Quintuplets born at New York hospital

NEW YORK - They're first-time parents - five times over. A set of quintuplets was born Saturday at Staten Island University Hospital, spokesman Christian Preston said. He said the four girls, one boy and their mother were doing well....More

U.S. study suggests obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens

NEW YORK - Obesity surgery can reverse diabetes in teens, just as it does in adults, according to a small study. All but one of the 11 extremely obese teens studied saw their diabetes disappear within a year after weight-loss surgery, the researchers reported....More

Judge rejects class action by Gulf Coast hurricane victims over trailer fumes

NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has refused to certify a class action on behalf of thousands of Gulf Coast hurricane victims who claim they were exposed to potentially hazardous Formaldehyde fumes while living in government-issued trailers after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. U.S....More

Chinese dairies to compensate sickened babies

BEIJING - Chinese companies whose tainted milk products sickened nearly 300,000 children and were blamed in the deaths of six will likely pay US$160 million in compensation to victims' families, a newspaper said Tuesday....More

Experts test exercise, other steps, to prevent lymphedema after breast cancer

WASHINGTON - Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether some simple steps, such as arm-strengthening exercises, could reduce the risk of one of breast cancer's troubling legacies - the painful and sometimes severe arm swelling called lymphedema....More

China dairy manager on trial for milk scandal

BEIJING - The former chairwoman of the dairy company at the heart of China's tainted milk scandal went on trial Wednesday on charges of selling fake or substandard products, Xinhua News Agency reported. Tian Wenhua, former board chairwoman and general manager of Sanlu Group Co....More

Biovail recalls some lots of Ultram ER: no safety issue; pain set at $7.4M

TORONTO - Biovail Corp. is recalling an unspecified amount of its Ultram extended-release pain medication, citing a "minor" variance in the rate at which the pills dissolve, and saying there is no safety problem....More

Psoriasis drug Raptiva to carry new safety information about infections

TORONTO - The manufacturer of a drug for the treatment of psoriasis has issued new safety information for doctors and patients....More

AstraZeneca says FDA asks for Seroquel detail

LONDON - AstraZeneca PLC said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked for more information regarding the drug Seroquel, which AstraZeneca is trying to get approved for use by people suffering from depression....More

6 Chinese, accused of selling melamine, go on trial in tainted milk scandal

BEIJING - Six Chinese men went on trial Friday, accused of making and selling the chemical at the heart of the tainted milk scandal, including the owner of an illegal workshop that was allegedly the country's largest source of melamine, state media said....More

UN health agency says Zimbabwe cholera death toll has topped 1,500

GENEVA - The World Health Organization says the cholera death toll in Zimbabwe has risen to more than 1,500 and case fatality rates are increasing....More

Quintuplets born at New York hospital

NEW YORK - They're first-time parents - five times over. A set of quintuplets was born Saturday at Staten Island University Hospital, spokesman Christian Preston said. He said the four girls, one boy and their mother were doing well....More

U.S. study suggests obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens

NEW YORK - Obesity surgery can reverse diabetes in teens, just as it does in adults, according to a small study. All but one of the 11 extremely obese teens studied saw their diabetes disappear within a year after weight-loss surgery, the researchers reported....More

Judge rejects class action by Gulf Coast hurricane victims over trailer fumes

NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has refused to certify a class action on behalf of thousands of Gulf Coast hurricane victims who claim they were exposed to potentially hazardous Formaldehyde fumes while living in government-issued trailers after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. U.S....More

Chinese dairies to compensate sickened babies

BEIJING - Chinese companies whose tainted milk products sickened nearly 300,000 children and were blamed in the deaths of six will likely pay US$160 million in compensation to victims' families, a newspaper said Tuesday....More

Experts test exercise, other steps, to prevent lymphedema after breast cancer

WASHINGTON - Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether some simple steps, such as arm-strengthening exercises, could reduce the risk of one of breast cancer's troubling legacies - the painful and sometimes severe arm swelling called lymphedema....More

Chinese company at the root of a tainted milk scandal declared bankrupt

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A Chinese court has declared bankrupt the company at the centre of a scandal over tainted milk. The milk is blamed for killing six children and sickening almost 300,000 more....More

Seven toys in Canada recalled in 2008 due to potentially toxic barium

TORONTO - Despite assurances from Ottawa that concerned parents would start seeing fewer toy recalls, the number of children's products pulled from shelves increased by some 40 per cent in 2008, with a potentially toxic and previously undetected threat - barium - tainting seven of those toys....More

