Study finds men and women with MS equally transmit genetic risk to offspring

TORONTO (CP) - A study of Canadian families with a parent who has multiple sclerosis has found men and women transmit the genetic risk of MS equally to their children....More

Public health more important than tobacco company rights, says top court

OTTAWA (CP) - The Supreme Court of Canada, concluding that protection of public health takes precedence over the rights of cigarette manufacturers, has upheld a decade-old federal law setting strict limits on tobacco advertising....More

Possibly tainted fish the latest Chinese import subject to stepped-up scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) - Farmed seafood joined tires, toothpaste and toy trains on the list of tainted and defective products from China that could be hazardous to a person's health. U.S....More

No strike yet for Saskatchewan health-care workers as negotiations continue

SASKATOON (CP) - Negotiations aimed at avoiding a strike by 2,700 Saskatchewan health-care professionals continue. Chris Driol, president of the Health Sciences Association, won't say how the talks are going because both sides have agreed not to release details....More

Las Vegas doctor, wife charged with injecting patients with toxin

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A doctor and his wife are accused of injecting patients with an unapproved botulism toxin instead of Botox, authorities said. Dr. Stephen Lee Seldon, 52, and his wife, Deborah Martinez Seldon, 39, were arrested Thursday....More

Health minister says government won't stop contracting out hospital jobs

VANCOUVER (CP) - Health Minister George Abbott says the government won't stop the contracting out of hospital support jobs in the Okanagan. The Hospital Employees Union says the government is ignoring a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that said B.C....More

Head of health research funding body signals he'll step down in October

TORONTO (CP) - The president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is stepping down. Dr. Alan Bernstein has told federal Health Minister Tony Clement that he plans to resign as head of the health research funding body at the end of October....More

Air travellers advised to exercise, avoid sedatives to help prevent blood clots

GENEVA (AP) - Passengers on long flights should exercise their legs and resist taking sleeping pills to reduce the risk of potentially fatal blood clots, the World Health Organization said Friday....More

Study finds men and women with MS equally transmit genetic risk to offspring

TORONTO (CP) - A study of Canadian families with a parent who has multiple sclerosis has found men and women transmit the genetic risk of MS equally to their children....More

Steroid use can rewire brain circuits, ramp up aggression, dial down control

TORONTO (CP) - Super high doses of anabolic steroids appear to effectively change the chemistry of the brain, ramping up aggression while dialling down impulse control features, experts say....More

NYC restaurants ditch trans fats ahead of new rules in effect Sunday

NEW YORK (AP) - No more trans fats with those french fries? No problem. The city's ballyhooed ban on trans fat cooking oils in all New York restaurants - an idea that gave chefs indigestion when first proposed - seems to be going surprisingly smoothly....More

NYC fast food chains refuse to post calories on menus

NEW YORK (AP) - Don't expect to see the calorie count for Burger King's Double Whopper with cheese on the menu anytime soon. Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's are among the chains planning to defy New York City's new rule that they begin posting calories on menus Sunday....More

No big risk of birth defects found in antidepressants, but questions remain

BOSTON (AP) - Newborns face little risk of birth defects from antidepressants taken by many women early in pregnancy, say the reassuring findings of the two biggest studies of this controversial link....More

More benefit from food-based calcium than supplements, preliminary study suggests

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Most women know that calcium is critical in preventing osteoporosis, the disease of progressive bone loss and fractures that affects millions of North Americans....More

Death of N.S. woman in Zurich reopens thorny issue of assisted suicide

HALIFAX (CP) - Canadian lawmakers should revisit the thorny issue of assisted suicide in the wake of an investigation into a Nova Scotia man who accompanied his gravely ill wife to a Swiss facility where she ended her life, legal experts said Wednesday....More

Canadian kids get a 'D' grade on annual report card on physical activity

TORONTO (CP) - An annual report card that grades Canadian children on physical activity has handed out a "D" for the third straight year....More

Kidney disease and heart disease spur each other on

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hearts and kidneys: If one's diseased, better keep a close eye on the other. Surprising new research shows kidney disease somehow speeds up heart disease well before it has ravaged the kidneys....More

Colonoscopies done in doctors' office more likely to be incomplete: study

(CP) - Patients who have a colonoscopy in a doctor's office or private clinic are three times more likely to have an incomplete procedure than those who have it done in a hospital, an Ontario study has found....More

AARP study values caregiving at US$350B - but there's also burden for employer

NEW YORK (AP) - The millions of Americans who serve as caregivers for adults contribute the equivalent of some US$354 billion a year to the economy with their voluntary services, according to a study by AARP released Monday....More

N.S. rolls out contingency plan for possible flu pandemic

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia insisted Tuesday it's well prepared for an influenza pandemic despite sharp criticism from the province's nurses that it has done little to get ready for an outbreak that could threaten their lives. Dr....More

Looming Sask. health care strike may force patients to other provinces, U.S.

