Study offers new hope for women with problem fibroids who want to get pregnant

TORONTO (CP) - Women who want to get pregnant but suffer from problem fibroids - benign tumours of the uterus - have a new reason to be optimistic....More

Vietnam reports 29th human bird flu case; 16-year-old in critical condition

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A 16-year-old girl from southern Vietnam has become infected with the bird flu strain that killed 32 people earlier this year and devastated the poultry industry across Asia, a doctor said Thursday....More

Morgentaler has few regrets despite threats and prison sentence

TORONTO (CP) - After surviving the Dachau concentration camp, Quebec prison didn't scare Henry Morgentaler. Even when he was escorted out of his cell into an isolated room and told to strip off his clothes, he remained defiant....More

Corpses pose no threat of disease outbreaks, health group says

(AP) - Dead bodies cannot cause disease outbreaks, the Pan American Health Organization said Wednesday, hoping to avert mass burials of tens of thousands of unidentified victims from the tsunami in Asia and Africa....More

Drastic change and challenges expected for Internet pharmacies in 2005

WINNIPEG (CP) - Five years ago, Daren Jorgenson was in the vanguard of the Internet pharmacy industry, well on his way to making millions by selling cheaper Canadian prescription drugs to uninsured Americans....More

U.S., Canadian officials downplay border impact of new suspected BSE case

(CP) - The discovery of a new suspected case of mad cow disease in Alberta shouldn't hamper the newly scheduled reopening of the U.S. border to trade in live cattle, Canadian and American officials said Thursday....More

Obesity is rising sharply among U.S. preschoolers

DALLAS (AP) - The obesity epidemic is reaching down to the playpen: more than 10 per cent of U.S. children ages two to five are overweight, the American Heart Association reported Thursday....More

Study: Eating fast food frequently does supersize you

LONDON (AP) - A new study gives scientific clout to a conclusion many already see as obvious: eating lots of fast food makes you fat and increases the chance of developing diabetes....More

U.S. firm gets warning letter for slow reporting of animal drug reactions

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to Novartis Animal Health U.S., Inc. because of what federal officials say were late reports on the death of cats being tested with a new painkilling drug....More

U.S. family files suit after woman dies during experimental AIDS drug regimen

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The family of a pregnant woman who died while taking experimental AIDS drugs to protect her baby from getting the disease is suing the doctors, drug makers and hospitals involved in the study for $10 million US....More

Morgentaler has few regrets despite threats and prison sentence

TORONTO (CP) - After surviving the Dachau concentration camp, Quebec prison didn't scare Henry Morgentaler. Even when he was escorted out of his cell into an isolated room and told to strip off his clothes, he remained defiant....More

Corpses pose no threat of disease outbreaks, health group says

(AP) - Dead bodies cannot cause disease outbreaks, the Pan American Health Organization said Wednesday, hoping to avert mass burials of tens of thousands of unidentified victims from the tsunami in Asia and Africa....More

Screening methods used during SARS outbreak had limited success: study

TORONTO (CP) - In the midst of the city's 2003 SARS outbreak, international travellers were asked to fill in questionnaires about their health and many were required to have their temperature taken by thermal scanners....More

Study offers new hope for women with problem fibroids who want to get pregnant

TORONTO (CP) - Women who want to get pregnant but suffer from problem fibroids - benign tumours of the uterus - have a new reason to be optimistic....More

CDC study looks at how likely avian flu strain is to spark pandemic

TORONTO (CP) - The alarm now sounds with increasing frequency and urgency: the world could be on the brink of an influenza pandemic sparked by the highly virulent avian flu strain ravaging poultry stocks in Southeast Asia, experts fear. ...More

Pharmacists increasingly count on slice of animal prescription business

QUEBEC (CP) - Pharmacies are joining pet physiotherapists and kitty CAT scan operators in the race to break down barriers between human and animal health care. ...More

CDC study looks at how likely avian flu strain is to spark pandemic

TORONTO (CP) - The alarm now sounds with increasing frequency and urgency: the world could be on the brink of an influenza pandemic sparked by the highly virulent avian flu strain ravaging poultry stocks in Southeast Asia, experts fear. ...More

Matcha green tea lattes take over in Starbucks' West Coast backyard

VANCOUVER (CP) - West Coast bartenders have given up Red Bull, brokers are powering past the espresso machine and everyone's quit smoking, so why drink coffee? ...More

Pharmacists increasingly count on slice of animal prescription business

QUEBEC (CP) - Pharmacies are joining pet physiotherapists and kitty CAT scan operators in the race to break down barriers between human and animal health care. ...More

Pharmacists increasingly count on slice of animal prescription business

QUEBEC (CP) - Pharmacies are joining pet physiotherapists and kitty CAT scan operators in the race to break down barriers between human and animal health care....More

Water-borne disease is major threat in tsunami-hit areas, experts say

OTTAWA (CP) - The top priority in dealing with the aftermath of the Asian tsunami is clean water to prevent the spread of water-borne disease, say experts in disaster relief....More

Matcha green tea lattes take over in Starbucks' West Coast backyard

VANCOUVER (CP) - West Coast bartenders have given up Red Bull, brokers are powering past the espresso machine and everyone's quit smoking, so why drink coffee? People in the know have moved on and are licking green mustaches as their proof of enlightenment....More

Top priority in tsunami-hit areas is spread of waterborne disease, experts say

OTTAWA (CP) - The top priority in dealing with the aftermath of the Asian tsunami is clean water to prevent the spread of water-borne disease, say experts in disaster relief....More

Screening methods used during SARS outbreak had limited success: study

TORONTO (CP) - In the midst of the city's 2003 SARS outbreak, international travellers were asked to fill in questionnaires about their health and many were required to have their temperature taken by thermal scanners....More