Ont.'s chief coroner orders inquest into role of antidepressants in teen suicides

TORONTO - The father of a Toronto-area teen who hanged herself said good can come from tragedy as he applauded an announcement Wednesday by Ontario's chief coroner to hold an inquest into her death....More

AstraZeneca says FDA asks for Seroquel detail

LONDON - AstraZeneca PLC said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked for more information regarding the drug Seroquel, which AstraZeneca is trying to get approved for use by people suffering from depression....More

6 Chinese, accused of selling melamine, go on trial in tainted milk scandal

BEIJING - Six Chinese men went on trial Friday, accused of making and selling the chemical at the heart of the tainted milk scandal, including the owner of an illegal workshop that was allegedly the country's largest source of melamine, state media said....More

UN health agency says Zimbabwe cholera death toll has topped 1,500

GENEVA - The World Health Organization says the cholera death toll in Zimbabwe has risen to more than 1,500 and case fatality rates are increasing....More

Quintuplets born at New York hospital

NEW YORK - They're first-time parents - five times over. A set of quintuplets was born Saturday at Staten Island University Hospital, spokesman Christian Preston said. He said the four girls, one boy and their mother were doing well....More

U.S. study suggests obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens

NEW YORK - Obesity surgery can reverse diabetes in teens, just as it does in adults, according to a small study. All but one of the 11 extremely obese teens studied saw their diabetes disappear within a year after weight-loss surgery, the researchers reported....More

University of Michigan fights $1.72-million damage award to ex-dental student

DETROIT - Four faculty members at the University of Michigan dental school are asking the courts to take some of the bite out of a $1.72-million damage award to a former student. Thirty-year-old Alissa Zwick sued after she was dismissed from the dental school in 2005....More

U.S. FDA warns Coca-Cola over nutritional claims on diet drink

WASHINGTON - Federal health regulators have scolded Coca-Cola for placing inappropriate nutritional claims on its Diet Coke Plus soft drink....More

Listeria outbreak rocketed Canada's food safety system to top of mind in 2008

TORONTO - The deadly, nationwide outbreak of a previously anonymous bacterium has pushed Listeria and food safety to the forefront of the public consciousness, but experts warn that people are mistaken if they think avoiding Maple Leaf cold cuts amounts to safe eating in 2009....More

GlaxoSmithKline working with Archemix

LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Archemix Corp. said Tuesday they will work together to develop drugs for inflammatory diseases in a deal that could be worth as much as US$1.4 billion....More

Chinese company at the root of a tainted milk scandal declared bankrupt

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A Chinese court has declared bankrupt the company at the centre of a scandal over tainted milk. The milk is blamed for killing six children and sickening almost 300,000 more....More

Seven toys in Canada recalled in 2008 due to potentially toxic barium

TORONTO - Despite assurances from Ottawa that concerned parents would start seeing fewer toy recalls, the number of children's products pulled from shelves increased by some 40 per cent in 2008, with a potentially toxic and previously undetected threat - barium - tainting seven of those toys....More

Ont.'s chief coroner orders inquest into role of antidepressants in teen suicides

TORONTO - The father of a Toronto-area teen who hanged herself said good can come from tragedy as he applauded an announcement Wednesday by Ontario's chief coroner to hold an inquest into her death....More

AstraZeneca says FDA asks for Seroquel detail

LONDON - AstraZeneca PLC said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked for more information regarding the drug Seroquel, which AstraZeneca is trying to get approved for use by people suffering from depression....More

University of Michigan fights $1.72-million damage award to ex-dental student

DETROIT - Four faculty members at the University of Michigan dental school are asking the courts to take some of the bite out of a $1.72-million damage award to a former student. Thirty-year-old Alissa Zwick sued after she was dismissed from the dental school in 2005....More

U.S. FDA warns Coca-Cola over nutritional claims on diet drink

WASHINGTON - Federal health regulators have scolded Coca-Cola for placing inappropriate nutritional claims on its Diet Coke Plus soft drink....More

Listeria outbreak rocketed Canada's food safety system to top of mind in 2008

TORONTO - The deadly, nationwide outbreak of a previously anonymous bacterium has pushed Listeria and food safety to the forefront of the public consciousness, but experts warn that people are mistaken if they think avoiding Maple Leaf cold cuts amounts to safe eating in 2009....More