REGINA (CP) - Cancer patients and women in high-risk pregnancies in Saskatchewan could be sent out of province for care as a strike by health-care professionals loomed....More

Clement sees progress on wait times, health council not so sure

OTTAWA (CP) - Health Minister Tony Clement says the provinces and territories are making progress on establishing the care guarantees the Conservatives promised in the last election - but the Health Council of Canada isn't convinced....More

Canada's new vaccine lab expected to draw researchers from around the world

SASKATOON (CP) - Construction has begun on what will be Canada's largest vaccine research centre. The International Vaccine Centre, or InterVac, will be built at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon over three years and at a cost of $110-million....More

B. C. Medical Association wants higher tobacco taxes to bolster health budget

VANCOUVER (CP) - The British Columbia Medical Association says its time the B.C. government stopped blowing smoke and started raising tobacco taxes....More

ATV injuries now top cause of recreation-related trauma: pediatrician

EDMONTON (CP) - Edmonton doctors says that all-terrain vehicles are now the No. 1 cause of sport-or recreation-related traumatic injuries in Alberta - and a startling number of victims are teens and children....More

Report: Malaysia bans fast food ads on children's TV shows

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia will ban fast food advertisements during children's television shows, an official announced Friday, saying poor eating habits are causing a rise in dangerous diseases....More

Ontario to provide HIV tests that give results in just 60 seconds, more test sites

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario has become the first jurisdiction in North America to offer HIV tests that provide results in just 60 seconds and will double the number of sites across the province where anonymous tests are available, Health Minister George Smitherman announced Friday....More

Nova Scotia mumps update shows total of 395 cases since February

HALIFAX (CP) - Another 18 cases of mumps have been confirmed in Nova Scotia this week, for a total of 395 since the outbreak began in February. Health officials have said it's likely that new cases will be reported through the summer as part of a normal outbreak cycle....More

FDA issues new regs to improve safety of dietary supplements

WASHINGTON (AP) - For the first time, manufacturers of vitamins, herbal pills and other dietary supplements will have to test all of their products' ingredients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday....More

Developmental services workers in southwestern Ontario set to strike

LONDON, Ont. (CP) - More than 1,000 developmentally challenged adults could be left in the lurch in southwestern Ontario if care workers go on strike. Hundreds of community living workers in London, Ont....More

Nearly 1 million American children use personal fitness trainers to shape up

DALLAS (AP) - Nearly a million American youngsters, some as young as six, rely on personal trainers to shape up, lose weight or improve in sports, according to figures from the nation's leading sports club association....More

David Hyde Pierce helps start campaign against Alzheimer's disease

WASHINGTON (AP) - David Hyde Pierce is helping start a campaign against Alzheimer's disease, which he saw two family members suffer from....More

Gene therapy shows preliminary promise for easing Parkinson's disease

NEW YORK (AP) - An experimental treatment for Parkinson's disease seemed to improve symptoms - dramatically so, for one 59-year-old man - without causing side-effects in an early study of a dozen patients....More

EPA: current U.S smog standards are too weak to protect health

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pollution standards are too weak to protect people from the air they breathe, the U.S. government's chief of the Environmental Protection Agency declared Thursday....More

Doctor says majority of couples with stored embryos are willing to donate them for research

WASHINGTON (AP) - A majority of couples with stored embryos from fertility treatments say they would be willing to donate unused embryos for stem cell research, says a doctor who surveyed patients. "Large numbers of infertility patients ......More

Da Vinci robotic surgical system brings medical renaissance to Western Canada

VANCOUVER (CP) - Western Canada's first multi-purpose robot will soon give "cutting edge" a whole new meaning as it begins surgeries at Vancouver General Hospital. The da Vinci robotic surgical system is expected to be operating at Vancouver's largest hospital by the fall....More

Congress designates US$50 million to fight drug-resistant TB overseas

WASHINGTON (AP) - Overseas health workers treating patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis, the bug that set off a recent international health scare, would get US$50 million worth of help under a measure adopted Thursday by the House....More

Computerized pill box cleared for sale by Food and Drug Administration

WASHINGTON (AP) - A computerized pill box that patients can keep at home to dole out their drugs on schedule and in the correct doses received U.S. federal approval Thursday....More

B.C. pilot program for hip and knee surgery eases waiting lists

VANCOUVER (CP) - A specialized surgery program in Vancouver has helped cut wait times for hip and knee replacements in B.C. The pilot project began at the University of B.C....More

ATV injuries now top cause of recreation-related trauma: pediatrician

EDMONTON (CP) - Edmonton doctors says that all-terrain vehicles are now the No. 1 cause of sport-or recreation-related traumatic injuries in Alberta - and a startling number of victims are teens and children....More

