McGuinty defends health-care record ahead of massive protest

TORONTO - With a massive protest over hospital cuts planned today, Premier Dalton McGuinty says he's not trying to dismantle local health care services....More

Individual stockpiling of antivirals for swine flu unwarranted and unwise: experts

TORONTO - Canadians should not be running to their doctors seeking to stock up on prescription antiviral drugs out of fear they may get swine flu, public health experts say....More

First discovery: needle-in-a-haystack find isolates potential pandemic virus

TORONTO - Consider it an investment in pandemic preparedness that paid off big time. A new rapid diagnostic test for influenza that was being developed with U.S....More

Experts worry mild disease outside of Mexico hampers bid to get people to prepare

TORONTO - The mild nature of swine flu infections that have been reported to date outside of Mexico may be undermining efforts to get the public to prepare for a range of pandemic scenarios, some experts in public health say....More

Demonstrators demand that Premier McGuinty stop hospital cuts

TORONTO - About a thousand demonstrators outraged over cuts at Ontario hospitals descended on the front lawn of the provincial legislature Wednesday to demand that Premier Dalton McGuinty save local health services....More

WHO goes to Phase 5 as swine-flu spreads to six new cases in Canada

The United Nations agency that guards the health of humanity moved one step closer to declaring a full-blown pandemic Wednesday as swine flu continued its spread in Canada and around the world, claiming its first life outside embattled Mexico's borders....More

Recent developments and details in the ongoing global swine flu outbreak

The latest swine flu developments: Death toll: 168 in Mexico, most of them suspected cases; one confirmed in the U.S. Confirmed cases in Canada: 19 (four in Nova Scotia, seven in Ontario, six in B.C....More

Bacon products face voluntary recall over Listeria concerns: CFIA

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is advising of a voluntary recall of two bacon products over concerns about Listeria contamination....More

Where is swine flu's ground zero? Residents say Mexican farm

LA GLORIA, Mexico - Residents in this community of 3,000 believe their town is ground zero for the swine flu epidemic, even if health officials aren't saying so....More

Recent developments and details in the ongoing global swine flu outbreak

The latest swine flu developments: Death toll: 149, most of them suspected cases, all in Mexico. Confirmed cases in Canada: Six (four in Nova Scotia, two in B.C.) Mexico cases: 1,995 suspected and confirmed cases....More

Public Health Agency of Canada issues warning against travel to Mexico

TORONTO - Canada has joined the list of countries advising against travel to Mexico because of the swine flu outbreak. The advisory from the Public Health Agency of Canada had been expected as officials said Monday such a warning would likely be issued....More

New Zealand, Israel confirm 12 swine flu cases

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand's health minister and an Israeli hospital are reporting the first confirmed cases of swine flu to hit the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions. New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall reports 11 cases....More

Inspector found problems with Maple Leaf plant's records before outbreak

TORONTO - The Maple Leaf plant at the centre of last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak wasn't properly recording the cleaning of its meat slicing equipment earlier in the year, federal inspection records reveal....More

Health officials prepare for flood of flu victims, but say stay at home

VANCOUVER, B.C. - On a busy evening in the emergency room of a Vancouver-area hospital, a family with an obviously feverish little boy waits to see a doctor....More

Outbreak worsens in U.S., Canada; Mexico City nears paralysis

An escalating viral outbreak with pandemic potential continued its slow paralysis of Mexico's once-bustling capital city Tuesday as a growing number of swine flu cases in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere left the world bracing for the impact of a deepening global public-health crisis....More

Novel prostate therapy boosts survival in study; first big win for cancer treatment vaccine

CHICAGO - An experimental treatment added four months to the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer in a study that tested an entirely new approach to fighting the disease, doctors reported Tuesday. Dendreon Corp.'s Provenge vaccine trains the immune system to fight tumours....More

Charges laid, legal action taken in Ontario drug resale scheme

TORONTO - Several pharmacies, drug makers and wholesalers in Ontario are facing criminal charges and $34 million in fines in an alleged scheme that saw them profit from reselling generic prescription drugs - a practice that may be at work in other provinces, health officials said Monday....More

Canada calls swine flu travel bans 'overreaction'

OTTAWA - Canada is warning other countries against "overreaction" as the number of swine flu cases grows in the United States and the virus spreads around the globe....More

Automated system helps manage thrombosis patients, reduce staff workload

TORONTO - An automated system that provides information to thrombosis patients who take the blood-thinning medication warfarin to prevent blood clots was just as effective as telephone calls from a human, a new study suggests....More