Klein wonders why patients can't purchase private health care in Alta

EDMONTON (CP) - Premier Ralph Klein says Albertans should be given the opportunity to purchase elective health services in the province rather than have to go out of the country for them....More

CDC study looks at how likely avian flu strain is to spark pandemic

TORONTO (CP) - The alarm now sounds with increasing frequency and urgency: the world could be on the brink of an influenza pandemic sparked by the highly virulent avian flu strain ravaging poultry stocks in Southeast Asia, experts fear....More

U.S. lawsuit claims Children's Motrin causes severe side-effects

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The parents of a seven-year-old girl on Tuesday sued the makers of Children's Motrin and several other companies that distribute the painkiller, claiming their daughter lost her eyesight and suffered other severe side effects after taking the medication....More

Sales of diet soda could eclipse regular in a decade, some analysts say

(AP) - Still think the cola wars are about Coke vs. Pepsi? These days the carbonated beverage battleground is diet vs. regular, and it's looking increasingly as though the lightweight could flatten its full-calorie cousin....More

Provinces tinker with organ donation when overhaul needed: advocate

QUEBEC (CP) - Quebec and Ontario will just be tinkering with organ donation rules in 2005 when what the system desperately needs is a complete overhaul, says an outspoken transplant advocate....More

CDC study looks at how likely avian flu strain is to spark pandemic

TORONTO (CP) - The alarm now sounds with increasing frequency and urgency: the world could be on the brink of an influenza pandemic sparked by the highly virulent avian flu strain ravaging poultry stocks in Southeast Asia, experts fear....More

Pharmacists increasingly count on slice of animal prescription business

QUEBEC (CP) - Pharmacies are joining pet physiotherapists and kitty CAT scan operators in the race to break down barriers between human and animal health care....More

Chicken farmers slam Ottawa for mismanagement of avian flu crisis

VANCOUVER (CP) - Ottawa showed it has no idea how to contain a virulent virus, acting so slowly it was too late to stop bird flu from snaking through B.C. chicken coops and forcing the destruction of 17 million birds, said Rick Thiessen of the B.C. Chicken Growers' Association....More

Klein wonders why patients can't purchase private health care in Alta

EDMONTON (CP) - Premier Ralph Klein says Albertans should be given the opportunity to purchase elective health services in the province rather than have to go out of the country for them....More

Matcha green tea lattes take over in Starbucks' West Coast backyard

VANCOUVER (CP) - West Coast bartenders have given up Red Bull, brokers are powering past the espresso machine and everyone's quit smoking, so why drink coffee? People in the know have moved on and are licking green mustaches as their proof of enlightenment....More

DNA test for colorectal cancer yields disappointing results: study

(AP) - The first big trial of a DNA test to detect colon cancer proved disappointing to those hoping for an easy and accurate new screening method. The test, which looks for signs of mutant genes in stool, found just half the colon and rectal cancers detected by colonoscopy....More

FDA wants bigger review of MDS Pharma's generic drug studies in recent years

MONTREAL (CP) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is pushing for an expanded review of MDS Pharma's generic drug studies at its Montreal laboratories. MDS also said Friday the U.S. agency has requested a meeting to discuss its concerns....More

Sales of diet soda could eclipse regular in a decade, some analysts say

(AP) - Still think the cola wars are about Coke vs. Pepsi? These days the carbonated beverage battleground is diet vs. regular, and it's looking increasingly as though the lightweight could flatten its full-calorie cousin....More

Klein wonders why patients can't purchase private health care in Alta

EDMONTON (CP) - Premier Ralph Klein says Albertans should be given the opportunity to purchase elective health services in the province rather than have to go out of the country for them....More

Provinces tinker with organ donation when overhaul needed: advocate

QUEBEC (CP) - Quebec and Ontario will just be tinkering with organ donation rules in 2005 when what the system desperately needs is a complete overhaul, says an outspoken transplant advocate....More

3 Chinese wholesalers get jail for selling phoney milk powder

BEIJING (AP) - Three Chinese grocery wholesalers have been sentenced to prison for selling fake milk formula that left a newborn baby boy severely malnourished, a newspaper reported Thursday....More

Saudi Arabia bans in-vitro fertilization outside of marriage

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - The Saudi government has banned in-vitro fertilization outside of marriage or in surrogate cases, apparently for religious reasons....More

Japan reports first human case of avian flu; 4 others suspected

TOKYO (AP) - Japan reported its first case of avian flu in a human on Wednesday - a man who got the disease from birds. Avian flu has swept through farms across Asia this year, forcing officials to cull more than 100 million birds....More

Nursing home care improved with consumer access to data: administration

WASHINGTON (AP) - The use of physical restraints on nursing home patients has dropped by nearly a quarter in two years and fewer residents report suffering from pain, according to a report released Tuesday by the Bush administration....More

Makers of Sudafed removing ingredient used in illegal drug-manufacturing

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - The maker of Sudafed is offering a new version of the cold and allergy medicine without an ingredient often used to produce the illegal and highly addictive drug methamphetamine in homemade labs....More

DNA test for colorectal cancer yields disappointing results: study

(AP) - The first big trial of a DNA test to detect colon cancer proved disappointing to those hoping for an easy and accurate new screening method. The test, which looks for signs of mutant genes in stool, found just half the colon and rectal cancers detected by colonoscopy....More

3 Chinese wholesalers get jail for selling phoney milk powder

BEIJING (AP) - Three Chinese grocery wholesalers have been sentenced to prison for selling fake milk formula that left a newborn baby boy severely malnourished, a newspaper reported Thursday....More

Arthritis Society expert advises patients not to panic about taking naproxen

TORONTO (CP) - A prominent Canadian rheumatologist says patients should not panic about taking naproxen, a pain reliever in a drug trial that was suspended when it turned out users had a 50 per cent higher incidence of cardiovascular events - heart attack or stroke - than patients taking a...More