N.S. first to announce publicly funded program against cancer-linked virus

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia became the first province Wednesday to unveil plans for a publicly funded vaccine to protect young girls from the human papilloma virus - the leading cause of cervical cancer....More

Filthy lucre? Dirty money? When you combine flu viruses and bank notes, maybe

TORONTO (CP) - The people who coined the terms filthy lucre and dirty money may have been on to something. Swiss researchers have reported that influenza viruses can survive - alive and potentially infectious - on bank notes for up to 17 days in some cases....More

Estrogen pills may lessen artery buildup for some younger women, study suggests

(AP) - Here is a look at how hormone advice has changed over time as the U.S. Women's Health Initiative has been analyzed in more detail. Researchers now think the risks are far greater for women who take hormones years after menopause than for women in their 50s....More

Estrogen can benefit heart health for some menopausal women: study

TORONTO (CP) - Researchers have added a new wrinkle to the debate over the safety of hormone replacement therapy with a finding that taking estrogen alone may benefit heart health for a certain group of menopausal women. In a new study, a followup to the massive U.S....More

Crack kit distribution program on hold as nurses in Nanaimo, B.C., face threats

NANAIMO, B.C. (CP) - The Vancouver Island Health Authority says threats against community health nurses in Nanaimo have forced suspension of a controversial harm reduction program....More

Buyer beware in cases of potentially tainted toothpaste: health minister

OTTAWA (CP) - It's "buyer beware" when it comes to potentially tainted toothpaste, Health Minister Tony Clement said Wednesday....More

Sand more deadly than sharks, claim doctors who study deaths at the beach

ATLANTA (AP) - Waves and sharks aren't the only dangers at the beach. More than two dozen young people have been killed over the last decade when sand holes collapsed on them, report father-and-son doctors who have made warning of the risk their personal campaign....More

Obstetricians warn against use of gender-testing kits for selective abortion

TORONTO (CP) - Mail-order blood-testing kits that can determine the sex of a fetus early in pregnancy may be used for more than getting a jumpstart on deciding whether to paint the nursery pink or blue, says a doctors group....More

Paper explores options for removing right to strike for N.S. health-care workers

HALIFAX (CP) - A discussion paper on eliminating the right of health-care workers in the province to go on strike was dismissed as meaningless Tuesday by the head of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union because workers will walk out illegally if they have to....More

New drugs, new drug targets make prospects brighter for flu drug pipeline

TORONTO (CP) - Potential flu drugs in development and newly identified targets for flu drugs suggest the era of dependence on merely two classes of influenza drugs could end in the next few years, experts at a major influenza conference here suggested Tuesday....More

More mothers breastfeeding longer due to extended maternity leaves

OTTAWA (CP) - A new study has found longer maternity leaves have allowed more mothers to meet breastfeeding targets recommended by public health agencies. The Statistics Canada study examined the impact a Jan....More

Millions in benefits expected from closure of smoking rooms

OTTAWA (CP) - After long resisting pressure to close smoking rooms in federal buildings, Ottawa now acknowledges that benefits of the move will exceed costs by a ratio of 60:1. The closure of 23 smoking rooms across the country will cost $1....More

Kids now survive once-fatal conditions, many need specialized home care

EDMONTON (CP) - With more children surviving premature births and other conditions that would have been fatal even 10 years ago comes greater need for support programs in their homes and communities, says the head of a group that recently won a national award for pediatric home care....More

Canadian Food Inspection Agency says sesame seeds could carry salmonella

TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says sesame seeds in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia could be contaminated with salmonella. The products are packed by Les Aliments G. Dion....More

Canadian Diabetes Association publishes manual to help with lifestyle choices

TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian Diabetes Association has released a new publication to help people make the right choices about healthy body weight and managing glucose levels....More

Breast cancer genes can be hidden in dad's side of family, more tests urged

CHICAGO (AP) - A deadly gene's path can hide in a family tree when a woman has few aunts and older sisters, making it appear that her breast cancer struck out of nowhere when it really came from Dad....More

Hot water from the tap can burn; experts advise setting temperature at 49 C

(CP) - When Brady Tupper stepped into the shower one July evening in 2002, her life changed forever....More

Guelph researchers say they've created a 'revolutionary' new armrest

Guelph, Ont. (CP) - It might be hard to imagine that something as simple as an armrest could take ten years to design. But University of Guelph researchers are saying a decade of research into the movements of people's arms and necks was worth it....More

Death rates for U.S. men with diabetes down, women's rates stalled: study

TORONTO (CP) - The rate of premature death among American men with diabetes has dropped dramatically over the last few decades, but the same can't be said for women with the disease, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found....More

Court proceedings to start over government legal bills in autism case

TORONTO (CP) - Court proceedings begin today aimed at forcing the Ontario government to disclose how much it paid lawyers in an autism treatment case....More

Clot-busting drug used for strokes, heart attacks may improve frostbite treatment

