Canadian Online Health Information: April 2005

Friday, April 29, 2005

Lilly halts child sepsis study after it showed no benefit for children

WASHINGTON (AP) - Eli Lilly & Co. has halted a pediatric study of its sepsis treatment Xigris, saying the drug was showing no benefit for children with the severe bloodstream infection and there was a sign of a possible serious side effect....More

Saskatchewan government expands health hot-line to help addicts

REGINA (CP) - The Saskatchewan government is spending $600,000 to educate high school students on the dangers of crystal methamphetamine and expand its health hot-line to provide 24-hour counselling for addicts....More

British court says couples can create babies to cure sick siblings

LONDON (AP) - British couples can create babies through in vitro fertilization to help cure sick siblings, Britain's highest appeal court ruled Thursday, rejecting a challenge from an anti-abortion group....More

For first time, American CDC pushing new mosquito repellents

ATLANTA (CP) - After years of promoting the chemical DEET as the best defence against West Nile-bearing mosquitoes, the government for the first time is recommending the use of two other insect repellents....More

Canada geese can be winged couriers of so-called superbugs: study

TORONTO (CP) - They may be lovely to look at. But Canada geese are generally considered pests, walking feces factories that take over parks and ponds, leaving a slick of guano in their wake.

A new study suggests the problem may be more than cosmetic....More

Biomira trims Q1 loss to $4.4M from year-ago $4.9M on reduced expenses

EDMONTON (CP) - Lower research expenses helped cancer vaccine developer Biomira Inc. narrow its first-quarter loss by $500,000 from a year ago, officials reported Thursday.

The company's net loss for the three months ended March 31, was $4....More

Biopharmaceutical firm MethylGene Q1 loss down to $2.8M, revenue up to $1.9M

MONTREAL (CP) - MethylGene Inc. cut its first-quarter loss to $2.8 million from a year-ago $3 million as revenues from its licence deals moved upwards, the maker

The loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share, down from a loss of 18 cents per share in the year-earlier period....More

WHO says 18 new cases of polio in Yemen, sparking fear of epidemic

GENEVA (AP) - The UN health agency Friday said that 18 new cases of polio have been found in Yemen and more people are believed infected, sparking fears of an epidemic in the Middle East country with a low immunization rate among children....More

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Step counting may be an effective fitness strategy

TORONTO (MRI) - Looking to improve your fitness level but finding it hard to meet your goals? Pedometers, those increasingly popular gizmos that count the number of steps you take each day, could help, according to a recent study....More

Studies show vitamin D, calcium don't stop bone breaks; confusion predicted

TORONTO (CP) - Two new British studies suggest that vitamin D and calcium - alone or together - do nothing to prevent further bone breaks in elderly people who have either already suffered a fracture or are at high risk of having one....More

Sask. must tell women about what's done with Pap test results:watchdog

REGINA (CP) - Women upset that their Pap test results were sent to them in the mail through the provincial cancer screening program should have been better informed about who was going to see their personal medical information, says Saskatchewan's privacy watchdog....More

Medical device maker Guidant shareholders approve merger with J&J

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Shareholders of medical device maker Guidant Corp. on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favour of Johnson & Johnson's planned $25.4 billion US acquisition of the Indianapolis-based company....More

Paul Martin fights battle of the bulge as he battles for his political life

OTTAWA (CP) - Paul Martin doesn't think he's fat, but it seems his wife does.

The prime minister revealed this week that he has been on a low-carbohydrate diet - specifically the South Beach Diet - since wife Sheila pointed out his growing girth recently....More

Evidence doesn't back need for Health Canada eczema cream warning, group says

TORONTO (CP) - A Health Canada warning to patients about the potential cancer risk posed by the eczema creams Elidel and Protopic isn't supported by clinical evidence, says the Canadian Dermatology Association....More

For first time, American CDC pushing new mosquito repellents

ATLANTA (AP) - After years of promoting the chemical DEET as the best defence against West Nile-bearing mosquitoes, the government for the first time is recommending the use of two other insect repellents....More

