael McCain

EDMONTON (CP) - Canada should be divided into regional zones to contain the fallout from animal diseases such as mad cow and avian flu, says the chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods....More

Some patient studies show bias, could affect patient treatment: study

TORONTO (CP) - Patients could be prescribed expensive but ineffective drugs or possibly even harmed because of biased or incomplete reporting of some research in medical journals, a study suggests....More

Merck partnering with tiny Nastech on nasal spray obesity drug

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Could squirting a little medicine up the nose before mealtime be the Holy Grail for people trying to people shed pounds? Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co....More

HIV/AIDS infection surges in northern Uganda because of civil war

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - The rate of HIV/AIDS infection in northern Uganda is nearly double that in the rest of the country because of devastation caused by 18 years of civil war, an international aid group said Monday....More

Federal health minister discounts premiers' future funding concerns

CALGARY (CP) - Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh discounted suggestions from some provincial premiers that the recent 10-year deal on health care won't be enough....More

Life expectancy for Canadian men rising, closing gap with women

OTTAWA (CP) - A Canadian boy born in 2002 could expect to live to 77.2 years of age, a record high, Statistics Canada reported Monday. The agency said life expectancy at birth for Canadian males rose 0.2 years, about two and a half months, from 2001....More

Thailand confirms 10th bird flu death; possible human-to-human infection

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thailand confirmed its 10th death from bird flu on Tuesday and said the woman may have contracted the virus from her daughter, raising the alarming possibility of human-to-human transmission of the disease. Pranee Thongchan, 26, died Sept....More

Another study finds Vancouver's safe injection site a success

VANCOUVER (CP) - Another study has found North America's only safe injection site can be considered a qualified success after a year of operation....More

Cancer, circulatory disease main causes of death for Canadians

OTTAWA (CP) - Cancer and diseases of the circulatory system remain the biggest killers in Canada, although diabetes deaths are rising, Statistics Canada reported Monday....More

Alberta regulators look at crackdown on cosmetic surgery advertising

EDMONTON (CP) - Physicians who offer discounts and other incentives to sell cosmetic surgery procedures face a crackdown in Alberta. In the U.S....More

CFIA issues allergy alert for XLC DRINK ME! Orange Cream Cocktail

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Watermark Beverages Inc. are warning people with allergies to milk protein not to consume X.24.7 XLC DRINK ME! Orange Cream Cocktail. The affected product may contain milk protein which is not declared on the labels....More

Unable to get Western medicines, African patients with HIV seek out herbal remedies

NAROK, Kenya (AP) - Jonathan Mwanza was once a powerful man in this rural town - a county councillor and lifetime member of Kenya's former ruling party. His hefty build spoke of wealth and authority. That was before he contracted HIV....More

N.B. hospital workers plan to take strike to premier's riding on first day

FREDERICTON (CP) - New Brunswick hospital workers are adopting an in-your-face strategy in their fight for higher wages by saying they will begin their strike Monday in Premier Bernard Lord's Moncton riding....More

Research shows there's more to women's health than female anatomy

CHICAGO (AP) - Beyond the tired cliches and sperm-and-egg basics taught in grade school science class, researchers are discovering that men and women are even more different than anyone realized....More

Thailand confirms woman has bird flu; 2nd case in latest outbreak

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thailand announced Monday that a 32-year-old woman is suffering from bird flu, the second confirmed human case of the disease since the country's latest outbreak started in July....More

Katharina Dalton, who published pioneering studies on PMS, dies at 87

LONDON (AP) - Dr. Katharina Dalton, a gynecologist who did pioneering research on premenstrual syndrome and was said to have coined the term, has died. She was 87. Dalton died Sept. 17 in Poole, Dorset, her family said. The family did not specify the cause of death....More

Manitoba and New Brunswick smokers brace for provincewide bans

HEADINGLEY, Man. (CP) - For much of the last year, Jonathon Barkley has fled Winnipeg's municipal smoking bylaw by driving a few minutes west to a bar in Headingley to enjoy a cigarette with his lunch....More

Alberta regulators look at crackdown on cosmetic surgery advertising

EDMONTON (CP) - Physicians who offer discounts and other incentives to sell cosmetic surgery procedures face a crackdown in Alberta. In the U.S., the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery has led to aggressive marketing by some doctors - like the clinic that offers a $5,000 cash draw to entice people to go under the knife. ...More

U.S. NIH proposes yearlong moratorium on drug company collaborations

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. National Institutes of Health wants to ban all its scientists from doing any consulting work with drug companies for a year, a surprise move as the agency struggles to prevent conflicts of interest. ...More

Food poisoning sickens 48 students at school in southeastern China

BEIJING (AP) - An outbreak of food poisoning at a school in southeastern China sickened 48 students, and 15 of them were hospitalized, a news report said Friday. ...More

PM names Saskatchewan expert to head new public health agency in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG (CP) - When Canada is hit with its next outbreak of SARS, avian flu or an as-yet-unforeseen illness, it will be up to the new chief public health officer to co-ordinate a national response from a command-and-control centre in Winnipeg. ...More

Ontario to open nine new MRI sites, buy back more private testing facilities

OTTAWA (CP) - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty burnished his credentials as a guardian of medicare Friday, announcing nine new or expanded MRI clinics, while pursuing plans to bring for-profit MRIs into the public fold. ...More

Prime minister set to announce head of new public health agency

WINNIPEG (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin made his first visit to Manitoba since the federal election Thursday with a promise to name the head of the new Public Health Agency of Canada. ...More

Health minister vows to stop private US medical corporations at the border

TORONTO (CP) - A U.S. company that charges up to $200 for medical tests covered by medicare should understand "they're not welcome here," Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman said Thursday. ...More