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An anti-clotting drug used to treat strokes and heart attacks can also restore blood flow to frostbitten fingers and limbs, greatly reducing the need for amputation, according to a new study....More

Can motion sensors, online memory tests help predict Alzheimer's earlier?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Tiny motion sensors are attached to the walls, doorways and even the refrigerator of Elaine Bloomquist's home, tracking the seemingly healthy 86-year-old's daily activity....More

Bird flu virus sharing dispute raises questions of IP rights to viruses

TORONTO (CP) - Efforts to resolve demands of developing countries for fair access to pandemic influenza vaccines have raised the thorny issue of whether countries can hold intellectual property rights to viruses - the implications of which could be far-reaching in the world of research and...More

B.C.'s foreign-trained doctors say they've come a long way since hunger strikes

VANCOUVER (CP) - They once drove taxis and toiled in fast-food joints because Canadian provinces wouldn't allow them to work as doctors. In the 1990s, foreign-trained physicians held hunger strikes to pressure governments into giving them the right to practise medicine....More

B.C. Ferries to introduce smoking areas on vessels servicing busy routes

VICTORIA (CP) - Starting next week it won't be quite as easy to light up while travelling on B.C. Ferries. The corporation will have designated smoking areas on the outer decks of vessels servicing major routes between Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast....More

30 per cent of adult Cubans are now overweight, new government study says

HAVANA (AP) - Cubans are no strangers to the battle of the bulge. Waistlines have expanded since the economic crisis of the early 1990s eased on the communist-run island - so much so that 30 per cent of adults are now overweight, a newly released government study reveals....More

Vietnam reports first human bird flu death since 2005; 20-year-old succumbs

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam has confirmed its first human bird flu death since 2005, bringing its death toll to 43 as the virus continues to spread through poultry stocks, the official media reported Saturday....More

Restaurant association sues New York City over calorie-count regulations

NEW YORK (AP) - A restaurant trade group asked a court to outlaw a new city regulation that would require some eateries to list calorie counts on their menu boards right next to the price. The New York State Restaurant Association filed the lawsuit Friday in U.S....More

Former NHL coach Burns leads prostate cancer marchers in Montreal

MONTREAL (CP) - Former NHL coach Pat Burns led a flood of marchers from the top of Montreal's Mount Royal on Saturday to raise awareness about prostate cancer....More

Psychologist can no longer call himself psychotherapist: B.C. Supreme Court

VANCOUVER (CP) - The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled that a psychologist who attended a university not accredited by The College of Psychologists of British Columbia cannot call himself a psychotherapist....More

New international health regulations will lead to new norm of openness: WHO

TORONTO (CP) - New international health rules that require countries to report disease outbreaks that could pose a global health threat will lead to greater openness and enhance public health security, a senior official of the World Health Organization said Sunday. Dr....More

New high-tech caregiving devices aim to help Canadians care for aging family

TORONTO (CP) - They aren't being regarded as a replacement for human caregivers yet, but researchers hope a number of high-tech devices with the ability to speak, instruct, and even tell a joke will become an invaluable tool in helping Canadian caregivers look after their aging family...More

Counterfeit toothpaste imported from South Africa recalled in four U.S. states

WASHINGTON (AP) - Five-ounce tubes of toothpaste sold in discount stores in four states and labelled Colgate - described as counterfeit by Colgate - are being recalled because they may contain a poisonous chemical, according to the importer of the tubes. A U.S....More

Consumers ripped off, potentially exposed to harm by bogus ingredients

LOS ANGELES (AP) - American consumers are being ripped off and their health possibly put at risk because of bogus ingredients slipped into imports ranging from toothpaste to dietary supplements....More

Class action lawsuit launched against Makers of Oxycontin

TORONTO (CP) - A class action lawsuit has been launched against the manufacturers of Oxycontin, alleging that the company knew that taking the drug leads to addiction....More

Canadians should get free prescription drugs, says NDP leader

TORONTO (CP) - Jack Layton is calling for universal prescription drug coverage for all Canadians, and he's making an appeal to Canada's business community to help out....More

Antiques can contain, leak mercury; spills pose costly health threat

TORONTO (CP) - They may be unique pieces or family heirlooms, but some antiques can actually be hazardous to your health....More

1.5 million Thomas the Tank Engine toys recalled; 90,000 sold in Canada

WASHINGTON (CP) - A lead paint scare has prompted a recall of nearly one-a-half (m) million Thomas the Tank Engine toys, including 90 thousand of the popular toys sold in Canada....More

Study findings suggest men and women dream of sex in equal measure

WESTCHESTER, Ill. (CP) - A detailed study sheds new light on what people dream about after their heads hit the pillow, and it turns out that a few have sex on the brain....More

Indiana family with sick daughter sues ConAgra over tainted peanut butter

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - When Krystina Brugh fell ill in January, her parents thought it was the stomach flu. They fed her crackers and her favourite sandwich, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, to give her strength. She didn't get better....More