1 in 10 severe injuries happen on the job, young people at high risk: study

TORONTO (CP) - It's been almost 11 years, but not a day goes by that Paul Kells isn't haunted by the memory of his teenaged son lying in a hospital burn unit, slowly dying after being engulfed in a chemical fire at his part-time summer job....More

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Smoking increases risk of blindness in elderly

TORONTO (MRI) - People who smoke are twice as likely to suffer from age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, a British study found....More

New website shows patients, care providers state of cancer care in Ontario

TORONTO (CP) - Cancer patients, their families and heath-care providers in Ontario can now tap into the Internet to find out what kind of progress the province is making against the killer disease and where improvements are needed....More

ImClone posts lower earnings in first quarter

NEW YORK (AP) - ImClone Systems Inc., the maker of colon cancer treatment Erbitux, said Tuesday that first-quarter earnings fell sharply from a year ago due to lower revenue, higher compensation expenses associated with increased head count and higher professional fees, primarily for...More

Ear tube surgery safe for children, brings long-term hearing benefits

TORONTO (MRI) - Children who have ear tubes inserted to treat recurring ear infections hear as well as other children in the long term, a recent study found, but they may require repeated tube insertion to bring about positive results....More

Exercise alone not enough to reduce high blood pressure for older people

TORONTO (MRI) - Just when study after study on the benefits of exercise had you thinking working out could be a miracle cure for all that ails us, there's word that it might not fix everything - at least not where older adults and high blood pressure are concerned....More

Breast cancer drug shows new promise for treatment of some in early stages

SAN FRANCISCO (CP) - A drug that has been used to help the sickest breast cancer patients now shows promise in treating women in the early stages of a virulent type of the disease, the U.S. National Cancer Institute says....More

Alberta defers decision on allowing child to sue mom for injuries in womb

EDMONTON (CP) - Alberta is looking at drafting a groundbreaking law that would allow a child to sue her mother for injuries from a car crash when the woman was pregnant....More

Business slow for U.S. state-run programs that import Canadian drugs

CHICAGO (AP) - Arlene Gregory could not afford the drugs her doctor prescribed to lower her cholesterol and strengthen her bones but she hesitated to take part in Illinois' new program for importing medication from Canada at a discount. Too risky, she said....More

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Study: 1 in 5 teens tried painkillers

(AP) - About one in five American teenagers have tried prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin to get high, with the pill-popping members of "Generation Rx" often raiding their parents' medicine cabinets, according to a study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America....More

Scientists: Small study suggests gene therapy may slow Alzheimer's

WASHINGTON (AP) - The first attempt at gene therapy for Alzheimer's patients appeared to significantly delay worsening of the disease in a few people who have tested it so far, scientists reported Sunday....More

Ottawa spending $75 million to help accredit foreign-trained doctors, nurses

VANCOUVER (CP) - Doctors welcomed a federal announcement Monday of $75 million to help speed the integration of foreign-trained medical professionals into the health-care system.

But a B.C....More

Mental health courts give offenders a second chance, away from jail

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - At 16, Kimberly Hudson was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but medication was not prescribed because of her age. The next few years were a nightmare of mood swings that she tempered with marijuana and cocaine, until drug and theft charges landed her in court....More

Common painkillers may help prevent, slow macular degeneration: study

TORONTO (CP) - Common painkillers may play a role in preventing or slowing the progression of macular degeneration, the most common form of age-related blindness in North America, a new study suggests....More

Antibiotics disappoint in heart studies

(AP) - Two very large studies have reached the disappointing conclusion that regularly taking antibiotics doesn't prevent heart disease, as some scientists had hoped....More

Chest X-rays offer chance to detect spinal fractures of osteoporosis: study

TORONTO (CP) - Chest X-rays can provide information beyond the state of the heart and lungs - they also offer an opportunity to detect fractures in the spine that signal osteoporosis....More

Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins equally effective, study shows

TORONTO (CP) - Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars to convince consumers and doctors that their products are superior to competitor brands. But when it comes to cholesterol-busting drugs known as statins, a Canadian study says one is as good as another....More

Monday, April 25, 2005

Last sample of killer flu virus outside the U.S. destroyed in Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) - The last sample of the killer influenza virus sent outside the United States was destroyed Friday "according to internationally accepted safety measures," the American University of Beirut said....More

Foster care agency seeks review of policies allowing children in drug trials

NEW YORK (AP) - A city agency said Friday it has asked for a review of its policies and whether they were followed when it allowed more than 400 HIV-positive children in foster care to be enrolled in tests of HIV drugs from the late 1980s to 2001....More

Students feeling stress at exam time cope in several different ways

MONTREAL (CP) - Estelle Wu knows only too well when exam time is approaching.