Safe injection site visited by 600 users daily "exceeding expectations:" report

VANCOUVER (CP) - Operators of North America's first safe injection site for intravenous drug users are claiming success, saying the site has "saved lives and improved lives." ...More

Alberta regulators crack down on cosmetic surgery advertising

EDMONTON (CP) - Physicians who offer discounts and other incentives to sell cosmetic surgery procedures face a crackdown in Alberta. ...More

N.B. premier intervenes personally to try and head off looming strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - Premier Bernard Lord will intervene personally to try and head off a looming strike in New Brunswick hospitals that could mushroom into a general strike. ...More

N.B. premier intervenes personally to try to head off looming strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - Premier Bernard Lord decided Friday night to intervene personally to try to avert a looming strike by 6,500 New Brunswick hospital workers. ...More

Prime minister set to announce head of new public health agency

WINNIPEG (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin made his first visit to Manitoba since the federal election Thursday with a promise to name the head of the new Public Health Agency of Canada....More

Safe injection site visited by 600 users daily "exceeding expectations:" report

VANCOUVER (CP) - Operators of North America's first safe injection site for intravenous drug users are claiming success, saying the site has "saved lives and improved lives....More

Health minister vows to stop private US medical corporations at the border

TORONTO (CP) - A U.S. company that charges up to $200 for medical tests covered by medicare should understand "they're not welcome here," Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman said Thursday....More

New study first to demonstrate cancer-sniffing ability of dogs

LONDON (AP) - It has long been suspected that man's best friend has a special ability to sense when something is wrong with us. Now the first experiment to verify that scientifically has demonstrated that dogs are able to smell cancer....More

Former FDA chief says industry controlled nicotine levels in cigarettes

WASHINGTON (AP) - The former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration testified Thursday that cigarette makers manipulated nicotine to keep smokers addicted, a central allegation in the U.S. government's $280-billion lawsuit against the industry....More

Food poisoning sickens 48 students at school in southeastern China

BEIJING (AP) - An outbreak of food poisoning at a school in southeastern China sickened 48 students, and 15 of them were hospitalized, a news report said Friday....More

Epidemiologist says FDA pressured him to soften report on antidepressants

WASHINGTON (AP) - A government epidemiologist said Thursday that his bosses asked him to soften his recommendation that antidepressant use by children be discouraged because of increased suicidal behaviour among young people who took the drugs....More

Florida's high court strikes down law to keep brain-damaged woman alive

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a law that was rushed through the legislature last fall to keep a severely brain-damaged woman hooked up to a feeding tube against her husband's wishes....More

Vancouver-based ID Biomedical gets NIH grant to develop plague vaccine

BOTHELL, Wash. (AP) - Vaccine developer ID Biomedical Corp. said Tuesday that it received a U.S. National Institutes of Health grant worth up to $8 million US to develop a nasally delivered vaccine against the plague, using the company's Proteosome technology. ...More

Federal health minister meets with Labrador Innu over suicides

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh says he will do whatever it takes to help the Innu of Labrador and other aboriginal communities deal with health and social problems plaguing some of them. ...More

Internet pharmacy founder says streamlining is sign of the times for industry

WINNIPEG (CP) - Tough times in the Internet pharmacy industry have prompted one of its biggest players to streamline Canadian operations by moving about 30 high-paying jobs to Calgary from Winnipeg. ...More

U.S. government to buy 2 million doses of experimental avian flu vaccine

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government plans to buy two million doses of an experimental vaccine against avian flu to stockpile in case the virus one day sparks a large outbreak in people. ...More

N.B. government and hospital workers agree to resume talks to avoid strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - The New Brunswick government and the union representing 6,500 hospital workers will return to the bargaining table Wednesday in an effort to avoid a strike. ...More

Calgary homeowners form rat pack after rodents dumped in neighbourhood

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta's fabled rat patrol has been getting a hand from shovel-wielding homeowners after dozens of rodents were dumped in a Calgary neighbourhood, threatening the province's rat-free status. ...More

Walking might keep the mind sharp, ward off Alzheimer's disease

CHICAGO (AP) - Walking regularly at age 70 and beyond can help keep the mind sharp and ward off Alzheimer's disease, according to research suggesting that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain. ...More

Strategy needed to stop soaring arthritis cases from crippling system: study

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's health-care system could be debilitated by a predicted explosion in arthritis cases over the next 20 years unless steps are taken to bolster access to joint-replacement surgery and other treatments, a report profiling the disease in Ontario suggests. ...More

Federal rules on low-carb labelling could knock new products off shelves

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government is putting Canadian food producers on a strict carbohydrate labelling diet that could knock a number of new product lines off grocery store shelves next year. ...More

Treating kids with mild croup worthwhile, even for better sleep: study

TORONTO (CP) - Even children with mild croup can benefit from standard steroid treatment, say Canadian researchers, who found a single dose will quell the disorder's tell-tale barky cough so both kids and parents can relax and get some sleep. Lead researcher Dr....More

Internet pharmacy founder says streamlining is sign of the times for industry

WINNIPEG (CP) - Tough times in the Internet pharmacy industry have prompted one of its biggest players to streamline Canadian operations by moving about 30 high-paying jobs to Calgary from Winnipeg. Daren Jorgenson says he's confident the move will help Canadameds....More

Half-ton man on 1,200-calorie-a-day diet seeks gastric surgery

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Patrick Deuel is on a diet. He's down to about 700 pounds now. He hopes to lose 400 more. When he entered the hospital in Sioux Falls, he weighed more than half a ton - a disaster Deuel blames on bad genes and his early years in the restaurant business....More