Fit & fat women likely to die sooner than toned & trim: study

(AP) - Being fit but fat isn't good enough. Excess weight, all by itself, can take years off your life, even if you get plenty of exercise, a study found....More

Mother calls baby believed the world's smallest 'great blessing'

CHICAGO (AP) - A premature infant believed to be the smallest baby ever to survive was called "a great blessing" Tuesday by her mother, who is preparing to take the girl and her twin sister home from the hospital. ...More

Arthritis Society expert advises patients not to panic about taking naproxen

TORONTO (CP) - A prominent Canadian rheumatologist says patients should not panic about taking naproxen, a pain reliever in a drug trial that was suspended when it turned out users had a 50 per cent higher incidence of cardiovascular events - heart attack or stroke - than patients taking a placebo. ...More

Mother calls baby believed the world's smallest 'great blessing'

CHICAGO (AP) - A premature infant believed to be the smallest baby ever to survive was called "a great blessing" Tuesday by her mother, who is preparing to take the girl and her twin sister home from the hospital. The baby, named Rumaisa, weighed 8....More

Japan reports first human case of avian flu; 4 others suspected

TOKYO (AP) - Japan reported its first case of avian flu in a human on Wednesday - a man who got the disease from birds. Avian flu has swept through farms across Asia this year, forcing officials to cull more than 100 million birds....More

Nursing home care improved with consumer access to data: administration

WASHINGTON (AP) - The use of physical restraints on nursing home patients has dropped by nearly a quarter in two years and fewer residents report suffering from pain, according to a report released Tuesday by the Bush administration....More

Vietnam's top vet issues avian flu warning for holiday period

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam's top veterinary official warned Wednesday of the dangers of avian flu spreading on a large scale over the holiday season running up through Tet, or Lunar New Year....More

Arthritis Society expert advises patients not to panic about taking naproxen

TORONTO (CP) - A prominent Canadian rheumatologist says patients should not panic about taking naproxen, a pain reliever in a drug trial that was suspended when it turned out users had a 50 per cent higher incidence of cardiovascular events - heart attack or stroke - than patients taking a...More

Makers of Sudafed removing ingredient used in illegal drug-manufacturing

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - The maker of Sudafed is offering a new version of the cold and allergy medicine without an ingredient often used to produce the illegal and highly addictive drug methamphetamine in homemade labs....More

Fit & fat women likely to die sooner than toned & trim: study

(AP) - Being fit but fat isn't good enough. Excess weight, all by itself, can take years off your life, even if you get plenty of exercise, a study found....More

DNA test for colorectal cancer yields disappointing results: study

(AP) - The first big trial of a DNA test to detect colon cancer proved disappointing to those hoping for an easy and accurate new screening method. The test, which looks for signs of mutant genes in stool, found just half the colon and rectal cancers detected by colonoscopy....More

Archway recalls holiday cashew cookie that may contain glass

ASHLAND, Ohio (CP) - Holiday cookies that may contain pieces of glass have been recalled by Archway Cookies. The company said in a statement that it was voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of its 10-ounce Archway Holiday Cashew Nougat Cookies....More

Baby believed to be world's smallest at birth ready to leave Chicago hospital

CHICAGO (AP) - A baby who weighed less than a can of pop when she was born by Caesarean section three months ago is nearly ready to be released from hospital. She is believed to be the smallest baby in the world ever to survive....More

U.S. surgeon general says Canada is only safe source for imported drugs

WASHINGTON (CP) - Importing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada could be done safely in a large, highly regulated commercial enterprise, said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona....More

Theratechnologies sells stake in drug programs to partner for US $12M

MONTREAL (CP) - Theratechnologies Inc. has sold its share of a drug development program undertaken with Alza Corp. to the California company for $12 million US....More

Tenet agrees to US$395 million settlement with Redding patients

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tenet Healthcare Corp. said Tuesday it agreed in principal to pay $395 million US to settle lawsuits claiming patients at Redding Medical Center, one of its former hospitals, received unnecessary heart procedures....More

Mother calls baby believed the world's smallest 'great blessing'

CHICAGO (AP) - A premature infant believed to be the smallest baby ever to survive was called "a great blessing" Tuesday by her mother, who is preparing to take the girl and her twin sister home from the hospital. The baby, named Rumaisa, weighed 8....More

Task force: Importing drugs from Canada could be done safely

WASHINGTON (CP) - Importing prescription drugs from Canada could be done safely in a large commercial enterprise that's overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an American task force concluded Tuesday....More

Pfizer to stop advertising Celebrex pain reliever to consumers

NEW YORK (AP) - Drug maker Pfizer said Sunday it would immediately stop advertising its best-selling arthritis pain reliever Celebrex to consumers after a study showed high doses of it were associated with an increased heart attack risk. ...More

Return of the carbs - diet experts declare Atkins craze is over

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - About a year ago, Dave Champlin and his two roommates lived in what their friends at the University of Missouri called the House of Fat. ...More

Jail time for one, house arrest for other brother in Walkerton water tragedy

WALKERTON, Ont. (CP) - The former manager of Walkerton's utilities commission was jailed for one year Monday for his role in the 2000 tainted-water tragedy, while his foreman brother was sentenced to nine months of house arrest. ...More

Lung cancer linked to Gulf War fires, U.S. advisory group says

WASHINGTON (AP) - Veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War exposed to pollution from oil well fires, exhausts and other sources may face an increased risk of lung cancer, a government advisory group said Monday. ...More

World health officials warn of increasing threat of global flu pandemic

SINGAPORE (AP) - Health officials warned Monday that the world was close to its next pandemic, a powerful and highly contagious mix of avian influenza and flu virus that would likely be centred in Asia. ...More