WHO raises swine flu pandemic alert level to 4, urges against travel bans

The World Health Organization said Monday it still does not characterize a swine flu pandemic as inevitable, but raised its pandemic alert level to signal the increasing severity of the situation....More

Where is swine flu's ground zero? Residents say Mexican farm

LA GLORIA, Mexico - Residents in this community of 3,000 believe their town is ground zero for the swine flu epidemic, even if health officials aren't saying so....More

Recent developments and details in the ongoing global swine flu outbreak

The latest swine flu developments: Death toll: 149, most of them suspected cases, all in Mexico. Confirmed cases in Canada: Six (four in Nova Scotia, two in B.C.) Mexico cases: 1,995 suspected and confirmed cases....More

Public Health Agency of Canada issues warning against travel to Mexico

TORONTO - Canada has joined the list of countries advising against travel to Mexico because of the swine flu outbreak. The advisory from the Public Health Agency of Canada had been expected as officials said Monday such a warning would likely be issued....More

New Zealand, Israel confirm 12 swine flu cases

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand's health minister and an Israeli hospital are reporting the first confirmed cases of swine flu to hit the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions. New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall reports 11 cases....More

Roche has 3 million Tamiflu packages on standby

BASEL, Switzerland - Swiss drug company Roche Holding AG says it has 3 million packages of anti-flu treatment Tamiflu ready to deliver to any country in the world threatened by a pandemic virus....More

Red Cross homecare workers to stage strike across northern Ontario

TORONTO - Red Cross homecare workers who have been staging one-day strikes in several Ontario cities plan to target several northern communities today. Walkouts are planned in Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and in Bracebridge....More

Pediatricians adopt new term for 'shaken baby syndrome'

CHICAGO - The American Academy of Pediatrics wants doctors to stop using the term "shaken baby syndrome" in favour of something more scientific....More

Number of suspected swine flu deaths in Mexico exceed 100

MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government is trying to stem the spread of a deadly strain of swine flu as a new work week begins by urging people to stay home Monday if they have any symptoms of the virus believed to have killed more than 100 people....More

New U.S. study links ADHD medicine to better test scores

CHICAGO - Children on medicine for attention deficit disorder scored higher on academic tests than their unmedicated peers in the first large, long-term study suggesting this kind of benefit from the widely used drugs....More

Doctors' group urges baseline test for prostate, backs off on annual test

An influential doctors group is backing off its call for annual tests after age 50 to screen for prostate cancer. "Many men do not need yearly screening," but each man's risk should be individually assessed, said Dr....More

Doctors urge parents to avoid imported camphor after poisonings

CHICAGO - Doctors are warning parents to avoid using imported camphor products after poisonings in several New York City children. The alert is in a report in the May issue of the journal Pediatrics about three toddlers who suffered seizures in January 2008....More

Countries around the world race to contain swine flu

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand reported suspected swine flu cases Monday in a second group of teenage students returning from Mexico, as Asian nations with potent memories of SARS and bird flu outbreaks screened travelers for fever with thermal scanners and European officials worked...More

Public outcry prompts Alta to back off on some cuts to drug coverage for seniors

EDMONTON - A public outcry has prompted the Alberta government to partially reverse cuts to drug coverage for seniors by roughly one-third or $10 million....More

Ont. groups want formal study into health effects of wind turbines

TORONTO - A former dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario wants the province to conduct more studies into the health effects of wind turbines before launching into additional projects....More

Immune cell offers new clue to worst malaria cases, say Australian researchers

WASHINGTON - A novel immune cell may offer an important new clue to why malaria kills some people and not others....More

Grieving family wants native health gaps closed

OTTAWA - The parents of a six-month-old boy who died last month of meningitis are pushing for a complete overhaul of health care on native reserves....More

Dr. Arlene King named Ontario's new medical officer of health

TORONTO - Dr. Arlene King has been named Ontario's new chief medical officer of health. King, who has been working in the field of public health since 1992, takes over her new post on June 15....More

Doctors warned to watch for mystery illness in tourists returning from Mexico

TORONTO - Public health units, quarantine officers and medical practitioners across the country have been warned to be on guard for cases of a mystery illness in Canadians returning from Mexico....More

Babies born to women who suffered morning sickness may be smarter

TORONTO - Sick of morning sickness? Mothers-to-be can take heart from a new study suggesting that children born to women who suffered from nausea in pregnancy may be smarter....More