Canada missing a beat when it comes to much-needed heart donations

TORONTO (CP) - More heart-transplant patients are surviving longer than 10 years ago, but a shortfall in the number of donor organs means Canadians continue to die while awaiting a new heart, a report released Wednesday shows....More

Atkins takes aim at Health Canada's low-carb labelling stand

OTTAWA (CP) - A hardline government stand on carbohydrate claims for new Canadian food labels has prompted a sharp retort from the purveyors of the Atkins low-carb diet....More

Advances in genetic testing challenge doctor-patient confidentiality

CHICAGO (AP) - After one of Dr. Kenneth Offit's patients died from a genetic form of breast cancer, Offit felt obliged to warn the woman's college-age daughter that she, too, might be at risk. He could not find the young woman....More

N.B. government and hospital workers agree to resume talks to avoid strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - The New Brunswick government and the union representing 6,500 hospital workers will return to the bargaining table Wednesday in an effort to avoid a strike....More

Internet pharmacy founder says streamlining is sign of the times for industry

WINNIPEG (CP) - Tough times in the Internet pharmacy industry have prompted one of its biggest players to streamline Canadian operations by moving about 30 high-paying jobs to Calgary from Winnipeg. Daren Jorgenson says he's confident the move will help Canadadrugs....More

Federal rules on low-carb labelling could knock new products off shelves

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government is putting Canadian food producers on a strict carbohydrate labelling diet that could knock a number of new product lines off grocery store shelves next year....More

Federal health minister meets with Labrador Innu over suicides

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh says he will do whatever it takes to help the Innu of Labrador and other aboriginal communities deal with health and social problems plaguing some of them....More

EPA warns Americans about danger of drinking water on planes

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly one of every eight passenger airliners tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency carried drinking water that fails agency standards because it contains coliform bacteria, the agency said....More

Calgary homeowners form rat pack after rodents dumped in neighbourhood

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta's fabled rat patrol has been getting a hand from shovel-wielding homeowners after dozens of rodents were dumped in a Calgary neighbourhood, threatening the province's rat-free status....More

Avian flu detected at farm near Cambodian capital

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - A farm near the Cambodian capital was closed after about 2,300 chickens died of Avian flu - apparently the first cases of the disease in the country following an epidemic in Asia earlier this year....More

Half-ton man on 1,200-calorie-a-day diet seeks gastric surgery

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Patrick Deuel is on a diet. He's down to about 700 pounds now. He hopes to lose 400 more. When he entered the hospital in Sioux Falls, he weighed more than half a ton - a disaster Deuel blames on bad genes and his early years in the restaurant business....More

Former tech executive launches company to freeze women's eggs

NEW YORK (AP) - Christy Jones says her idea for a business to freeze women's eggs came when her own biological clock alarm rang at age 32. It was 2002, and two of her close friends were having trouble getting pregnant....More

HIV/AIDS fuelling massive tuberculosis crisis in the world, UN says

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - The spread of HIV/AIDS is fuelling a massive tuberculosis crisis that could see one billion people infected in the next two decades, the UN warned Monday....More

24th annual Terry Fox Run attracts hundreds of thousands of Canadians

(CP) - Hundreds of thousands of Canadians took to the streets Sunday to raise money for cancer research in what appeared to be a record-breaking year for The Terry Fox Run....More

Chinese Red Cross: Most city dwellers suffer from poor health

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Up to 75 per cent of all urban Chinese suffer from ill health, and life expectancies are declining for skilled and educated workers, according to a study by the Chinese Red Cross....More

Many Swedes feel that fatigue is a valid reason for skipping work

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - In a country already plagued by soaring sick leave costs, a new survey has found that 40 per cent of the population thinks it's acceptable to skip work because they feel tired or have trouble getting along with their colleagues....More

Canadian Food Inspection Agency issues alert for Mo'Steak Veggie Steak

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Momo's Veggie Kitchen Limited are warning people with allergies to wheat not to consume MVK "Gluten Free" Mo'Steak Veggie Steak. The affected product may contain wheat which is not declared on the label....More

Despite focus on obesity, some are actually trying to gain weight

(AP) - With increasing rates of obesity among North Americans putting the focus on weight loss, scant attention is paid to the other side of the scale - underweight people who are trying to put on pounds. Being underweight is not a common problem....More

Former tech executive launches company to freeze women's eggs

NEW YORK (AP) - Christy Jones says her idea for a business to freeze women's eggs came when her own biological clock alarm rang at age 32. It was 2002, and two of her close friends were having trouble getting pregnant....More

Afraid that cancer will return, doctors treat 'cure' like a four-letter word

(AP) - There wasn't any doubt six years ago that Doug Jensen had cancer. The Oregon engineer's blood was clogged with the immature cells that are sure signs of leukemia. Treatment with a new wonder drug, Gleevec, made them completely disappear....More

PacifiCare to acquire American Medical Security Group for over US$530M

CYPRESS, Calif. (AP) - PacifiCare Health Systems said Wednesday it will acquire American Medical Security Group for more than $530 million US in cash and assumed debt, company officials said. ...More

Ottawa health summit still looking for a cure for the ailing patient - medicare

OTTAWA (CP) - The first ministers health summit headed into its final day Wednesday with the premiers and the prime minister still looking for a cure for the ailing patient - medicare. ...More

World has made progress on sexual health, but money still needed: UN report

LONDON (AP) - Progress toward boosting the status of women and providing reproductive health care to all has been steady over the past decade, but billions more dollars are needed to reach goals set 10 years ago, the United Nations said Wednesday. ...More

Dogs exposed to Sept. 11 terrorist sites had few health effects, study finds

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Search-and-rescue dogs deployed after the 9-11 terrorist attacks suffered cuts and scrapes but no serious short-term effects from exposure to the disaster sites, according to research by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. ...More