Jailed for a year, water manager Stan Koebel hopes Walkerton will forgive him

WALKERTON, Ont. (CP) - The man who became the dazed face behind the deadly Walkerton water tragedy began serving a one-year jail term Monday looking for forgiveness as this traumatized midwestern Ontario community struggled with whether justice had finally been served....More

Jail time for one, house arrest for other brother in Walkerton water tragedy

WALKERTON, Ont. (CP) - The former manager of Walkerton's utilities commission was jailed for one year Monday for his role in the 2000 tainted-water tragedy, while his foreman brother was sentenced to nine months of house arrest....More

Health Canada will require cosmetics to carry complete list of ingredients

OTTAWA (CP) - Pity the mother who sprayed her child's hair with a cosmetic hair-care product, following the directions on the can, only to watch in horror as a third of the child's hair slowly fell out over the following month....More

Lung cancer linked to Gulf War fires, U.S. advisory group says

WASHINGTON (AP) - Veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War exposed to pollution from oil well fires, exhausts and other sources may face an increased risk of lung cancer, a government advisory group said Monday....More

Jailed for a year, water manager Stan Koebel hopes Walkerton will forgive him

WALKERTON, Ont. (CP) - The man who became the dazed face behind the deadly Walkerton water tragedy began serving a one-year jail term Monday looking for forgiveness as this traumatized midwestern Ontario community struggled with whether justice had finally been served....More

Heart health concerns prompt Pfizer to stop advertising Celebrex pain drug

NEW YORK (AP) - The maker of bestselling arthritis pain reliever Celebrex said it plans to immediately stop advertising the drug. The move comes after a study showed high doses of Celebrex were associated with an increased heart attack risk. New York-based Pfizer Inc....More

Baby believed to be world's smallest at birth ready to leave Chicago hospital

CHICAGO (AP) - A baby who weighed less than a can of pop when she was born by Caesarean section three months ago is nearly ready to be released from hospital. She is believed to be the smallest baby in the world ever to survive....More

Archway recalls holiday cashew cookie that may contain glass

ASHLAND, Ohio (CP) - Holiday cookies that may contain pieces of glass have been recalled by Archway Cookies. The company said in a statement that it was voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of its 10-ounce Archway Holiday Cashew Nougat Cookies....More

Majority of FDA scientists feel agency does poor job of monitoring drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) - About two-thirds of Food and Drug Administration scientists are less than fully confident in the agency's monitoring of the safety of prescription drugs now being sold, according to an FDA internal survey....More

Return of the carbs - diet experts declare Atkins craze is over

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - About a year ago, Dave Champlin and his two roommates lived in what their friends at the University of Missouri called the House of Fat. At a combined weight of 890 pounds, the three decided to try the Atkins diet....More

New education program in N.B. raises questions about modern sex-ed

FREDERICTON (CP) - A new sex education program in New Brunswick, which includes such topics as masturbation, orgasm and oral sex, has raised new questions about the place of the birds and the bees in the modern classroom....More

Health Canada warns about use of pain killer Celebrex due to heart risk

TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada has pulled authorization of pain relief drug Celebrex for the treatment of a rare genetic disease, following "new information" linking the drug to an increased risk of heart attack. The department has withdrawn authorization for Pfizer Inc....More

Hamilton-led study runner-up for Lancet's scientific paper of the year

TORONTO A landmark Canadian-led study that showed risk factors for heart attack are universal has been named runner-up for scientific paper of the year by the British medical journal Lancet....More

Vast store of organic matter may hold next great cancer drug

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) - Somewhere within a vast, frozen storehouse of tree bark, fungi and marine creatures, a breakthrough cancer drug may be hiding....More

Poll says just one in three Canadians got flu shot; nine per cent still plan to

OTTAWA (CP) - Before you pucker up under the mistletoe this holiday season, consider the following: two out of three Canadians haven't had a flu shot....More

Pfizer to stop advertising Celebrex pain reliever to consumers

NEW YORK (AP) - Drug maker Pfizer said Sunday it would immediately stop advertising its best-selling arthritis pain reliever Celebrex to consumers after a study showed high doses of it were associated with an increased heart attack risk....More

American patient dies before paying $642,000 N.S. health bill

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia taxpayers are on the hook for $642,000 charged to an American patient who spent 183 days in a Halifax hospital before dying without paying. ...More

Study cites possible blood pressure drug risk in older women

CHICAGO (AP) - Older women who combine two popular blood pressure drugs might be raising their risk of death, according to a study of more than 30,000 women. But doctors warned the research has flaws and said it is too soon to know whether the commonly prescribed duo really is dangerous. ...More

Study finds catch-22 of pandemic flu; could be stopped, but resources lacking

TORONTO (CP) - Mathematical modellers at Harvard's School of Public Health may have identified the catch-22 of pandemic flu. ...More

Ontario introduces ban on smoking and 'power wall' tobacco displays

TORONTO (CP) - Bar and corner-store owners winced while anti-tobacco activists celebrated Wednesday as the Ontario government introduced a provincewide ban on smoking, part of what it considers the toughest anti-tobacco strategy on the continent. ...More

Risks of natural birth after C-section reported higher, but still very low

BOSTON (AP) - Pregnant women who try a natural delivery after an earlier caesarean section face greater risks - but still very low ones - compared with those who opt for a second C-section, a large study suggests. ...More

U.S. government says study on birth control pill's benefits was flawed

(AP) - U.S. federal officials backed away Wednesday from the findings of two major studies on birth control pills, saying the research was flawed and that a new analysis shows there is no evidence that oral contraceptives cut the risk of heart disease. ...More

American patient dies before paying $642,000 N.S. health bill

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia taxpayers are on the hook for $642,000 charged to an American patient who spent 183 days in a Halifax hospital before dying without paying. ...More