"I get grumpy a lot and I can't really sleep," the Grade 11 student says of the pressure she feels when faced with a crush of tests and exams....More

CDC says 99 per cent of killer flu virus samples have been destroyed

ATLANTA (AP) - At least 99 per cent of the killer flu samples mistakenly sent to laboratories around the world by a medical supply house have been recovered and destroyed, and there have been no infections, the government said Thursday....More

Angolan death toll from outbreak of rare Marburg virus climbs to 244

LUANDA, Angola (AP) - The death toll from an outbreak of the rare Marburg virus in Angola has climbed to 244, but authorities said Friday they were cheered by a decline in the number of new infections....More

Experts mull possibility of vaccine protection against pandemic flu strains

TORONTO (CP) - When the next influenza pandemic hits, vaccine will be the key defence for countries that can afford it. But there will be inevitable if agonizing months between the emergence of a pandemic strain and the point when vaccine is ready to be plunged into arms....More

Poll shows a third of Slovaks have bribed doctors in hopes of better care

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) - A poll released Monday showed that 33.8 per cent of Slovaks have resorted to giving bribes to doctors in the past five years, hoping to ensure better care....More

Some seniors worried about memory loss find peace of mind with brain screening

DALLAS (AP) - Bill Crist was angry and upset when his doctor diagnosed him with dementia.

But the 64-year-old retired pharmacist felt a little better after going to the Center for BrainHealth for an evaluation which showed his language skills and memory were still quite strong....More

Friday, April 22, 2005

FDA seeking data from epilepsy drug makers on suicide risk in patients

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration has begun a preliminary inquiry into whether epilepsy drugs might increase the risk of suicidal behaviour in some patients, particularly those who use them for psychiatric illnesses instead of seizure prevention....More

Fake baby formula sickens Chinese infant despite crackdown on counterfeiting

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Fake baby milk powder with little or no nutritional value nearly starved an infant girl in southern China, despite the government's months-long crackdown on such counterfeit products, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday....More

Drug to prevent breast cancer recurrence does not alter cholesterol: study

TORONTO (CP) - A drug to prevent recurrence of early-stage breast cancer in post-menopausal women does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by altering cholesterol levels, a study shows....More

Crestor outperforms three other statin drugs in study

TORONTO (MRI) - The statin drug rosuvastatin may be more effective than equal or higher doses of other similar drugs at lowering cholesterol levels, a new study has found....More

CTV sets May 29 for airing of movie based on SARS crisis

TORONTO (CP) - Plague City, CTV's latest movie of the week which was filmed this past winter in the Toronto and Hamilton areas, will air Sunday, May 29, the network announced Thursday....More

Canadian special pathogens team sees progress in Angola's Marburg outbreak

(CP) - When hemorrhagic fevers expert Dr. Heinz Feldmann started his career 20 years ago, he and fellow students of the rare pathogens that cause Marburg fever and Ebola toiled in obscurity, often presenting papers at scientific meetings to audiences of two.