Quebec towns hit by Ottawa after waste water treatment questioned

QUEBEC (CP) - Thirty-three Quebec municipalities have been threatened with lawsuits by the federal Environment Department for not conforming with federal regulations in their handling of waste water. ...More

Ottawa rejects premiers' demand for $36.5 billion in new health cash

OTTAWA (CP) - First the premiers snubbed Paul Martin's breakfast invitation. Then the prime minister reacted in kind to their demand for $36.5 billion in new health-care funding. ...More

Romanow says a health deal without accountability would be a huge mistake

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government will be making a huge mistake if it gives the provinces more money for health without attaching conditions to ensure it is spent to reform the system, says Roy Romanow. ...More

Beer has same benefits as red wine, study finds; moderation advised

TORONTO (CP) - There's good news for beer drinkers: turns out the stuff is good for you - in moderation, according to a new study. ...More

Premiers counter proposal: demand $5 billion a year in new health cash

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's premiers have presented a counter-proposal that asks Prime Minister Paul Martin to shell out $5.3 billion a year in new health-care money. ...More

MRIs double rates of breast cancer detection, ultrasounds less useful: study

TORONTO (CP) - MRI scans detect breast cancer at twice the rate of traditional screening procedures, says a Canadian-led study that suggests only the most at-risk women consider the costly procedure because of its tremendous false positive rate. ...More

Premiers prepare counter-proposal after cancelling breakfast with PM

OTTAWA (CP) - The premiers and territorial leaders cancelled a breakfast meeting Tuesday with the prime minister and used the time to draft a new proposal to fund medicare. ...More

Premiers to demand $5 billion a year in new health cash

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's premiers are set to present a counter-proposal that asks Prime Minister Paul Martin to shell out over $5 billion a year in new health-care money. ...More

Global action needed to keep aging world healthy, says WHO spokeswoman

MONTREAL (CP) - Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help deal with the impact of chronic diseases that will accompany a rapidly aging world population, a World Health Organization spokeswoman said Wednesday. ...More

Premiers take aim at federal money offer, say it's skewed

OTTAWA (CP) - The country's premiers talked cordially with Paul Martin in front of the TV cameras at the first ministers meeting Tuesday, but behind the scenes they were preparing to attack. ...More

Canadians happy to provide care for elderly loved ones, but need some relief

TORONTO (CP) - More than half of Canadians caring for elderly parents and loved ones wish they had someone to provide "occasional relief" from their duties despite finding the caregiving experience a rewarding one, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday. ...More

TV health summit goes private as feds, provinces push for deal

OTTAWA (CP) - What began as a televised summit to fix medicare for a generation turned into closed-door bargaining Wednesday as the country's first ministers tried to bridge a multibillion-dollar gap. ...More

Health care providers say any deal a sham without accountability

OTTAWA (CP) - It would be better for the federal government to walk away from the health summit than to accept a sham deal with no accountability, say Canada's health care providers. ...More

First ministers meeting will continue until there's a deal, says McGuinty

OTTAWA (CP) - The first ministers will continue meeting until they reach an agreement on improving medicare, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday. ...More

Martin says sticking point in health talks is reform, not just money

OTTAWA (CP) - A federal-provincial deal on health reform is being stalled by premiers' coolness to measures aimed at reforming medicare, Prime Minister Paul Martin suggested Wednesday. ...More

Money remains sticking point on final day of first ministers health summit

OTTAWA (CP) - The first ministers headed into the final afternoon of their three-day health summit Wednesday still billions of dollars apart on finding a cure for medicare. ...More

Surgery resumes in Baltimore to separate conjoined German twins

BALTIMORE (AP) - Surgery to separate year-old German twins joined at the head resumed Wednesday, four days after the operation was halted when the condition of one became unstable. ...More

U.S. agency proposal would require tire pressure indicators in all vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators proposed Wednesday that, starting in 2007, all vehicles be equipped with warning lights telling drivers when their tire pressure is low. ...More

Paul Martin defends $41-billion health deal with provinces

OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin hailed his $41-billion health-care deal with the premiers Thursday, saying it goes far enough to ensure provincial compliance but doesn't go too far by appeasing Quebec....More

Paul Martin's health-care gamble pays off - for now

OTTAWA (CP) - Paul Martin gambled his political future on a health-care deal with the provinces and that gamble appears to have paid off - at least for now....More

Conjoined twin girl dies after separation surgery in Baltimore

BALTIMORE (AP) - One of the year-old conjoined twin girls who underwent surgery to separate their heads died shortly after the procedure was completed, a spokeswoman for the Johns Hopkins Children's Center said early Thursday....More

Health accord may take years to produce visible improvement in health system

OTTAWA (CP) - Patients will need patience as they wait for the benefits of the first ministers' health accord. It will take years to cut waiting lists and roll out new programs in home care, drug coverage and other areas, experts say....More

Goodale promises to boost health funding without risking balanced budget

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government can readily find the $41 billion promised for a new health deal without cutting other programs or running into the red, Finance Minister Ralph Goodale pledged Thursday....More

Treating each kid differently can affect whole family, study tells parents

TORONTO (CP) - Stacey and her mother seem to spend all their time arguing over the 15-year-old's less than stellar grades and non-stop social life. Emily, 6, can be sweet and lovable, but her frequent temper tantrums drive Mom wild....More

Charest says deal historic, might heal old constitutional wounds

QUEBEC (CP) - The side deal in the health accord that left Quebec out of federal demands for medicare reform proves Canada works for the province, Premier Jean Charest said Thursday. Charest trumpeted the deal as a major boost to the federalist cause in his province....More