GlaxoSmithKline working with Archemix

LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Archemix Corp. said Tuesday they will work together to develop drugs for inflammatory diseases in a deal that could be worth as much as US$1.4 billion....More

Chinese company at the root of a tainted milk scandal declared bankrupt

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A Chinese court has declared bankrupt the company at the centre of a scandal over tainted milk. The milk is blamed for killing six children and sickening almost 300,000 more....More

Seven toys in Canada recalled in 2008 due to potentially toxic barium

TORONTO - Despite assurances from Ottawa that concerned parents would start seeing fewer toy recalls, the number of children's products pulled from shelves increased by some 40 per cent in 2008, with a potentially toxic and previously undetected threat - barium - tainting seven of those toys....More

Ont.'s chief coroner orders inquest into role of antidepressants in teen suicides

TORONTO - The father of a Toronto-area teen who hanged herself said good can come from tragedy as he applauded an announcement Wednesday by Ontario's chief coroner to hold an inquest into her death....More

AstraZeneca says FDA asks for Seroquel detail

LONDON - AstraZeneca PLC said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked for more information regarding the drug Seroquel, which AstraZeneca is trying to get approved for use by people suffering from depression....More

More than 100 million Americans breathe sooty air, U.S. agency says

WASHINGTON - More than 100 million people living in 46 metropolitan areas of the United States are breathing air that has become fouled with soot - and now those cities are being told to clean up their air....More

Caution! Holiday stress can bust your diet

NEW YORK - Beth Dunn is taking a scale break. Judi Moreo is shelving her Jenny Craig meals. And Thea Lobell is relaxing her fried food rule - at least for the time being. "I'm making fun choices, and I'm enjoying it," said Lobell, 39, a professional speaker in Baton Rouge, La....More

Avoid painkiller-overuse rut in migraines or chronic migraine could result

WASHINGTON - Those pain pills you think help your migraines? Take too many and you could make them worse. Overusing painkillers can spin migraine patients into a rut, spurring more headaches that in turn require more pain medication....More

University of Michigan fights $1.72-million damage award to ex-dental student

DETROIT - Four faculty members at the University of Michigan dental school are asking the courts to take some of the bite out of a $1.72-million damage award to a former student. Thirty-year-old Alissa Zwick sued after she was dismissed from the dental school in 2005....More

U.S. FDA warns Coca-Cola over nutritional claims on diet drink

WASHINGTON - Federal health regulators have scolded Coca-Cola for placing inappropriate nutritional claims on its Diet Coke Plus soft drink....More

Listeria outbreak rocketed Canada's food safety system to top of mind in 2008

TORONTO - The deadly, nationwide outbreak of a previously anonymous bacterium has pushed Listeria and food safety to the forefront of the public consciousness, but experts warn that people are mistaken if they think avoiding Maple Leaf cold cuts amounts to safe eating in 2009....More

GlaxoSmithKline working with Archemix

LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Archemix Corp. said Tuesday they will work together to develop drugs for inflammatory diseases in a deal that could be worth as much as US$1.4 billion....More

Chinese company at the root of a tainted milk scandal declared bankrupt

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A Chinese court has declared bankrupt the company at the centre of a scandal over tainted milk. The milk is blamed for killing six children and sickening almost 300,000 more....More

Alta. health officials say mysterious infections of two infants not linked

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - Health officials in southern Alberta say they've determined that infections that killed one infant and made another very sick weren't related. Dr....More

Premier confirms Alberta health spending at least $1 billion over budget this year

EDMONTON - Stroke victim Ian Young says medicare founder Tommy Douglas would be "horrified" to see what's happening to health care in Alberta as the province struggles to control spending....More

US regulators warn about some Web-sold diet pills which they say are dangerous

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is warning dieters to avoid close to 30 weight-loss products that contain unlisted and possibly dangerous ingredients. The pills are advertised as "natural" fat busters and have intriguing names like Imelda Perfect Slim and Zhen de Shou....More

Prevent the holiday eating binge: Consider how you'll feel on Jan. 2

Stressed over holidays, finances and a down economy? Before you reach for the cookies, read these tips on how to control the holiday binge. -Think about how you want to feel on Jan. 2, says Judith S. Beck, author of the "The Complete Beck Diet for Life....More