GSK donates 50 million doses of H5N1 vaccine to WHO virtual pandemic stockpile

(CP) - Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has announced it will donate 50 million doses of H5N1 influenza vaccine to a World Health Organization virtual pandemic stockpile for developing countries. The announcement was made by WHO Director General Dr....More

Government declares war on cancer-causing radon in homes

OTTAWA (CP) - Health Canada has sharply tightened the standards for radon in homes and public buildings to reduce the risk of lung cancer....More

FIFA conducting study on natural testosterone levels in various ethnic groups

GENEVA (AP) - FIFA has undertaken a worldwide study to examine whether players from various ethnic populations have different naturally occurring testosterone levels....More

Eight patients die of C. difficile bacteria at Quebec City hospital

QUEBEC (CP) - Quebec health officials continue to battle outbreaks of the C. difficile bacteria that has claimed thousands of lives in recent years....More

Committee convened by U.S. doctors' group urges blunt terms for kids' obesity

CHICAGO (AP) - Doctors ought to quit using fuzzy terms to define children's weight problems and instead refer to truly fat kids as overweight or obese, a committee of medical experts recommended. Less blunt terms used by the U.S....More

Comedian Eugene Levy calls for national strategy for treatment of autism

TORONTO (CP) - Comedy star Eugene Levy is using his celebrity status to press governments to cover the cost of treating autism, calling the lack of funding a "travesty" for Canadian families....More

Colon cancer drug Avastin linked to potentially deadly abnormality in esophagus

TORONTO (CP) - The drug Avastin, used as part of a chemotherapy regimen to treat advanced colorectal cancer, has been linked to the development of a potentially fatal malformation in the esophagus in a small number of patients....More

Canadian Blood Services awaits regulatory approvals before testing for Chagas

TORONTO (CP) - The United States is already testing donated blood for a tropical disease caused by a parasite in Central and South America, but it will be a while before testing can begin in Canada....More

Radioactive tritium in Great Lakes putting children, pregnant women at risk: study

TORONTO (CP) - A new study says radioactive tritium from nuclear power plants is being released into the Great Lakes and could be putting people at risk....More

New guidelines proposed for cancer-causing radon in homes

OTTAWA (CP) - Health Canada has proposed a sharp tightening of standards for radon in homes and public buildings to reduce the risk of lung cancer....More

Milkshake drug to 'feed' brain cells among promising Alzheimer's experiments

WASHINGTON (AP) - Drinking a milkshake-style medicine at breakfast seems to feed brain cells starved from Alzheimer's damage, researchers reported Monday. It's one of four promising experimental drugs poised for large-scale testing against the brain-destroying disease....More

Japanese team develops rice engineered to carry cholera vaccine

WASHINGTON (AP) - A team of Japanese researchers has developed a type of rice that can carry a vaccine for cholera, a step that could one day ease delivery of vaccines in developing countries....More

Government official says China has food safety issues under control

BEIJING (AP) - China played down international concerns about tainted food exports, saying the problems were not as bad as reported and displaying seized counterfeit products to show authorities were enforcing safety protections....More

For 2nd day, CDC probes report of sick passengers on plane arriving in Miami

MIAMI (AP) - Health authorities released nine passengers who were ill on a flight from Mexico to Miami International Airport on Tuesday....More

Environment hasn't usurped health; both are top priorities: Romanow

TORONTO (CP) - The environment has not eclipsed health care as the top political issue for Canadians, but the public must do more to press governments to reform the system, the head of a landmark 18-month inquiry into medicare said Tuesday....More

Consult doctor before boosting vitamin D intake, advises Cancer Society

TORONTO (CP) - Canadians should consult with their doctors before rushing to their neighbourhood stores and pharmacies to snap vitamin D off of the shelves, a Canadian Cancer Society official said Tuesday....More

Bono blasts Harper, accuses him of blocking progress on Africa aid

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (CP) - One of the world's biggest rock stars tore a strip off Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday and accused him of blocking a meaningful deal on African aid at the G8 summit....More

New York medical examiner says muscle cream killed teen runner

NEW YORK (AP) - A medical examiner blamed a 17-year-old track star's death on the use of too much anti-inflammatory muscle cream, the kind used to soothe aching legs after exercise....More

Morning cup of coffee may effect women differently than men: researcher

TORONTO (CP) - The myriad of differences between the sexes might extend to how men and women react to a cup of joe in the morning....More

Forecast: World's Alzheimer's cases to quadruple by 2050

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 26 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease, and a new forecast says the number will quadruple by 2050. At that rate, one in 85 people will have the brain-destroying disease in 40 years, researchers from Johns Hopkins University conclude....More