No longer....More

CDC says 99 per cent of killer flu virus samples have been destroyed

Bernstein recommended to continue heading Institutes of Health Research

OTTAWA (CP) - Dr. Alan Bernstein's reappointment as head of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research has been recommended by Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh....More

Canada involved in multi-country crackdown on Internet pharmacies; 20 arrested

WASHINGTON (AP) - Twenty people in the United States and abroad, including Canada, have been arrested on charges they ran Internet pharmacies that illegally shipped narcotics, steroids and amphetamines to teenagers and other buyers around the world, U.S. authorities announced Wednesday. ...More

WHO says all international samples found, all but one destroyed

GENEVA (AP) - All samples of the killer influenza virus sent outside the United States have been destroyed except one in Lebanon, and that has been located, the UN health agency said Wednesday. ...More

Scientists ask nations to allow therapeutic human cloning for stem cell work

KYOTO, Japan (AP) - An international group of scientists on Wednesday urged nations to allow some human cloning for stem-cell research - but not for reproduction - saying a blanket cloning ban could set back efforts to develop new medical treatments. ...More

Health Canada approves non-prescription sales of 'morning-after' pill

TORONTO (CP) - Women throughout Canada should soon have access to the so-called morning-after pill without having first to obtain a prescription from their doctor. ...More

Ontario ER use down months after SARS ended, even far from affected hospitals

TORONTO (CP) - Patients stayed away from hospital emergency departments in Ontario in droves during the 2003 SARS crisis - and continued to steer clear months after the outbreak was contained, newly released data show. ...More

Canadian youth rank fourth highest for obesity in international study

TORONTO (CP) - Canadian youth are among the world's heavyweights - ranking fourth highest in a study of adolescent obesity in 34 countries - and researchers say sedentary behaviour is mostly to blame. ...More

Liberal health minister "lying" on claims to protect medicare: NDP

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's health minister is outright "lying" when he claims to be fighting to protect medicare from privatization, an issue likely to dominate the next federal election campaign, says the NDP health critic. ...More

Quebec's C. difficile cases increased during winter months during flu season

MONTREAL (CP) - The number of C. difficile cases increased 50 per cent this winter in Quebec, largely during flu season, the province's Institute for Public Health said Wednesday. ...More

Commons votes for immediate compensation of "forgotten victims" tainted blood

OTTAWA (CP) - The Commons unanimously passed a motion Wednesday calling for immediate compensation of the "forgotten victims" of tainted blood, but it's far from clear when or if the victims will actually get help. ...More

American scientists link male disease to female genetic material

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Can men inherit risk for a uniquely male disease from their moms? ...More

Loophole makes Ontario complicit in exposing youth to tobacco: activists

TORONTO (CP) - Anti-smoking activists said Wednesday they plan to try to close a loophole in Ontario's proposed tobacco control bill that they fear could leave the province's youth exposed to dangerous tobacco advertising. ...More

Study questions heart failure drug used in over 600,000 patients

CHICAGO (AP) - A genetically engineered drug that was hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of heart failure when it was approved in 2001 might actually raise patients' risk of dying soon after treatment, researchers say. ...More

U.S. government tips food pyramid, adds stairclimbing figure

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government flipped the 13-year-old food pyramid on its side Tuesday, added a staircase for exercise and offered a dozen different models, all aimed at helping Americans trim their waistlines. ...More

Study finds U.S. government has overstated the danger of being overweight

CHICAGO (AP) - Being overweight is nowhere near as big a killer as the U.S. government thought, ranking No. 7 instead of No. 2 among the country's leading preventable causes of death, according to a startling new calculation from the CDC. ...More

WHO says all international samples found; all but one destroyed

Telemedicine: Webcams, camera phones let patients visit doctors without leaving home

(CP) - Every three days, nurses come to diabetic Robin King's home to change the dressing on a nasty foot ulcer that has plagued him for months. And although he has barely left his Edmonton home since early February, King has been able to keep his physician in the picture - literally - about how the wound is healing. ...More

Canada involved in multi-country crackdown on Internet pharmacies; 20 arrested

Health Canada approves non-prescription sales of 'morning-after' pill

TORONTO (CP) - Women throughout Canada should soon have access to the so-called morning-after pill without having first to obtain a prescription from their doctor. ...More

Scientists ask nations to allow therapeutic human cloning for stem cell work

WHO says all international samples found; all but one destroyed

Quebec's C. difficile cases increased during winter months during flu season

MONTREAL (CP) - The number of C. difficile cases increased 50 per cent this winter in Quebec, largely during flu season, the province's Institute for Public Health said Wednesday. ...More

Ontario ER use down months after SARS ended, even far from affected hospitals

Telemedicine: Webcams, camera phones let patients visit doctors without leaving home