Alcohol vaporizer lacks suitable 'buzz'; fails to please New York's bars

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - These are not good days for the people who are trying to sell New York on a machine that lets you inhale a martini instead of drinking it. First, they had to use fruit juice rather than alcohol at the big debut at a Manhattan nightspot....More

Martin says sticking point in health talks is reform, not just money

OTTAWA (CP) - A federal-provincial deal on health reform is being stalled by premiers' coolness to measures aimed at reforming medicare, Prime Minister Paul Martin suggested Wednesday....More

Health care providers say any deal a sham without accountability

OTTAWA (CP) - It would be better for the federal government to walk away from the health summit than to accept a sham deal with no accountability, say Canada's health care providers....More

Dogs exposed to Sept. 11 terrorist sites had few health effects, study finds

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Search-and-rescue dogs deployed after the 9-11 terrorist attacks suffered cuts and scrapes but no serious short-term effects from exposure to the disaster sites, according to research by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine....More

First ministers meeting will continue until there's a deal, says McGuinty

OTTAWA (CP) - The first ministers will continue meeting until they reach an agreement on improving medicare, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday. But the negotiating between the prime minister and the premiers is going on behind closed doors....More

Global action needed to keep aging world healthy, says WHO spokeswoman

MONTREAL (CP) - Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help deal with the impact of chronic diseases that will accompany a rapidly aging world population, a World Health Organization spokeswoman said Wednesday....More

Prime minister, provincial premiers sign $41-billion, 10-year health accord

OTTAWA (CP) - A health system starved by years of chronic under-funding got a significant cash injection Thursday as Paul Martin announced a $41-billion "deal for a decade....More

Study found no regrets among parents who talked to dying children about death

(AP) - Should parents talk to their dying children about death? A Swedish study found that parents whose children died of cancer had no regrets about talking to them about death, while some who didn't do so were sorry later....More

Alcohol vaporizer lacks suitable 'buzz'; fails to please New York's bars

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - These are not good days for the people who are trying to sell New York on a machine that lets you inhale a martini instead of drinking it. First, they had to use fruit juice rather than alcohol at the big debut at a Manhattan nightspot....More

Romanow says a health deal without accountability would be a huge mistake

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government will be making a huge mistake if it gives the provinces more money for health without attaching conditions to ensure it is spent to reform the system, says Roy Romanow....More

Premiers counter proposal: demand $5 billion a year in new health cash

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's premiers have presented a counter-proposal that asks Prime Minister Paul Martin to shell out $5.3 billion a year in new health-care money....More

Ottawa rejects premiers' demand for $36.5 billion in new health cash

OTTAWA (CP) - First the premiers snubbed Paul Martin's breakfast invitation. Then the prime minister reacted in kind to their demand for $36.5 billion in new health-care funding....More

MRIs double rates of breast cancer detection, ultrasounds less useful: study

TORONTO (CP) - MRI scans detect breast cancer at twice the rate of traditional screening procedures, says a Canadian-led study that suggests only the most at-risk women consider the costly procedure because of its tremendous false positive rate....More

Canadians happy to provide care for elderly loved ones, but need some relief

TORONTO (CP) - More than half of Canadians caring for elderly parents and loved ones wish they had someone to provide "occasional relief" from their duties despite finding the caregiving experience a rewarding one, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday....More

Beer has same benefits as red wine, study finds; moderation advised

TORONTO (CP) - There's good news for beer drinkers: turns out the stuff is good for you - in moderation, according to a new study. The study, done at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont....More

World has made progress on sexual health, but money still needed: UN report

LONDON (AP) - Progress toward boosting the status of women and providing reproductive health care to all has been steady over the past decade, but billions more dollars are needed to reach goals set 10 years ago, the United Nations said Wednesday....More

Dogs exposed to Sept. 11 terrorist sites had few health effects, study finds

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Search-and-rescue dogs deployed after the 9-11 terrorist attacks suffered cuts and scrapes but no serious short-term effects from exposure to the disaster sites, according to research by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine....More

Japan confirms 12th case of mad cow disease, third discovered this year

TOKYO (AP) - Japan has confirmed a 12th case of mad cow disease, an official said Monday - the third case of the brain-wasting illness in the country this year....More

Manitoba government asks students to pick most effective anti-smoking TV ad

WINNIPEG (CP) - The Manitoba government is asking almost 120,000 students to decide whether they want their next anti-smoking campaign to be delivered with wry humour, graphic realism or a heartwrenching personal touch....More

First ministers unlikely to reach agreement on method to measure wait times

OTTAWA (CP) - The way things are going, the first ministers summit on health won't even produce a common method for measuring waiting lists, let alone cutting them....More

Dutch professor receives new Swedish science prize for medical research

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - A Dutch professor became the first recipient of a new Swedish science prize in the field of medical education research, the awarding body said Monday. The Prize for Research in Medical Education 2004, worth 50,000 euros ($79,100 Cdn), was awarded to Prof....More

Georgia chicken company keep insurance costs down by pushing healthier habits

BALDWIN, Ga. (AP) - In the early 1990s, Fieldale Farms had a troubling problem: Employee heart attacks, at an average cost of $50,000 US apiece, were quickly making insurance unaffordable for the small chicken processing company....More

Aboriginals half as likely as Caucasians to get kidney transplant: study

TORONTO (CP) - Aboriginals have double the risk of developing kidney failure but less than half the likelihood of receiving a kidney transplant compared with Caucasian Canadians, a study of dialysis patients in three western provinces suggests. Dr....More

Couple settles lawsuit against doctor who implanted embryo into wrong woman

NEW YORK (AP) - A couple whose embryo was mistakenly implanted into an unwitting surrogate mother settled a lawsuit Monday against the fertility clinic doctor who made the mistake....More