Botanicas, religious and superstitious, thriving in New York City

NEW YORK (AP) - It's the ultimate in one-stop shopping: a place to pick up advice, get your aura cleansed, or find the right herbs to flush out both evil spirits and your colon....More

Thousands claiming vaccine ingredient is linked to autism get day in court

WASHINGTON (AP) - The parents of 12-year-old Michelle Cedillo asked a U.S. federal court Monday to find that their child's autism was caused by common childhood vaccines, a precedent-setting case that could pave the way for thousands of autistic children to receive compensation from a...More

Former Canadian AIDS envoy to Africa Lewis slams G8 as morally bankrupt

VANCOUVER (CP) - The former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa accused the G-8 on Sunday of abandoning its commitments to health and social equality in Africa, suggesting its leaders are having trouble finding their moral compass....More

Chinese authorities investigate sale of fake blood protein

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese authorities are investigating widespread sale of fake blood protein to hospitals and pharmacies, a practice that deprives desperately ill patients of a crucial medical need, news media reported Monday....More

Calgary getting healthy dose of government funding for new centre

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the government will spend more than a billion dollars on a new health centre in Calgary. The South Health Campus is a project he committed to fund back in March. The $1....More

Bono blasts Harper, accuses him of blocking progress on Africa aid

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (CP) - One of the world's biggest rock stars tore a strip off Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday and accused him of blocking a meaningful deal on African aid at the G8 summit....More

New York medical examiner says muscle cream killed teen runner

NEW YORK (AP) - A medical examiner blamed a 17-year-old track star's death on the use of too much anti-inflammatory muscle cream, the kind used to soothe aching legs after exercise....More

Morning cup of coffee may effect women differently than men: researcher

TORONTO (CP) - The myriad of differences between the sexes might extend to how men and women react to a cup of joe in the morning....More

Forecast: World's Alzheimer's cases to quadruple by 2050

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 26 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease, and a new forecast says the number will quadruple by 2050. At that rate, one in 85 people will have the brain-destroying disease in 40 years, researchers from Johns Hopkins University conclude....More

Botanicas, religious and superstitious, thriving in New York City

NEW YORK (AP) - It's the ultimate in one-stop shopping: a place to pick up advice, get your aura cleansed, or find the right herbs to flush out both evil spirits and your colon....More

Former Canadian AIDS envoy to Africa Lewis slams G8 as morally bankrupt

VANCOUVER (CP) - The former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa accused the G-8 on Sunday of abandoning its commitments to health and social equality in Africa, suggesting its leaders are having trouble finding their moral compass....More

Chinese authorities investigate sale of fake blood protein

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese authorities are investigating widespread sale of fake blood protein to hospitals and pharmacies, a practice that deprives desperately ill patients of a crucial medical need, news media reported Monday....More

Vitamin D linked to reduced cancer risk; Cancer Society advises supplements

TORONTO (CP) - Canadian adults should consider taking a specific amount of vitamin D, says the Canadian Cancer Society, basing its new recommendation on an expanding body of evidence linking the vitamin to reduced risk for colorectal, breast and prostate cancers....More

Vancouver doctors report rare finding of man whose blood was green

TORONTO (CP) - The green blood came as a bit of a shock to Dr. Alana Flexman and her colleagues when they tried to put an arterial line into a patient about to undergo surgery in Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital. The 42-year-old man was already a bit of a medical departure....More

Surgeons halt surgery to separate twins in Ohio, due to brain swelling

CLEVELAND (AP) - Surgeons trying to separate three-year-old twins joined at the head had to stop the operation due to swelling in the brain of the larger, stronger girl, but the doctors and parents said Thursday they would try again....More

Opposition accuses Ontario government of delaying water tests

TORONTO (CP) - New protections for the province's drinking water are being delayed needlessly by the Ontario government, the opposition said Wednesday as the Environment Ministry analyzed test results from 36 municipalities for lead contamination....More

Half of 36 Ont. communities tested for lead in drinking water have elevated levels

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario is making schools, daycares and municipalities regularly test their drinking water after almost half of the 36 communities tested for lead revealed elevated levels Thursday....More

Facing veto, U.S. Congress again passes bill in support of stem cell research

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Democratic-controlled Congress passed legislation Thursday to loosen restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, but the bill's supporters lacked the votes needed to override President George W. Bush's threatened veto....More

Deaths from West Nile virus rose last year to highest level since 2003

ATLANTA (AP) - Deaths from the mosquito-borne West Nile virus increased last year to their highest level since 2003, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....More

G8 members approve $60 billion-aide package to combat HIV/AIDs in Africa

KUEHLUNGSBORN, Germany (AP) - Members of the Group of Eight have agreed on a program worth more than US$60 billion to combat the spread of HIV/AIDs in Africa, Germany's development minister said Friday....More

Indonesia says bird flu changing to infect people more easily; WHO sees no signs

(CP) - Indonesian authorities suggested Wednesday that the H5N1 avian flu virus appears to be changing in ways that may allow it to transmit from poultry to people more easily. Officials of the World Health Organization said they have seen no evidence to support the claim....More