Alta health minister, staff, disagree over start date of Edmonton heart hospital

EDMONTON - Controversy over the long-delayed opening of Alberta's flagship Mazankowski Heart Institute took a bizarre twist Thursday, with Alberta's health minister promising that patients will be allowed in next month, but administrators saying they won't....More

New York City takes the lead in setting next food target: salt

NEW YORK - First, it was a ban on artery-clogging trans fats. Then calories were posted on menus. Now the New York City health department is taking on salt....More

N.B. health minister wants fix to avoid another emergency room closure

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's health minister says last weekend's closure of the emergency room in Sussex, N.B., is unacceptable and he wants a solution to prevent a repeat....More

Minister rejects idea that Alberta will allow nursing home fees to double

EDMONTON - Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert is dismissing the idea that the government is preparing to allow long-term care operators to double their daily rates....More

Listeriosis investigator hasn't questioned agriculture minister

OTTAWA - The top investigator into a deadly listeriosis outbreak said Wednesday she has not questioned Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz - who oversees Canada's food watchdog - during the course of her probe and it's not clear if she ever will....More

FDA to allow 17-year-olds to get 'morning after' pill without prescription

WASHINGTON - Seventeen-year-olds will be able to buy the "morning-after" emergency contraceptive in the United States without a doctor's prescription, a decision that conservatives denounced as a blow to parental supervision of teens but that women's groups said represents sound science....More

Albertans need new wellness program to get excited about: health minister

EDMONTON - Health Minister Ron Liepert is musing about a new way to promote wellness among Albertans that wouldn't involve tax breaks or other incentives....More

Ont. groups want formal study into health effects of wind turbines

TORONTO - A former dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario wants the province to conduct more studies into the health effects of wind turbines before launching into additional projects....More

Babies born to women who suffered morning sickness may be smarter

TORONTO - Sick of morning sickness? Mothers-to-be can take heart from a new study suggesting that children born to women who suffered from nausea in pregnancy may be smarter....More

Ont. bill introduced to protect workers after Windsor nurse stabbed to death

TORONTO - More than three years after Windsor, Ont., nurse Lori Dupont was stabbed to death by her former boyfriend while at work, the Ontario government introduced legislation Monday that it said would better protect workers....More

Listeria uptick logged in binder months before outbreak: Maple Leaf

OTTAWA - The beginnings of last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak lay in a binder at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, the head of the company said Monday. That's where Maple Leaf logged the results of its Listeria testing....More

Food watchdog plans to cut operations to build contingency fund: union

OTTAWA - Canada's food watchdog is poised to raid its already-cash-strapped operational budget to build an internal contingency fund for emergencies such as last summer's deadly listeria outbreak, claims the union representing government inspectors....More

U.S. study paints picture of collegiate mental health

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Ever since campus counselling centres were established in the 1940s, college officials have known that the prevalence and severity of students' mental health problems were rising. They just didn't know by how much....More

More people live with paralysis in United States than doctors knew

WASHINGTON - Roughly one in 50 Americans has some degree of paralysis, and five times more people than doctors thought are living with a spinal-cord injury - nearly 1.3 million - says a startling study released Tuesday....More

More federal assistance for seniors: Senate report

OTTAWA - A new report says the federal government needs to do much more to assist the aging population, including beefing up pension, old age assistance and compassionate care benefits....More

Former FDA chief says bad foods may hijack the brains of overeaters

WASHINGTON - Food hijacked Dr. David Kessler's brain. Not apples or carrots. The scientist who once led the U.S. government's attack on addictive cigarettes can't wander through part of San Francisco without craving a local shop's chocolate-covered pretzels....More

Drug company Sanofi-Aventis widens Asian dengue vaccine trials

SINGAPORE - French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis SA plans to widen Asian clinical trials of a potential first-ever dengue fever vaccine....More

Canada planning to change breakdown of flu drugs in pandemic stockpile

TORONTO - Canada will adjust the mix of antiviral drugs in an emergency pandemic stockpile this year, a response to concerns over the vulnerability of the main drug in the arsenal, Tamiflu, to the development of viral resistance....More

Speedy approvals more important to Health Canada than drug safety: report

TORONTO - Health Canada's approach to drug regulation puts too much emphasis on speeding up drug approvals and too little on following the safety profile of drugs once they hit the market, according to a new report that criticizes drug regulation in Canada....More

Ont. bill introduced to protect workers after Windsor nurse stabbed to death

TORONTO - More than three years after Windsor, Ont., nurse Lori Dupont was stabbed to death by her former boyfriend while at work, the Ontario government introduced legislation Monday that it said would better protect workers....More