Chicken products distributed in Ontario may contain wheat, egg, sesame seed

OTTAWA (CP) - People allergic to wheat, egg or sesame seed are being warned away from eating chicken friccasee manufactured by Perl's Meat Products....More

Question of medicare reform has become test of Martin's political credibility

OTTAWA (CP) - There was a moment before the last federal election when medicare reform became more than just a campaign promise for Prime Minister Paul Martin....More

Rogue safe injection site nurse honoured with international award

VANCOUVER - The nurse who set up an unauthorized safe injection site for intravenous drug users on Vancouver's seedy Downtown Eastside has been honored with an international human rights award....More

Next Summer Games could see first gene-doped Olympians, professor warns

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - The last blood samples from Athens have yet to be tested, but already athletes and the agencies that regulate them are looking ahead to the next summer Olympics where some experts believe the world could see its first genetically modified athletes in competition....More

Premiers wary of new funding formula Martin proposes for medicare

OTTAWA (CP) - The premiers went for Sunday dinner at Prime Minister Paul Martin's but his offer of billions more for health care left them confused, frustrated, and hungry for more....More

Premiers' plan for national pharmacare program on meeting agenda next week

VANCOUVER (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein called it a stroke of brilliance and his provincial counterparts thought it a great idea - a national pharmacare program something like the country's medicare program....More

McGuinty admits full pharmacare deal unlikely at first ministers meeting

HAMILTON, Ont. (CP) - Ontario's top priority is reducing health care wait times and pharmacare is just one means to that end, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Saturday as he backed away from the provinces' demand for a national drug plan....More

DIET: No more mystery meat! Some schools go organic for lunch

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The tempting smell of pepperoni pizza drifted through the air as students poured into the cafeteria. But 11-year-old Cameron Landry walked straight past the cheesy slices and started piling organic lettuce, pita pockets and blueberries on his tray....More

Australian hospital contacts patients amid Creutzfeldt-Jakob health scare

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - One of Australia's biggest hospitals was on high alert Monday over fears a deadly brain disease suffered by one of its patients may have been transmitted to others via surgical instruments....More

Health information report shows changing picture of childbirth in Canada

TORONTO (CP) - Lots of epidurals, more C-sections, but far fewer episiotomies - these are some of the factors that make up a shifting portrait of childbirth in Canada over the last decade or so, a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says....More

Health sciences company MDS grows quarterly profit by half to $50 million

TORONTO (CP) - Medical laboratory operator and instrument maker MDS Inc. has charted a quarterly profit increase of just over 50 per cent, citing strong sales of its sophisticated laboratory devices....More

Finance Minister Ralph Goodale promises significant money for health care

OTTAWA (CP) - With the premiers set to meet the prime minister next week on health care, the federal finance minister is promising what he calls significant investments in health care....More

Canadian Blood Services to introduce second screening test for hepatitis B

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's blood supply will undergo an additional screening test for hepatitis B - the most prevalent strain of the hepatitis virus - by next spring, Canadian Blood Services announced Thursday....More

Growing economy may generate health dollars but Ottawa not rich: Goodale

OTTAWA (CP) - A growing economy is yielding more cash to fund health care but Ottawa is far from rich and faces many demands, Finance Minister Ralph Goodale warned Thursday....More

B.C. considers expanded use of private medical clinics, says health minister

VICTORIA (CP) - British Columbia is looking to expand its use of private medical clinics even though the provincial Liberal government passed - but never proclaimed - legislation that cracks down on private clinics....More

Ontario government creates 'health results team' to address wait times

TORONTO (CP) - Health organizations had a lukewarm reaction to the Ontario government's announcement Thursday of a plan to revamp the province's health-care system to cut wait times and integrate services, saying it lacks concrete action while adding another layer of bureaucracy....More

Almost half of vaginal deliveries by Canadian women include epidural: report

TORONTO (CP) - Almost half of Canadian women overall have an epidural during vaginal delivery, but the rate varies widely from province to province, a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows....More

N.B. hospital nurses reach tentative agreement with province

FREDERICTON (CP) - The union representing the 5,000 hospital nurses in New Brunswick and the provincial government have reached a tentative contract agreement....More

Martin signals new flexibility to reach health deal with provinces

KELOWNA, B.C. (CP) - The federal government will seek a flexible medicare-reform agreement that could include individual deals with provinces, Prime Minister Paul Martin said Wednesday....More

Doctors inject radioactive seeds to prevent women's breast cancer recurring

TORONTO (CP) - Canadian doctors have devised a way to give some women with breast cancer a kind of "take-out" radiation that takes only a few hours to prepare and appears to have none of the nasty side-effects of traditional radiation therapy....More

Health Canada study finds link between coffee consumption and bladder cancer

OTTAWA (CP) - A new Health Canada study suggests that coffee consumption increases the risk of bladder cancer in men, and that the risk increases with the amount consumed....More

Alzheimer's fight focusing on sticky brain buildup; drugs on the way

WASHINGTON (AP) - How to prevent a sticky gunk from clogging up, and probably killing, the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients is the newest focus in the fight against the disease....More

Austrian doctor injects patient with olive oil instead of antibiotics

STEYR, Austria (AP) - A medical intern at a hospital in western Austria mistakenly injected an elderly patient with olive oil instead of antibiotics after mixing up bedside vials, officials said Wednesday....More

Infection death of Vancouver girl not public health concern: Coroner

VANCOUVER (CP) - A Vancouver coroner says the death of a six-year-old Surrey girl last Saturday is not a public health concern. An autopsy will be performed on Keiran Sekhon's body Wednesday, but early lab tests show she died of a bacterial infection....More