Commons votes for immediate compensation of "forgotten victims" tainted blood

Canadian youth rank fourth highest for obesity in international study

American scientists link male disease to female genetic material

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Can men inherit risk for a uniquely male disease from their moms? ...More

Liberal health minister "lying" on claims to protect medicare: NDP

U.S. government tips food pyramid, adds stairclimbing figure

Loophole makes Ontario complicit in exposing youth to tobacco: activists

Study questions heart failure drug used in over 600,000 patients

Study finds U.S. government has overstated the danger of being overweight

WHO says all international samples found, all but one destroyed

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Loophole makes Ontario complicit in exposing youth to tobacco: activists

London recommended as site for new Shriners Hospital, decision not final

LONDON, Ont. (CP) - London has been recommended as the future home of the Shriners Hospital for Children, beating out Montreal and Ottawa....More

Liberal health minister "lying" on claims to protect medicare: NDP

Canadian youth rank fourth highest for obesity in international study

Commons votes for immediate compensation of "forgotten victims" tainted blood

American scientists link male disease to female genetic material

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Can men inherit risk for a uniquely male disease from their moms?

New research raises that odd possibility....More

Canada involved in multi-country crackdown on Internet pharmacies; 20 arrested

Fake baby formula sickens Chinese infant despite crackdown on counterfeiting

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Alta family collects 4,800 signatures on petition for better care for seniors

EDMONTON (CP) - Moments after her mother-in-law died of an infection stemming from poor hygiene at her nursing home, Lynda Jonson promised to do her best to ensure other seniors wouldn't suffer the same kind of neglect....More

Motherisk, celebrated program to help women through pregnancy, turns 20

TORONTO (CP) - Motherisk, the celebrated risk-reduction program for pregnant women run by the Hospital for Sick Children, is turning 20....More

Health minister slams Harper's vision of privatized health care as dangerous

TORONTO (CP) - The right-wing Conservative strategy of injecting more private money into health care would destroy the universal system of medicare so cherished by Canadians, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Tuesday....More

Health Canada approves non-prescription sales of 'morning-after' pill

TORONTO (CP) - Women throughout Canada should soon have access to the so-called morning-after pill without having first to obtain a prescription from their doctor....More

Health Canada approves cannabis-based drug for treatment of MS-related pain

TORONTO (CP) - Drug regulators in this country have given market approval to a cannabis-based drug that can be used for relief of neuropathic pain in adults with multiple sclerosis....More

Scientists ask nations to allow therapeutic human cloning for stem cell work

WHO says all international samples found; all but one destroyed

Drugmaker Q1 results differ wildly, Pfizer net income plunges, J&J's soars

NEW YORK (AP) - Pfizer Inc., the world's biggest drug company, reported Tuesday an 87 per cent plunge in first-quarter profits, due partly to its now withdrawn pain reliever Bextra, which it said will drive full-year earnings below its previously announced forecast....More

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Smoking, extra weight may decrease chances of IVF success

TORONTO (MRI) - If you're trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization, it may be time to butt out - and lose that butt while you're at it. A new study shows smoking and excess weight can both reduce your chances of having a baby through infertility treatment....More

Post exposure vaccine, drugs make most sense if event of anthrax attack: study

TORONTO (CP) - Post-exposure use of vaccine and antibiotics makes more economic sense as a means of protecting a large urban centre against an anthrax attack than vaccinating an entire city's population in anticipation of an attack, a new study suggests....More

National Cancer Institute halts trial of AstraZeneca cancer drug, Iressa

NEW YORK (AP) - The U.S. National Cancer Institute said on Monday it halted a trial it was sponsoring of AstraZeneca PLC cancer drug Iressa because the medicine was not increasing patients' survival....More

Japan reports 2 new possible cases of mad cow disease; more tests planned

TOKYO (AP) - Two cows in northern Japan have tested positive for mad cow disease in preliminary exams, and samples were being sent Tuesday to a laboratory to confirm what would be the country's 18th and 19th cases of the fatal, brain-wasting disease....More