Listeria uptick logged in binder months before outbreak: Maple Leaf

OTTAWA - The beginnings of last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak lay in a binder at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, the head of the company said Monday. That's where Maple Leaf logged the results of its Listeria testing....More

Food watchdog plans to cut operations to build contingency fund: union

OTTAWA - Canada's food watchdog is poised to raid its already-cash-strapped operational budget to build an internal contingency fund for emergencies such as last summer's deadly listeria outbreak, claims the union representing government inspectors....More

U.S. study paints picture of collegiate mental health

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Ever since campus counselling centres were established in the 1940s, college officials have known that the prevalence and severity of students' mental health problems were rising. They just didn't know by how much....More

More people live with paralysis than doctors knew, says report

WASHINGTON - Five times more people are living with a spinal-cord injury than doctors have thought - nearly 1.3 million - says surprising new research that finds many of them unable to afford key health care. Overall, 5.5 million people in the U.S....More

Former FDA chief says bad foods may hijack the brains of overeaters

WASHINGTON - Food hijacked Dr. David Kessler's brain. Not apples or carrots. The scientist who once led the U.S. government's attack on addictive cigarettes can't wander through part of San Francisco without craving a local shop's chocolate-covered pretzels....More

Young Inuit men commit suicide at rate 28 times that of southern peers: report

A new report on Nunavut's most tragic social problem suggests the reasons young people are killing themselves aren't that much different than anywhere else. It's just that many of the causes are so much more prevalent in Nunavut....More

Epilepsy drug taken during pregnancy may lower child's IQ: study

ATLANTA - Toddlers of moms who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy had lower IQs than the children of women who used other anti-seizure medicines, according to a new study....More

United States lifts some restrictions on embryo stem cells

WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama eased limits on taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research, the big question became how far scientists could go. Friday, the government answered: They must use cells culled from fertility clinic embryos that otherwise would be thrown away....More

Scope washer breakdown at N.L. hospital could date back to November 2007

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Scopes used for medical procedures at a Newfoundland hospital weren't cleaned properly for up to 17 months because of an equipment breakdown, the province's largest health board said Thursday....More

Listeriosis reports highlight food-safety flaws

OTTAWA - Poor co-ordination among governments and agencies over food safety is putting Canadians at risk. That's the unwritten conclusion from a series of reports into last summer's deadly listeriosis crisis that were quietly released Friday....More

Rising cancer rates pose unexpected challenges for teens, young adults

TORONTO - Cancer rates are rising among teens and young adults in Canada, presenting those affected with unexpected challenges at a time when peers are preoccupied with education, first jobs and marriage....More

Lax co-ordination delayed action on listeria: reports

OTTAWA - Poor co-ordination among governments and agencies over food safety is putting Canadians at risk. That's the unwritten conclusion from a series of reports into last summer's deadly listeriosis crisis that claimed at least 20 lives....More

Canadians spend almost $30 billion a year on medications, study finds

TORONTO - Canadians are forking out close to $30 billion a year to stock their medicine cabinets with prescription and over-the-counter medications, says an annual report on drug spending released Thursday....More

N.L. nurses could strike in May, say gov't wants sole power to decide wages

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador are expected to strike next month over a contract proposal they say would undermine their union by giving the provincial government unprecedented power to negotiate wages and benefits....More

Young Inuit men commit suicide at rate 28 times that of southern peers: report

A new report on Nunavut's most tragic social problem suggests the reasons young people are killing themselves aren't that much different than anywhere else. It's just that many of the causes are so much more prevalent in Nunavut....More

Diabetes? Some beat it, but are they cured? Experts try to find out

JoAnne Wagner's diagnosis as prediabetic wasn't enough to compel her to change her habits and lose 30 pounds. Not even with the knowledge her sister had died because of diabetes. "I didn't have that sense of urgency," said the Pasadena, Md., woman....More

United States lifts some restrictions on embryo stem cells

WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama eased limits on taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research, the big question became how far scientists could go. Friday, the government answered: They must use cells culled from fertility clinic embryos that otherwise would be thrown away....More

Canada planning to change breakdown of flu drugs in pandemic stockpile

TORONTO - Canada will adjust the mix of antiviral drugs in an emergency pandemic stockpile this year, a response to concerns over the vulnerability of the main drug in the arsenal, Tamiflu, to the development of viral resistance....More