Addictions treatment available for Labrador Innu: Health Canada

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - Health Canada has no plans to build a second addictions treatment centre in the Labrador Innu community of Natuashish despite repeated criticism from Innu leaders....More

Brothers' suicides at the centre of Labrador Innu call for help

NATUASHISH, Nfld. (CP) - The leaders of this relocated Innu community renewed their call Tuesday for emergency action to treat alcohol and solvent abuse following the suicides of two teenage brothers over the summer....More

Westaim subsidiary Nucryst Pharmaceuticals reports positive drug trials

TORONTO (CP) - Nucryst Pharmaceuticals Corp., a subsidiary of Westaim Corp., said Tuesday initial reports suggest positive results from its drug used to treat a chronic inflammatory skin disease....More

Needling fears fuel debate over vaccine safety as immunization arsenal grows

(CP) - When Stacey Mathias-Geer's son starts his first day of junior kindergarten this week, among the child-sized backpacks, spanking new coloured markers, excited giggles and anxious tears, there will be one thing the four-year-old won't share with most of his classmates - a vaccination...More

Infection death of Vancouver girl not public health concern: Coroner

VANCOUVER (CP) - A Vancouver coroner says the death of a six-year-old Surrey girl last Saturday is not a public health concern. An autopsy will be performed on Keiran Sekhon's body Wednesday, but early lab tests show she died of a bacterial infection....More

Drug makers consider high-tech tags to stop counterfeiting

DELRAN, N.J. (AP) - Big pharmaceutical companies are testing new tracking technology they hope will help them spot counterfeit drugs before they reach consumers' medicine cabinets....More

Alzheimer's fight focusing on sticky brain buildup; drugs on the way

WASHINGTON (AP) - How to prevent a sticky gunk from clogging up, and probably killing, the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients is the newest focus in the fight against the disease....More

N.B. hospital nurses reach tentative agreement with province

FREDERICTON (CP) - The union representing the 5,000 hospital nurses in New Brunswick and the provincial government have reached a tentative contract agreement....More

Brain scans highlight how Chinese language, learning pathways differ from alphabet-based languages

(AP) - Westerners shudder at the idea of reading even the most basic street signs and instructions in Chinese, a language with 6,000 characters to memorize to be considered fluent. A new set of brain images shows why....More

No more money for Ontario hospitals despite threat of cuts: Smitherman

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's hospitals won't get any more cash from the province despite warnings from the Ontario Hospital Association that a $600-million shortfall this year will mean cuts to patient services, Health Minister George Smitherman said Friday....More

New Jersey man dies of illness not seen in America since 1989

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey man who recently returned from a trip to Liberia has died of an illness that had not been detected in the United States since 1989 but is common in West Africa, state health officials said Thursday....More

Bocconcini soft cheese may be contaminated with harmful bacteria

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Morra Cheese warned the public Saturday not to consume Bocconcini soft cheese because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

Haemacure's quarterly loss flat, revenue plunges after end of sales agreement

MONTREAL (CP) - Haemacure Corp.'s quarterly revenue plunged after the termination of sales of a major product, but the company managed to keep its loss flat due to chopping expenses....More

Jerry Lewis telethon raises $59.4 million, but hurricane affects donations

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Jerry Lewis Labour Day Telethon raised $59.4 million US for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but organizers said Monday that power outages and other disruptions from hurricane Frances contributed to a decline over last year. Donations totalled 1....More

Forget the growth hormone: study says peers like short kids just as they are

TORONTO (CP) - "Don't want no short people 'round here," Randy Newman sang in his 1978 tongue-in-cheek ode to tolerance. For parents of shorter-than-average children, it's a notion many fear is still all too true....More

Clinton has bypass surgery; was at high risk of suffering heart attack

NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Clinton had a successful quadruple heart bypass operation Monday to relieve severely clogged arteries that doctors said had put the former president in grave danger of a major heart attack sometime soon....More

Health Canada announces recall of some potassium replacement products

OTTAWA (CP) - Health Canada is recalling potassium replacement products distributed by EuroPharm International Canada Inc. and Laboratoire Riva Inc. Potassium because they may release potassium at a rate or quantity lower or higher than specified....More

N.B. hospital nurses vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - The New Brunswick government scrambled to get back to the bargaining table Thursday after the province's hospital nurses voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike....More

No more money for Ontario hospitals despite threat of cuts: Smitherman

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's hospitals won't get any more cash from the province despite warnings from the Ontario Hospital Association that a $600-million shortfall this year will mean cuts to patient services, Health Minister George Smitherman said Friday....More

Brain scans highlight how Chinese language, learning pathways differ from alphabet-based languages

(AP) - Westerners shudder at the idea of reading even the most basic street signs and instructions in Chinese, a language with 6,000 characters to memorize to be considered fluent. A new set of brain images shows why....More

Former central bank governor questions proposal for competition in medicare

OTTAWA (CP) - The former governor of Canada's central bank has made an unusual foray into the political fray over health care, questioning proposals for greater competition within the single-payer medicare system....More

Haemacure's quarterly loss flat, revenue plunges after end of sales agreement

MONTREAL (CP) - Haemacure Corp.'s quarterly revenue plunged after the termination of sales of a major product, but the company managed to keep its loss flat due to chopping expenses....More

New Jersey man dies of illness not seen in America since 1989

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey man who recently returned from a trip to Liberia has died of an illness that had not been detected in the United States since 1989 but is common in West Africa, state health officials said Thursday....More

Bocconcini soft cheese may be contaminated with harmful bacteria

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Morra Cheese warned the public Saturday not to consume Bocconcini soft cheese because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