Doctor questioning whether flu scare warranted; CDC receives sample

CINCINNATI (AP) - A doctor with a U.S. organization that certifies how well labs identify viruses is questioning whether a flu strain that caused an international public-health scare when sent to thousands of labs was strong enough to infect people....More

Defence department to develop new plague vaccine with U.S. and Britain

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada has signed an agreement with the United States and Britain to develop an improved plague vaccine to protect soldiers in the event of biological warfare....More

Beans, "good" carbs may reduce breast cancer risk

TORONTO (MRI) - Beans, beans, they're good for the heart... and the breasts? Maybe so, according to two recent studies in the International Journal of Cancer that deal with how beans and other foods can affect your breast cancer risk....More

Alta family collects 4,800 signatures on petition for better care for seniors

Monday, April 18, 2005

Head of Canadian Medical Association wants money spent to shorten wait lists

MONTREAL (CP) - The president of the Canadian Medical Association urged the federal government on Saturday to make massive investments in the health system to help shorten waiting lists across the country. ...More

Samples of pandemic flu virus sent to Lebanon, Mexico and Chile missing: WHO

TORONTO (CP) - While international health experts have made "considerable progress" in destroying vials of pandemic flu virus, three of the potentially deadly packages never reached their destinations and are still missing, a UN official says. ...More

Dosanjh announces measures to protect and strengthen medication rules

VANCOUVER (CP) - A series of measures to enhance drug safety in Canada, including a public forum to address concerns about arthritis medication, were announced by federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh on Saturday ...More

Exercise, stress management may benefit heart disease sufferers

TORONTO (MRI) - We probably don't need to tell you that exercise and stress
management can have big payoffs in terms of your health. But you can add a new
study to the pile already extolling the benefits of working out and keeping
stress at bay - in this case, for people who have already been diagnosed with
heart disease....More

Details of investigations into the treatment of Terri Schiavo to be made public

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - A judge has ordered state officials to release summaries of their investigations into the treatment of Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman who died last month after her feeding tube was removed....More

Afghan toddler dies two days after returning home from surgery in U.S.

KABUL (AP) - An Afghan toddler sent to the United States for surgery to fix a life-threatening heart condition died in his father's arms Friday, just two days after his joyful return home, the U.S. military announced....More

Centers for Disease Control says foodborne diseases on decline in the U.S.

ATLANTA (AP) - Major foodborne diseases - including E. coli, salmonella and listeria - have dropped dramatically in the United States since the late 1990s, the government said Tuesday.

The government attributed the decline to better food-industry practices....More

Head of Canadian Medical Association wants money spent to shorten wait lists

Americans buy more medicine per person than residents of any other country in the world

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) - Every day breaks the same way for Alice and Ken Heckman: they each crack open a rattling plastic tray holding scores of pills....More

Health officials to wait and watch humans exposed to deer disease

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - After 350 people at a sportsman's dinner ate venison from sick deer, a scientist says now is the time to launch a study to determine if the fatal chronic wasting disease could spread to humans who ingest infected meat....More

Dosanjh announces measures to protect and strengthen medication rules

The government also plans to have a new ombudsman's office within...More

Friday, April 15, 2005

In Angolan town struck by deadly virus, residents scrap traditional hug

UIGE, Angola (AP) - Fearful of a deadly virus that has killed at least 210 people, inhabitants of this northern Angolan town have given up their tradition of greeting friends and acquaintances with a hug....More

Biogen, Elan release positive findings on recently withdrawn MS drug

BOSTON (AP) - The makers of a recently withdrawn multiple sclerosis drug released positive results from a two-year study and said they continue to hold out hope that Tysabri could eventually be found safe to return to the market.

The companies withdrew Tysabri on Feb....More

Judge strikes down ban on ephedra, product linked to death of Orioles pitcher

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A federal judge struck down the FDA ban on ephedra, the once-popular weight-loss aid that was yanked from the market after it was linked to dozens of deaths - including that of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler....More

Colon holds many unknown bacteria, could lead to bowel disease therapy: study

TORONTO (CP) - As medical research goes, it doesn't seem the most pleasant of pursuits - rummaging through snippets of people's intestines and bits of stool to ferret out microbes.