Settlement approved for patients with illness after taking cholesterol drug

TORONTO (CP) - A settlement has been approved between pharmaceutical giant Bayer and Canadians who allege they became sick after taking the cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol....More

Quebec challenges constitutionality of federal anti-cloning law

QUEBEC (CP) - The Quebec government launched a legal challenge on Thursday of the constitutionality of the federal government's legislation governing cloning and other reproductive technologies....More

Woman died during U.S. AIDS drug study; family never told the likely cause

(AP) - Joyce Ann Hafford died without ever holding the son she had tried to save from AIDS by taking an experimental drug regimen administered by government-funded researchers during her pregnancy....More

Boy, 14, completes cross-Canada trek, but still waiting for liver transplant

TORONTO (CP) - A 14-year-old Ontario boy who defied medical odds by completing a gruelling cross-Canada walk to galvanize support for organ donation says he's "sad and angry" that he's still waiting for a liver transplant....More

Married people healthier than singles, divorcees, others

WASHINGTON (AP) - Married people are healthier than other adults, though husbands have a tendency to pack on some extra pounds, says the National Center for Health Statistics. The centre's report on Wednesday, based on a survey of more than 125,000 people, didn't specify reasons....More

Canada's drug-price controls could be casualty of Internet pharmacy: Dosanjh

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's highly successful price-control regime for prescription drugs could be at stake in the controversy over Internet drug exports, says Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh....More

Canada's highest court to hear tobacco companies' appeal of legislation

VANCOUVER (CP) - The long-standing fight between British Columbia and three tobacco companies moved to the judicial big leagues Thursday after the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the companies. The nation's highest court agreed to hear an appeal of B.C....More

Study cites possible blood pressure drug risk in older women

CHICAGO (AP) - Older women who combine two popular blood pressure drugs might be raising their risk of death, according to a study of more than 30,000 women. But doctors warned the research has flaws and said it is too soon to know whether the commonly prescribed duo really is dangerous....More

Risks of natural birth after C-section reported higher, but still very low

BOSTON (AP) - Pregnant women who try a natural delivery after an earlier caesarean section face greater risks - but still very low ones - compared with those who opt for a second C-section, a large study suggests....More

Retailers and Big Tobacco assail Ont. government over tough new smoking ban

TORONTO (CP) - Bar owners and retailers winced in pain while anti-smoking activists clapped each other on the back in triumph Wednesday as the Ontario government introduced new smoke-free legislation billed as one of the toughest anti-tobacco measures in North America....More

Coming to America: U.S. living may increase immigrants' obesity rates

CHICAGO (AP) - Long-term exposure to American culture may be hazardous to immigrants' health. A new study found that obesity is relatively rare in the foreign-born until they have lived in the United States - the land of drive-thrus, remote controls and double cheeseburgers -...More

American patient dies before paying $642,000 N.S. health bill

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia taxpayers are on the hook for $642,000 charged to an American patient who spent 183 days in a Halifax hospital before dying without paying....More

Antibiotics and vaccine have roles in anthrax attack response, U.S. study says

NEW YORK (AP) - Giving a new-generation anthrax vaccine along with antibiotics in response to a terrorist attack wouldn't prevent much disease, but it could help by letting people take the medicines for a briefer time, a U.S. study suggests....More

Alta. woman 3rd person in Canada to undergo lung transplant from living donors

EDMONTON (CP) - A woman from Edmonton has become only the third person in Canada to successfully undergo a lung transplant from two living donors. Officials with Edmonton's Capital Health region say Jessie McQuitty underwent the surgery Nov. 9....More

Arab religious leaders debate AIDS prevention, but mum on contraceptives

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Arab religious leaders on Monday debated methods to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS - a usually taboo subject in much of the conservative Arab world - but stopped short of recommending contraceptives....More

Ontario's tough new smoke-free bill to ban in-store cigarette displays: sources

TORONTO (CP) - Tough new anti-smoking legislation to be introduced Wednesday in Ontario will include a provincewide ban on in-store cigarette displays in an effort to hit the tobacco industry where it hurts, The Canadian Press has learned....More

Crisis in health care as one in three nurses nears retirement age: Report

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's nursing workforce will be hit by a tidal wave of retirements in coming years, a new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information indicates. One in three nurses is 50 or older, says the report based on 2003 data....More

2004 Health Care in Canada Survey released

The Health Care in Canada Partners have released the results of the 7th annual Health Care in Canada survey. The results portray a country concerned with funding and shortages of healthcare professionals....More

Ontario boy with liver disease close to finishing walk for organ donations

TORONTO (CP) - A 14-year-old boy suffering from a rare and potentially fatal liver disease is close to finishing a gruelling 3,000-kilometre cross-Canada walk to raise awareness for organ donation. Although Kristopher Knowles of Sarnia, Ont....More

FDA says four people who went to wrinkle clinic paralysed by unapproved toxin

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. (AP) - Four people paralysed by botulism were injected with large doses of a raw, unapproved botulinum toxin that their anti-wrinkle treatment clinic had bought from a California laboratory, federal documents show....More

New Alzheimer drug offers hope, some relief for caregivers but is no cure

TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada has approved for sale the first drug aimed at improving life for people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease - and, by extension, the people who look after them....More

Dead heron tests positive for bird flu in Hong Kong; poultry farms clear

HONG KONG (AP) - A dead grey heron found near Hong Kong's border with mainland China has tested positive for avian flu, the third such case in the territory this year, the government said Monday....More

Competition Bureau wins refund for consumers who bought diet patch on Net

OTTAWA (CP) - Consumers who bought Zyapex and Dyapex Diet Patches can get a full refund from Performance Marketing Ltd., which made false claims about the product, the Competition Bureau said Monday....More