Government must help keep people healthy, not just patch them up: Romanow

TORONTO (CP) - Two groups representing Canada's community health centres are calling on the federal and Ontario governments to implement a Tommy Douglas-inspired second stage of medicare that would see more emphasis put on prevention than treatment....More

Experts say early results from Avandia study not reassuring, despite Glaxo's claim

(AP) - The maker of the controversial diabetes pill Avandia on Tuesday published preliminary results of a study that the company claims show the drug does not raise heart risks. However, experts say the results are inconclusive and even seem to suggest more risk from the drug....More

EU drug regulator recalls Roche's Viracept due to contamination fears

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) - Europe's drug regulating body on Wednesday recalled an HIV treatment made by Roche Holding AG because of contamination. "Contamination has been identified at the manufacturing stage......More

Doctor says Avandia maker threatened to sue when he raised safety questions

WASHINGTON (AP) - The controversy surrounding GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia grew Wednesday as a medical expert told the U.S. Congress that executives threatened to sue when he first raised questions in 1999 about the treatment's safety....More

Cleveland surgeons complete first major operation to separate conjoined twins

CLEVELAND (AP) - U.S. doctors completed the first in a series of high-risk surgeries Wednesday to separate three-year-old twin girls joined at the head....More

Chinese food safety officials urge tighter surveillance over exports

BEIJING (AP) - China has released food and drug safety goals for the next five years, promising stronger surveillance and export controls that officials say will help improve China's international image and relations....More

3 teams of scientists mimic embryonic stem cells using ordinary skin cells in mice

NEW YORK (AP) - In a leap forward for stem cell research, three independent teams of scientists reported Wednesday that they have produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells in mice without the controversial destruction of embryos....More

Montreal firm ordered to stop paying specialists to let patients jump queue

QUEBEC (CP) - A Montreal firm has been ordered to stop paying medical specialists to circumvent lengthy waiting lists and offer patients appointments in record time....More

Greater Montreal area has 14 confirmed cases of measles, most of them adults

MONTREAL (CP) - The greater Montreal area has 14 confirmed cases of measles, most of them adults. Dr. Horacio Arruda of Quebec's Health Department says 12 of the cases involve adults between the ages of 22 and 39....More

Folic acid does not prevent precancerous colon polyps; may hike risk: study

CHICAGO (AP) - High doses of folic acid do not prevent precancerous colon polyps in people prone to them and may actually increase the risk of developing the growths, a new study finds. It's the latest evidence that taking too many vitamins may be harmful....More

Feds must act now to address nursing shortage across Canada: nurses union

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The head of Canada's nurses union is calling on Ottawa to immediately provide more funding to make up for a massive shortage of nurses....More

Doctor says 'golden age' of spinal cord injury treatments a decade away

TORONTO (CP) - Arms trembling, Nicholas Schoenhoff pushed himself up from his wheelchair, grabbed a pair of silver canes and took a few wobbly steps - something the 15-year-old high school student never thought he'd manage after shattering his neck in a snowboarding accident two years ago....More

Dance classes to be mandatory for Chinese pupils because of obesity concerns

BEIJING (AP) - Dance classes soon will be mandatory for Chinese elementary and secondary students because of worries about increased obesity, news media reported Tuesday....More

Canadian governments must act now to address nursing shortage: union

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The federal and provincial governments must immediately provide more funding to address a massive shortage of nurses, the head of Canada's nurses union said Tuesday at the organization's annual convention....More

Boomers at risk of spinal cord injuries: U of T surgery professor

TORONTO (CP) - A University of Toronto surgery professor says spinal cord injuries are on the rise - and baby boomers are at risk as they grow older. Michael Fehlings says it's a myth that spinal cord injuries only occur from trauma....More

Liver cancer patients get hope from kidney cancer drug, study shows

CHICAGO (AP) - For the first time, doctors say they have found a pill that improves survival in liver cancer, a notoriously hard to treat disease diagnosed in more than half a million people globally each year....More

Ginseng, flaxseed may fight cancer, but shark cartilage worthless, studies say

CHICAGO (AP) - The first scientific tests of some popular alternative medicine products hint that American ginseng might lessen cancer fatigue and that flaxseed might slow the growth of prostate tumors. But a big Canadian-U.S....More

E. coli fear spurs ground beef recall at U.S. stores Albertsons, Save-A-Lot

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - Supervalu Inc. said on Monday it was recalling some ground beef sold in its Albertsons and Save-A-Lot stores because it is believed to be contaminated with E. coli....More

Docs say kids need healing from 'heeling' on rolling sneakers

CHICAGO (AP) - Trendy wheeled sneakers that let kids zip down sidewalks, across playgrounds and through mall crowds could also send them rolling into emergency rooms on a stretcher, say doctors who blame a rash of injuries on the international craze....More