Researcher says symptoms of mercury contamination rising in some Ont. natives

WINNIPEG (CP) - A renowned Japanese neurologist who sounded the alarm decades ago about mercury poisoning in residents of two northern Ontario aboriginal bands says some people there are experiencing an increase in symptoms even though the chemical's level is dropping in their bodies....More

Premiers call on Martin to explain Liberal election promise on pharmacare

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - Canada's premiers issued a challenge Thursday to Prime Minister Paul Martin to say exactly what he meant when he promised a national pharmacare program during the June election campaign....More

Pharmacare not a dead issue despite Ottawa's rejection: premiers

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - The premiers' push for a national pharmacare program is still alive despite Ottawa's refusal to move ahead on the issue, Quebec Premier Jean Charest said Thursday....More

Health Canada announces recall of some potassium replacement products

OTTAWA (CP) - Health Canada is recalling potassium replacement products distributed by EuroPharm International Canada Inc. and Laboratoire Riva Inc. Potassium because they may release potassium at a rate or quantity lower or higher than specified....More

N.B. hospital nurses vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - The New Brunswick government scrambled to get back to the bargaining table Thursday after the province's hospital nurses voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike....More

Brain scans highlight how Chinese language, learning pathways differ from alphabet-based languages

(AP) - Westerners shudder at the idea of reading even the most basic street signs and instructions in Chinese, a language with 6,000 characters to memorize to be considered fluent. A new set of brain images shows why....More

New Jersey man dies of illness not seen in America since 1989

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey man who recently returned from a trip to Liberia has died of an illness that had not been detected in the United States since 1989 but is common in West Africa, state health officials said Thursday....More

Former central bank governor questions proposal for competition in medicare

OTTAWA (CP) - The former governor of Canada's central bank has made an unusual foray into the political fray over health care, questioning proposals for greater competition within the single-payer medicare system....More

U.S. pharmaceutical industry seeks to sow goodwill at Republican convention

NEW YORK (AP) - The pharmaceutical industry, fighting to defeat proposals that would give U.S. patients easier access to cheaper Canadian drugs, is making the most of its chance for face time with lawmakers at the Republican convention....More

Dosanjh says feds will avoid take-it-or-leave-it attitude on health

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government has no intention of imposing a health-reform plan on the provinces if there's an impasse in upcoming first ministers' negotiations, says Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh....More

Sales of Boston Scientific Corp. stent dips slightly in August

BOSTON (AP) - Boston Scientific Corp. said Wednesday that sales of its new drug-coated heart stent dipped in August in the wake of a recall, and the company issued an earnings forecast just below Wall Street's estimate....More

Radiation plus tamoxifen reduces breast cancer relapse risk in 50-plus: study

TORONTO (CP) - The risk of tumours recurring in women over 50 with early breast cancer is reduced to almost zero when radiation is combined with tamoxifen, a result far better overall than using the estrogen-blocking drug alone, a Canadian study has found....More

Most Canadians want provinces to account for health money spent: survey

OTTAWA (CP) - A strong majority of Canadians disagree with Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's insistence that federal health money come with no strings attached, suggests a poll done for a major union....More

Europeans eat less of the most dangerous fats than Americans, study finds

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Europeans eat less of the most dangerous, cholesterol-raising fats than Americans do and the amount is decreasing, according to a report released Wednesday by the European Food Safety Authority....More

Feds must have alternative to cut wait lists if no pharmacare: McGuinty

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell arrived Wednesday for a gathering of his provincial counterparts, insisting Ottawa will have to rethink its opposition to a national drug plan, but Newfoundland's Danny Williams suggested it is the premiers who will have to think again....More

Advances in pain management, new focus greatly easing postoperative pain

PITTSBURGH (AP) - All Deborah Keibler knew about hip replacement surgery was the long scar she had seen down the side of her grandmother's body. But when her doctor said the traditionally painful procedure could cure the limp in her right leg, the 49-year-old knew she didn't have a choice....More

Higher-income Canadians more apt to be screened for colon cancer: study

TORONTO (CP) - Canadians with higher incomes are more likely to receive screening for colorectal cancer than less affluent residents, an Ontario study suggests....More

Fight over brain-damaged woman heads to Florida Supreme Court

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - The battle over Terri Schiavo has played out at times like a soap opera, but when the Florida Supreme Court hears arguments in the case Tuesday it will be deadly serious stuff....More

N.B. premier says back-to-work bill an option in looming nurses' strike

FREDERICTON (CP) - Premier Bernard Lord warned Tuesday that back-to-work legislation is an option if New Brunswick nurses go on strike....More

China bans blood buying and selling to help prevent AIDS from spreading

BEIJING (AP) - China has made it illegal to buy and sell blood in an effort to stem the country's growing AIDS epidemic, the first time the disease has been targeted in a law, state-run media reported Monday....More

Ottawa warns pharmacare a non-starter as premiers set to meet on issue

(CP) - Ottawa would never agree to the kind of national pharmacare program proposed by the premiers because it would cost too much and makes no sense, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Tuesday....More

Manitoba government wants to improve children's fitness, nutrition

WINNIPEG (CP) - The Manitoba government wants to persuade children to spend less time in front of the television or computer screen, and more time in gyms, parks and playgrounds....More

Dosanjh says feds will avoid take-it-or-leave-it attitude on health

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government has no intention of imposing a health-reform plan on the provinces if there's an impasse in upcoming first ministers' negotiations, says Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh....More

U.S. pharmaceutical industry seeks to sow goodwill at Republican convention

NEW YORK (AP) - The pharmaceutical industry, fighting to defeat proposals that would give U.S. patients easier access to cheaper Canadian drugs, is making the most of its chance for face time with lawmakers at the Republican convention....More