Flu-shot scare illustrates ease of injecting potential victims

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The woman offering flu shots for $20 in the commons area at Augsburg college seemed plausible enough - green scrubs, white lab coat, stethoscope - that some three dozen people willingly paid their money, rolled up their sleeves and let her plunge the needle in....More

Arab religious leaders debate AIDS prevention, but mum on contraceptives

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Arab religious leaders on Monday debated methods to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS - a usually taboo subject in much of the conservative Arab world - but stopped short of recommending contraceptives....More

2004 Health Care in Canada Survey released

The Health Care in Canada Partners have released the results of the 7th annual Health Care in Canada survey. The results portray a country concerned with funding and shortages of healthcare professionals....More

Blood service drops mandatory retirement clause for blood donors

TORONTO (CP) - Jim Cupido was none too pleased when, after making hundreds of blood donations over 38 years he was involuntarily retired on his 71st birthday. "It hurt me....More

BioMS Medical receives approval for key multiple sclerosis trial in Britain

EDMONTON (CP) - BioMS Medical Corp. said Friday it has received approval in Britain to expand a key trial for its treatment of multiple sclerosis. Trading in BioMS shares (TSX:MS) was halted pending the announcement....More

Proposed changes would ban BSE-related material from pet food, fertilizer

OTTAWA (CP) - Federal regulators have proposed banning high risk material from animal feed, pet food and fertilizers, in an effort to prevent mad cow disease....More

Pandemic flu vaccine maker to start working on seed strain for H5N1 virus

QUEBEC (CP) - Canada's pandemic flu vaccine maker is finalizing negotiations to import the seed strain needed to make a vaccine against the devastating H5N1 avian influenza virus, company officials have revealed....More

Bush 'a little overweight' but otherwise 'fit for duty' after annual physical

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - President George W. Bush was found in good health and pronounced "fit for duty" after an annual physical Saturday that also showed that the 58-year-old chief executive is now, as he conceded, "a little overweight....More

B.C. Centre for Disease Control launches meningitis vaccination program

VANCOUVER (CP) - The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has launched a vaccination program for gay men to protect against a bacteria that can cause meningitis....More

2004 Health Care in Canada Survey released

The Health Care in Canada Partners have released the results of the 7th annual Health Care in Canada survey. The results portray a country concerned with funding and shortages of healthcare professionals....More

Environment group slams Ottawa for allowing use of chemical in farmed salmon

VANCOUVER (CP) - An environmental group is accusing Health Canada of changing the rules to allow salmon farms to use a controversial drug to fight sea lice....More

Health agency hires IBM to develop system to detect disease, bioterrorism

WINNIPEG (CP) - Federal health officials have turned to IBM to help develop a computerized early-warning system to detect outbreaks of infectious disease and bioterrorist attacks....More

Breast cancer drug shows better results at preventing return of disease

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) - A newer drug clearly outperforms tamoxifen at preventing breast cancer from returning and should become the first-choice treatment for most women who have had the disease, doctors are reporting....More

Health spending to rise 5.9 per cent this year, lowest jump since 1997

OTTAWA (CP) - Health-care spending in Canada is projected to reach $130 billion this year, up 5.9 per cent from 2003 but still the lowest annual jump since 1997....More

Novel drug offers new hope for tuberculosis treatment; tested on mice

WASHINGTON (AP) - A novel type of antibiotic has been shown in laboratory tests to powerfully attack and control tuberculosis, and some experts predict it could become the first new drug in 40 years to effectively combat the killer disease....More

Sleep remedy melatonin has little benefit, says U of Alberta study

TORONTO (CP) - Melatonin supplements have been hailed as a godsend by some weary shift workers, insomniacs and those with jet lag, but a new study out of the University of Alberta says they don't actually help much at all. "It has no benefit . . . That's the bottom line," Dr....More

World's children suffer under poverty, disease, war: new UNICEF report

TORONTO (CP) - Poverty, AIDS and wars are taking a savage toll on children around the world even though progress has been made in improving their lot in certain other areas, the head of UNICEF Canada says....More

Experts suggest flu shots for pregnant women, but midwives not enthusiastic

MONTREAL (CP) - There's a growing belief that pregnant women should be receiving key vaccines, including flu shots, experts say. But two new studies suggest the health-care professionals they see most often don't or can't deliver the vaccines in question....More

Less-severe surgery can tell whether breast cancer has spread, study finds

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) - Removing just one to three key lymph nodes instead of the usual dozen or more can spare women lifelong arm problems and reliably indicate whether breast cancer has spread and needs aggressive treatment, the first big study to test this approach has found....More

Hospitals on Vancouver Island turn to private clinics to cut wait lists

VICTORIA (CP) - Private clinics on Vancouver Island are being asked to submit bids to perform operations normally done at public hospitals, a Vancouver Island Health Authority spokesman said on Thursday. The Vancouver Island Health Authority is expecting to spend $2....More

Parkinson's disease drug may slow underlying illness, study suggests

(AP) - A drug widely prescribed to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease does not hasten the progression of the illness as some had feared, and it might even slow it down, a study suggests. But the matter is far from settled....More

Ontario hospitals dealing with outbreak of suspected Norwalk virus

TORONTO (CP) - Several Toronto medical centres stepped up their infectious disease protocols Wednesday to stop the spread of viruses that have stricken dozens of patients, including a number of babies....More

Low-income patients beating stress with yoga, meditation class

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) - He's a Vietnam vet who wears clunky metal rings on nearly every finger and builds computers for fun, but lately the only place David Wilson wants to be is on his yoga mat....More

Medical journal accuses UNICEF of failing to prevent child deaths

LONDON (AP) - The United Nations Children's Fund has lost its way and is failing to focus on preventing child deaths worldwide, the Lancet medical journal said Wednesday. The agency rejected the charge, saying child deaths had fallen significantly....More