But for a group of Canadian and U.S....More

Hong Kong lab worker opened flu virus vials before WHO issued destroy order

HONG KONG (AP) - A Hong Kong lab worker opened vials of a deadly flu strain days before laboratories worldwide were urged to destroy the virus strain that killed up to four million people in 1957, a newspaper reported Friday....More

Exercise, stress management may benefit heart disease sufferers

Afghan toddler dies two days after returning home from surgery in U.S.

Boston Scientific wins FDA approval for new Liberte heart stent

NATICK, Mass. (CP) - U.S. federal regulators have approved Boston Scientific's new Liberte heart stent, the company said Thursday....More

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Federal government marks Terry Fox anniversary with $10 million donation

TORONTO (CP) - Even the federal government appears moved by the 25th anniversary of the start of Terry Fox's heroic Marathon of Hope....More

Hand gel users less likely to catch a family member's cold

TORONTO (MRI) - If a family member's sniffling and sneezing has you worried
that you could be next in line for a cold, take heart. Using an alcohol-based
hand sanitizing gel may lower your chances of catching it....More

Controversy-filled silicone breast implants could make comeback in Canada

TORONTO (CP) - Thirteen years after silicone breast implants were pulled off the market over concerns they might be causing severe health problems for women, the controversial devices could be about to make a second debut....More

Monday, April 11, 2005

8-year-old girl becomes third victim of avian flu in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - An eight-year-old Cambodian girl has recently died from avian flu, raising the Southeast Asian country's death toll from the deadly disease to three, officials said Sunday....More

Friday, April 08, 2005

Cookie Monster has changed on Sesame Street: 'Me eat less cookies'

NEW YORK (AP) - Something must be wrong in the land of Muppets. First PBS announced that Sesame Street would kick off its 35th season this week with a multiyear story arc about healthy habits. No problem there; childhood obesity rates are soaring....More

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Cigarette maker Philip Morris to open R&D centre on nixing dangers of smoking

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Philip Morris USA, the biggest U.S. cigarette maker whose brands include the top seller Marlboro, announced plans Tuesday to build a $300 million US research and development centre in Richmond that will focus on reducing the hazards of smoking. ...More

Drug companies develop clearinghouse to aid uninsured

WASHINGTON (AP) - Drug manufacturers, under fire from consumer advocacy groups for opposing legislation to reduce prescription costs, announced Tuesday they would spend about $30 million US through June to develop and promote a program that would help poor Americans gain access to the medicines they need. ...More

Japan's oldest person, Ura Koyama, dies of pneumonia at age 114

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's oldest woman, 114-year-old Ura Koyama, died of pneumonia at a hospital in southern Japan, an official said Tuesday. ...More

UN expert says N. Korean bird flu different from version in Southeast Asian

BEIJING (AP) - The strain of bird flu that has struck poultry in North Korea is different from the one that has killed dozens of people in Southeast Asia, a UN expert said Tuesday after visiting the North. ...More

UN expert says N. Korean bird flu different from version in Southeast Asian

Japan's oldest person, Ura Koyama, dies of pneumonia at age 114

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's oldest woman, 114-year-old Ura Koyama, died of pneumonia at a hospital in southern Japan, an official said Tuesday. ...More

Drug companies develop clearinghouse to aid uninsured

Canada's drug spending on rise, taking growing bite of health-care pie: report

TORONTO (CP) - Canadians' propensity for popping pills to fix what ails them continues to rise, with the country's 2004 drug tab estimated at almost $22 billion, up about nine per cent from a year earlier and five times the amount spent 20 years ago, a report released Tuesday suggests. ...More

Tobacco-funded smokers' group launches Quebec website to fight new laws

MONTREAL (CP) - A tobacco-funded smokers' rights group has started operations in Quebec to counter the non-smoking lobby. ...More

Bird flu kills two additional people in Vietnam, bringing regional toll to 50

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Asia's death toll from bird flu rose to 50 on Wednesday when Vietnamese health officials and a hospital doctor confirmed two additional deaths in Vietnam....More