Denver hospital says tests could show TB patient 'relatively noncontagious'

DENVER (AP) - The man infected with drug-resistant tuberculosis who set off an international health scare has had two negative tests for the bacteria and could be allowed brief escorted trips outside his isolated hospital room if a third test comes back negative, a hospital official said...More

Chinese soldier dies of bird flu: WHO

BEIJING (AP) - A 19-year-old Chinese soldier has died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the country's 16th reported death from the virus, the World Health Organization said Tuesday....More

Children whose parents divorce are twice as likely to be put on Ritalin

TORONTO (CP) - Children whose parents divorce are nearly twice as likely to be prescribed Ritalin in the aftermath of the split, a Canadian study reports....More

Dance classes to be mandatory for Chinese pupils because of obesity concerns

BEIJING (AP) - Dance classes soon will be mandatory for Chinese elementary and secondary students because of worries about increased obesity, news media reported Tuesday....More

McGill-led research team identifies gene responsible early childhood blindness

MONTREAL (CP) - A McGill University-led study has identified a gene responsible for the most common cause of congenital blindness in infants and small children. Lead investigator Dr....More

Less radiation is safe for treating breast cancer, study finds

CHICAGO (AP) - Women with early-stage breast tumours can undergo a shorter course of radiation without a greater risk that their cancer will come back years later, the largest study to test this suggests....More

Japanese students suspected of having measles in Vancouver allowed to return home

VANCOUVER (CP) - A group of Japanese students who were under quarantine in Vancouver after one of them exhibited symptoms of the measles started to return home Sunday The group of 42 female students were scheduled to leave on three separate flights between Sunday and Tuesday....More

Feeding frenzy over XDR-TB traveller muffles wake-up call about dire disease

TORONTO (CP) - In the feeding frenzy that engulfs the case of Andrew Speaker, in all the heated debate over whether he was ordered or urged not to travel to Europe and who knew what when, a critical piece of this tragic story has eluded public attention much in the way Speaker slipped past...More

Drug offers promise in treating advanced breast cancer: British drugmaker

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - A British pharmaceutical giant is touting the benefits of a drug to treat advanced breast cancer....More

Agency to seek $5 million from provinces for public cord blood bank

OTTAWA (CP) - Canadian Blood Services will approach the provincial and territorial governments later this month seeking about $5 million to start a public umbilical cord blood bank....More

Liver cancer patients get hope from kidney cancer drug, study shows

CHICAGO (AP) - For the first time, doctors say they have found a pill that improves survival in liver cancer, a notoriously hard to treat disease diagnosed in more than half a million people globally each year....More

Docs say kids need healing from 'heeling' on rolling sneakers

CHICAGO (AP) - Trendy wheeled sneakers that let kids zip down sidewalks, across playgrounds and through mall crowds could also send them rolling into emergency rooms on a stretcher, say doctors who blame a rash of injuries on the international craze....More

Neonatal care unit at Toronto's Mount Sinai hospital to remain closed

TORONTO (CP) - The neonatal care unit at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital will remain closed today, days after a highly feared bacterial infection killed a premature baby. Dr....More

McGill University Health Centre hires former N.B. premier Bernard Lord

MONTREAL (CP) - The McGill University Health Centre is hiring former New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord to oversee its new institute for strategic analysis and innovation. The institute will focus on how to build a sustainable health-care system....More

Japanese tour group's trip to Canada marred by measles outbreak

Some Japanese students visiting Canada were blocked from returning home Thursday when one in their midst showed signs of measles infection....More

Island Mayor is livid health authority is handing out "crack kits" to drug users

NANAIMO, B.C. (CP) - The mayor of Nanaimo is furious that Vancouver Island's Health Authority is handing out free "crack kits" to drug users in the city. The kits are to be used as a harm-reduction strategy, but Mayor Gary Korpan calls the program unethical and immoral....More

Cancer expected to surge in Asia along with Western habits

SINGAPORE (AP) - Asia is bracing for a dramatic surge in cancer rates over the next decade as people in the developing world live longer and adopt bad Western habits that greatly increase the risk of the disease....More

B.C. coroner sends out magic mushroom warning after young woman dies

VICTORIA (CP) - B.C.'s Coroner's Service is sending out a warning about deadly mushrooms that closely resemble magic mushrooms, and killed a Victoria-area woman last year....More

All 28 Czech Airlines passengers near TB-infected man are identified: officials

TORONTO (CP) - All 28 of the passengers who sat near a man infected with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis on a Czech Airlines flight from Prague to Montreal last week have been identified, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday....More

Alberta to ban smoking in public places, outlaw retail displays, drugstore sales

EDMONTON (CP) - It looks like Alberta is about to join the majority of provinces that ban smoking in all public places and worksites....More