Health spending to rise 5.9 per cent this year, lowest jump since 1997

OTTAWA (CP) - Health-care spending in Canada is projected to reach $130 billion this year, up 5.9 per cent from 2003 but still the lowest annual jump since 1997....More

Health spending to rise 5.9 per cent this year, lowest growth since 1997

OTTAWA (CP) - Health care spending is project to rise 5.9 per cent this year, the lowest annual growth rate since 1997, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reports. Spending is estimated at $130.3 billion, of which governments will account for 69....More

Breast cancer drug shows better results at preventing return of disease

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) - A newer drug clearly outperforms tamoxifen at preventing breast cancer from returning and should become the first-choice treatment for most women who have had the disease, doctors are reporting....More

Top U.S. drug-addiction research warns against decriminalizing marijuana

VANCOUVER (CP) - A top American clinical researcher in the field of drug addiction warned Tuesday that decriminalizing marijuana could lead to increased abuse of the drug....More

More flu vaccine available from Germany, but deal with Canada falls through

WASHINGTON (AP) - More flu vaccine, this time from Germany, will be available to help alleviate the U.S. crunch, but that still will leave the country with just two-thirds of what was initially expected. Hopes for a million more doses from Canada have fallen through....More

ID Biomedical elects to sell surplus vaccine to Canada, not the U.S.

MONTREAL (CP) - ID Biomedical, Canada's main supplier of flu vaccine, has elected to sell its remaining surplus doses of vaccine in Canada, not the United States, the company announced Tuesday. Chief Executive Officer Dr....More

Experts suggest delays in pandemic flu vaccine trials are 'foolhardy'

MONTREAL (CP) - The federal government should be speeding forward with work to streamline the eventual production of a pandemic influenza vaccine, say experts at an immunization conference....More

Internet pharmacy recruitment campaign lands in House of Commons

OTTAWA (CP) - An American company's pitch to Canadian doctors to write prescriptions for Internet pharmacies in exchange for big bucks is further evidence the government must shut down the industry, Liberal MP Don Boudria said Tuesday....More

Canadian street kids burdened by serious psychological problems, says agency

MONTREAL (CP) - Canada's largest cities are filled with street kids who suffer scarring psychological problems that affect their ability to lead productive lives, says a Montrealer who took shelter on streets across the country....More

Britain extends suspension of flu vaccine maker's licence by 3 months

LONDON (AP) - A vaccine manufacturer whose licence was suspended in October, plunging U.S. supplies of flu shots into crisis, will remain on hold for another three months, the British government said Tuesday. The Department of Health said the suspension of Chiron Corp....More

Bread, milk and Botox: Austrian grocery chain offers anti-wrinkle injections

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Besides cheap food, an Austrian discount grocery chain is offering bargain Botox treatments in an advertisement this week, sparking an outcry from critics who charge the campaign is unethical....More

Youthful researchers crack mystery of Tintin's odd eternal youth

TORONTO (CP) - He may be the original intrepid reporter, righting wrongs and thwarting nefarious bad guys in their attempts to unleash evil on an unsuspecting world. But there is, is there not, something slightly ......More

New Jersey man charged with smuggling flu vaccine into the United States

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - A convenience store owner has been charged with smuggling flu vaccine into the United States and offering it for sale to a hospital, apparently to cash in on the national shortage....More

Suspected stomach virus hits 2 Vancouver hospitals, surgeries cancelled

VANCOUVER (CP) - Some 30 patients and 45 staff members at two Vancouver hospitals are suffering from a suspected Norovirus. The stomach flu, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, has forced the cancellation of surgeries and closed wards at St. Paul's Hospital and B.C....More

Nurse's flu shots suspected of being fake turn out to be genuine

LYNDEN, Wash. (AP) - A nurse's flu shots suspected of being fake have turned out to be real after all. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration lab in Cincinnati determined that a sample provided by the woman was valid flu vaccine, Lynden police reported Saturday....More

Chickenpox vaccine could lead to less flesh-eating disease but more shingles

MONTREAL (CP) - Wider use of chickenpox vaccine could produce two side-effects, one a blessing and the other a curse, infectious disease experts said Monday. On the positive side, there would likely be fewer cases of flesh-eating disease in young children....More

Celebrex appears to be safer than Vioxx, Pennsylvania researchers say

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - New research suggests that top-selling pain reliever Celebrex does not carry the same heart attack risk as Vioxx, a similar drug pulled from the market in September because of safety concerns....More

Health Canada issues warning sedative bottle may contain additional drug

OTTAWA (CP) - Health Canada is advising consumers taking the sedative Novo-Lorazem to check their bottles for pills of a different shape and size, after being alerted that certain bottles of the drug may also contain Novo-Glyburide, an oral hypoglycemic....More

Expert warns next flu pandemic could destroy Earth's ecosystem

HONG KONG (AP) - A medical expert has warned the next flu pandemic could wreck the global ecosystem, in addition to killing millions of people worldwide, a newspaper reported Saturday....More

Polio project on cusp of wiping out a disease for only 2nd time in history

MONTREAL (CP) - Through heroic efforts of millions around the globe, the world is poised within the next year to eradicate a disease - polio - for only the second time in history....More

From U.S. to India - scans, MRIs sent overseas in outsourcing twist

CHICAGO (AP) - When a patient in Altoona, Pa., needs an emergency brain scan in the middle of the night, a doctor in Bangalore, India, is asked to interpret the results. Spurred by a shortage of U.S....More

AMA debates access to Internet drug prescriptions, flu vaccine

ATLANTA (AP) - Applying U.S. safety standards to drug imports is more important than allowing them into the country without the regulations just because they are cheaper, some delegates of the American Medical Association said Sunday....More

Nurse's flu shots suspected of being fake turn out to be genuine

LYNDEN, Wash. (CP) - A nurse's flu shots suspected of being fake have turned out to be real after all. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration lab in Cincinnati determined that a sample provided by the woman was valid flu vaccine, Lynden police reported Saturday....More