Ottawa not responsible for lifting anti-SARS measures in May 2003: lawyer

TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa should bear none of the blame for the decision to relax anti-infection measures at Toronto hospitals during the SARS crisis two years ago when it appeared the deadly outbreak had run its course, a federal lawyer argued Wednesday....More

Canadian and U.S. pharmacists meet in Texas to warn against Internet drug sales

AUSTIN (AP) - Canadian pharmacists joined their Texan counterparts here Wednesday to warn consumers that purchasing drugs over the Internet can be a risky venture....More

FDA to reconsider silicone breast-implant ban, amid durability questions

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government is considering lifting a ban on most silicone-gel breast implants, but federal scientists question whether there's enough evidence indicating how long the devices will last inside a woman's body - or what health risks may result if they break....More

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Tobacco-funded smokers' group launches Quebec website to fight new laws

MONTREAL (CP) - A tobacco-funded smokers' rights group has started operations in Quebec to counter the non-smoking lobby.

Monchoix (My choice) has initiated a website to spread its message to French Quebecers. The group, which started in Ontario in 2004, receives more than $2....More

Study links level of blood sugar control with erectile function

TORONTO (MRI) - For men with diabetes, problems achieving and maintaining erections may increase
as blood sugar control worsens, a recent study found....More

Ontario begins fight against class-action lawsuit over second SARS outbreak

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario government lawyers tried to persuade a judge Tuesday to dismiss a class-action lawsuit that alleges health officials called a premature halt to their efforts to stop the spread of SARS before the deadly 2003 outbreak had run its course....More

Japan's oldest person, Ura Koyama, dies of pneumonia at age 114

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's oldest woman, 114-year-old Ura Koyama, died of pneumonia at a hospital in southern Japan, an official said Tuesday.

Koyama died Tuesday in Iizuka City, where she had been hospitalized, according to Akemi Hiromoto, a city official....More

Drug companies develop clearinghouse to aid uninsured

Canada's drug spending on rise, taking growing bite of health-care pie: report

Bird flu kills two additional people in Vietnam, bringing regional toll to 50

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Asia's death toll from bird flu rose to 50 on Wednesday when Vietnamese health officials and a hospital doctor confirmed two additional deaths in Vietnam....More

Cigarette maker Philip Morris to open R&D centre on nixing dangers of smoking

Monday, April 04, 2005

Fight in U.S. over life and death not likely to end with Schiavo death

WASHINGTON (CP) - The bitter battle sparked by Terry Schiavo's plight isn't over.

Her case prompted a national tug of war in the United States between advocates who wanted her kept alive and those who supported her right to die in a dispute that could play out for years to come....More

WHO plays down fears of wider spread of Ebola-like virus striking Angola

GENEVA (AP) - The World Health Organization on Friday played down fears of a wider spread of an Ebola-like virus striking Angola, which has now killed 127 people....More

UN: Cholera epidemic breaks out in squalid Congo camp, could spread

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - A cholera epidemic has killed at least four and infected dozens in a squalid camp for displaced people in northeastern Congo, and it threatens to spread across the entire region, UN officials said Friday....More

Viagra doesn't work? Check your testosterone levels

(MRI) - Men who've, ahem, fallen and can't get up - even with the help of Viagra -
may want to get their testosterone levels checked. A recent study shows that
in cases where men suffering from erectile difficulties fail to respond to medication,
low levels of the male sex hormone may play a role....More

E. coli outbreak among children in Florida brings scrutiny to petting zoos

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Shannon Smowton's trip to the fair should have ended with happy memories of carnival rides and cute farm animals. Instead, the five-year-old is clinging to life, her kidneys under attack from the E. coli infection she apparently caught at the fair....More

Children with juvenile arthritis have thinner bones: study

(MRI) - Children who suffer from juvenile arthritis have lower bone mass than healthy
kids, a new study shows....More

Birth control pill may offer protection for some women against breast cancer

(MRI) - A new study shows some women who have a genetic risk for developing breast
cancer could benefit from taking oral contraceptives, a finding that contradicts
earlier studies suggesting the pill could raise the risk....More