New snow blower for Christmas? Take care, itIs not a toy

TORONTO - If you find a snow blower under the Christmas tree, or a note from Santa to check for one in the garage, take care as you proceed to use this new piece of equipment, experts advise. By mid-December, Dr. William Andrade, a plastic surgeon in Newmarket, Ont....More

More than 100 million Americans breathe sooty air, U.S. agency says

WASHINGTON - More than 100 million people living in 46 metropolitan areas of the United States are breathing air that has become fouled with soot - and now those cities are being told to clean up their air....More

Caution! Holiday stress can bust your diet

NEW YORK - Beth Dunn is taking a scale break. Judi Moreo is shelving her Jenny Craig meals. And Thea Lobell is relaxing her fried food rule - at least for the time being. "I'm making fun choices, and I'm enjoying it," said Lobell, 39, a professional speaker in Baton Rouge, La....More

Avoid painkiller-overuse rut in migraines or chronic migraine could result

WASHINGTON - Those pain pills you think help your migraines? Take too many and you could make them worse. Overusing painkillers can spin migraine patients into a rut, spurring more headaches that in turn require more pain medication....More

Health Canada says children under 6 shouldn't get cough and cold medication

TORONTO - Children under six years old shouldn't be treated with over-the-counter cough and cold medications because the potential risks outweigh any possible benefits, Health Canada says....More

CFIA recalls Mariposa Meat products because of suspected Listeria

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Mariposa Meats are warning the public not to consume some Old Style brand products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

25 years after first lung transplant: survival rates improve, more operations

TORONTO - Twenty-five years after the world's first successful lung transplant was performed in Toronto, a new report shows that the number of lung transplants in Canada has risen dramatically....More

With resistant viruses, doctors face dilemma treating flu this season

TORONTO - Early signs from this flu season suggest doctors face a vexing dilemma in treating the illness....More

Toronto doctors develop method to preserve lungs; allows more transplants

TORONTO - In a groundbreaking world first, Toronto doctors have used a new technique to repair and rejuvenate injured donor lungs and successfully transplanted them into a patient....More

Health Canada announces new label information for diabetes drug Actos

TORONTO - Health Canada has asked the maker of the diabetes drug Actos to beef up its label warning about the risk of heart failure in people taking the medication....More

Alta. health officials say mysterious infections of two infants not linked

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - Health officials in southern Alberta say they've determined that infections that killed one infant and made another very sick weren't related. Dr....More

Premier confirms Alberta health spending at least $1 billion over budget this year

EDMONTON - Stroke victim Ian Young says medicare founder Tommy Douglas would be "horrified" to see what's happening to health care in Alberta as the province struggles to control spending....More

Ability to text-message after taking ill at concert sign of recovery?

TORONTO - "J2LUK M OK. M BSTG BION. BBIAB. WCWM." Confused? So might be anyone uninitiated to the world of text-speak....More

Tumour in U.S. newborn's brain contained foot

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A pediatric neurosurgeon says a tumour he removed from the brain of a U.S. infant contained a tiny foot and other partially formed body parts. Dr....More

Survival rates for lung transplants improve; people die on waiting list: report

TORONTO - Twenty-five years after the world's first successful lung transplant was performed in Toronto, a new report shows that the number of lung transplants in Canada has risen dramatically....More

Repeat doses of corticosteroids don't help, could harm preemies, study shows

TORONTO - It's a classic reminder that more isn't always better: New research shows that giving repeated doses of corticosteroids to pregnant women at risk of delivering prematurely doesn't help and may even hurt their babies....More

Liver function needs to be monitored in lung cancer patients taking Tarceva

TORONTO - The drug company Hoffman-La Roche is informing doctors about new safety information for one of its drugs used by lung cancer patients. It says liver function needs to be closely monitored by the doctor in patients who currently or recently have taken Tarceva....More

Health Canada says children under 6 shouldn't get cough and cold medication

TORONTO - Children under six years old shouldn't be treated with over-the-counter cough and cold medications because the potential risks outweigh any possible benefits, Health Canada says....More

CFIA recalls Mariposa Meat products because of suspected Listeria

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Mariposa Meats are warning the public not to consume some Old Style brand products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

25 years after first lung transplant: survival rates improve, more operations

TORONTO - Twenty-five years after the world's first successful lung transplant was performed in Toronto, a new report shows that the number of lung transplants in Canada has risen dramatically....More