New drug restores women's lost libido, raises safety concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) - The manufacturer of a hormone patch aimed at restoring women's lost libido told U.S. federal health advisers Thursday that the therapy has not been linked to any serious safety problems and urged that approval not be delayed because of an unknown risk....More

Parents greet Nova Scotia launch of $4-million program for autistic children

HALIFAX (CP) - Parents of autistic preschoolers in Nova Scotia are greeting the province's launch of a costly therapy program as a "first step" that will help some of their children live normal lives....More

Drugs deemed inappropriate for seniors still frequently prescribed: study

TORONTO (CP) - A number of drugs that have been deemed inappropriate for use by senior citizens are nonetheless frequently prescribed in Ontario, a study by Toronto researchers reveals....More

Government proposes new rules for cigarettes that go out when untended

OTTAWA (CP) - Canadian cigarettes will be designed to go out when left untended under new regulations proposed by Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh....More

Anormed gets FDA OK to begin Phase III trials for stem cell transplant drug

VANCOUVER (CP) - Drug developer Anormed Inc. will begin Phase III trials for its new stem cell transplant drug for cancer patients in the United States. The Vancouver company announced Thursday it had reached agreement with the U.S....More

Dosanjh asks provinces to be vigilant with Internet pharmacies

OTTAWA (CP) - On the heels of his well-publicized call for medical watchdogs to crack down on doctors working for Internet pharmacies, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh is asking his provincial counterparts to do their part....More

Don't leave home without anti-malarial meds, D.R.-bound tourists warned

TORONTO (CP) - Don't leave home without it, public health officials are cautioning tourists heading for the warm climes of the Dominican Republic. The "it" in question is anti-malarial protection....More

Isotechnika gets 'no objection letter' from Health Canada for psoriasis trial

EDMONTON (CP) - Drug developer Isotechnika Inc. said Wednesday it has received a "no objection letter" from Health Canada for the start of a Phase 3 trial for its treatment of psoriasis. Trading in Isotechnika shares was halted pending the announcement....More

Lawyers for Florida governor ask U.S. Supreme Court to take right-to-die case

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Jeb Bush went to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in a bid to keep a severely brain-damaged woman alive over her husband's objections....More

Internet pioneer closes Manitoba pharmacy; blames dollar, uncertain climate

WINNIPEG (CP) - Just one year ago, Mark Rzepka was opening a $1-million Internet pharmacy in the small Manitoba town of Niverville believing he would be able to quadruple his staff within 12 months....More

FDA recommends approval of cancer drug for common childhood leukemia

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. federal health advisers on Wednesday recommended approval of the first new cancer drug in the past decade specifically aimed at treating the most common childhood leukemia. The panel, an advisory arm of the U.S....More

Canada signs international pact to help poor countries curb tobacco consumption

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada has signed an international treaty intended to help developing countries curb tobacco consumption....More

Anti-tobacco treaty is set to come into force following Peruvian ratification

GENEVA (AP) - A global anti-tobacco accord will take effect next year after being ratified by Peru, the 40th and final country needed to implement the treaty that limits advertising and requires tough new warning labels be put on packs of cigarettes....More

Canada announces new AIDS funding to help staunch tide of female victims

TORONTO (CP) - In a bid to help staunch the toll HIV/AIDS is taking on the women of the world, Canada announced $105 million in new funding for programs directed at women on Wednesday....More

Anti-AIDS campaigners spotlight need to protect women, girls

GENEVA (CP) - From Armenia to Zambia, thousands of activists turned out to sing in mighty cathedrals, light candles in city squares and march and hold dance-a-thons on World AIDS Day as the United Nations focused on protecting women and girls, often sidelined in the fight against the disease....More

Number of HIV cases up among Canadian women; need for female protection cited

TORONTO (CP) - As people across Canada commemorate the 16th annual World AIDS Day on Wednesday, Louise Binder will mark it by checking off another day on her calendar. At 55, the Toronto woman has had HIV for 12 years....More

Kansas joins other U.S. states in helping to import drugs from Canada, Europe

TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) - Kansas is joining three other U.S. states in a program aimed at helping residents import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada and Europe, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday. The program, started by Illinois Gov....More

Five-year study finds that Quebec kids don't have balanced diets

MONTREAL (CP) - Quebec children don't eat enough fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products, according to a five-year provincial study released on Tuesday....More

Number of Canadians claiming to be in good health falling, report finds

TORONTO (CP) - Canadians, it seems, aren't feeling as hale these days as they did about a decade ago. A report on the health of Canadians, released Tuesday, showed the number who assess their own health as excellent or very good declined from the mid-1990s to 2003, when 59....More

Netherlands hospital carrying out euthanasia for a few terminally ill babies

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - A hospital in the Netherlands recently proposed guidelines for mercy killings of terminally ill newborns, and then made a startling revelation: It had already begun carrying out such procedures, which include administering a lethal dose of sedatives....More

Multiple births riskier for mother as well as for infants, study finds

TORONTO (CP) - Women pregnant with twins, triplets and other multiple births are at increased risk of serious health problems, a new study shows, adding fuel to the debate over whether fertility clinics should implant only one embryo during assisted reproduction attempts....More

Guilty pleas for Koebel brothers charged in Walkerton water disaster

WALKERTON, Ont. (CP) - The two brothers at the centre of one of Canada's worst public-health disasters pleaded guilty Tuesday to their part in the E. coli tragedy that killed seven and left thousands ill in this sleepy farm town four years ago....More

Health officials warn travellers about malaria in Dominican Republic

VANCOUVER (CP) - The B.C. Centre for Disease Control issued an alert Tuesday warning travellers about malaria in the Dominican Republic after two people were diagnosed with the most severe form of the disease....More