Listeriosis reports highlight food-safety flaws

OTTAWA - Poor co-ordination among governments and agencies over food safety is putting Canadians at risk. That's the unwritten conclusion from a series of reports into last summer's deadly listeriosis crisis that were quietly released Friday....More

Food watchdog plans to cut operations to build contingency fund: union

OTTAWA - Canada's food watchdog is poised to raid its already-cash-strapped operational budget to build an internal contingency fund for emergencies such as last summer's deadly listeria outbreak, claims the union representing government inspectors....More

Lax co-ordination delayed action on listeria: reports

OTTAWA - Poor co-ordination among governments and agencies over food safety is putting Canadians at risk. That's the unwritten conclusion from a series of reports into last summer's deadly listeriosis crisis that claimed at least 20 lives....More

Workplace factors associated with abuse of nurses by patients: StatsCan survey

TORONTO - Workplace factors including a shortage of personnel and inadequate support from supervisors and colleagues are associated with physical and emotional abuse of nurses by patients, a Statistics Canada study released Wednesday suggested....More

U.S. army officials say war concussions are overdiagnosed

ATLANTA - Mild brain injuries - once considered an under-recognized problem in returning military troops - are being overdiagnosed because the U.S. government is using soft criteria instead of hard medical evidence, an Army doctor and two other officials contend....More

One-third of nurses report physical abuse by patients: StatsCan survey

TORONTO - A Statistics Canada study suggests that one-third of nurses working in hospitals or long-term care facilities were physically abused by patients in a one-year period....More

Iran says it has cloned a goat

ISFAHAN, Iran - Iranian scientists have cloned a goat and plan future experiments they hope will lead to a treatment for stroke patients, the leader of the research said Wednesday....More

Epilepsy drug taken during pregnancy may lower child's IQ: study

ATLANTA - Toddlers of moms who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy had lower IQs than the children of women who used other anti-seizure medicines, according to a new study....More

Scope washer breakdown at N.L. hospital could date back to November 2007

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Scopes used for medical procedures at a Newfoundland hospital weren't cleaned properly for up to 17 months because of an equipment breakdown, the province's largest health board said Thursday....More

Rising cancer rates pose unexpected challenges for teens, young adults

TORONTO - Cancer rates are rising among teens and young adults in Canada, presenting those affected with unexpected challenges at a time when peers are preoccupied with education, first jobs and marriage....More

Canadians spend almost $30 billion a year on medications, study finds

TORONTO - Canadians are forking out close to $30 billion a year to stock their medicine cabinets with prescription and over-the-counter medications, says an annual report on drug spending released Thursday....More

Environmental Protection Agency hosts summit to deal with bedbugs

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is waking up to what has become a growing nightmare in many parts of the country - a bedbug outbreak. The tiny reddish-brown insects, last seen in great numbers before the Second World War, are on the rebound....More

Domestic abuse on rise as families try to cope with recession

TORONTO - A young woman, cuddling her eight-week-old infant, comes seeking help for physical abuse by her spouse: her eye is blackened and the baby has a broken arm....More

Company says prostate cancer vaccine shows promise

An experimental treatment that takes an entirely new approach to fighting prostate cancer extended survival in a late-stage study, its maker announced Tuesday. Seattle-based Dendreon Corp....More

Workplace factors associated with abuse of nurses by patients: StatsCan survey

TORONTO - Workplace factors including a shortage of personnel and inadequate support from supervisors and colleagues are associated with physical and emotional abuse of nurses by patients, a Statistics Canada study released Wednesday suggested....More

U.S. army officials say war concussions are overdiagnosed

ATLANTA - Mild brain injuries - once considered an under-recognized problem in returning military troops - are being overdiagnosed because the U.S. government is using soft criteria instead of hard medical evidence, an Army doctor and two other officials contend....More

One-third of nurses report physical abuse by patients: StatsCan survey

TORONTO - A Statistics Canada study suggests that one-third of nurses working in hospitals or long-term care facilities were physically abused by patients in a one-year period....More

Iran says it has cloned a goat

ISFAHAN, Iran - Iranian scientists have cloned a goat and plan future experiments they hope will lead to a treatment for stroke patients, the leader of the research said Wednesday....More

Epilepsy drug taken during pregnancy may lower child's IQ: study

ATLANTA - Toddlers of moms who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy had lower IQs than the children of women who used other anti-seizure medicines, according to a new study....More

New tool lets scientists watch how disease attacks premature babies' eyes

WASHINGTON - Dr. Thomas Lee painstakingly scrapes away spiderweb-like tentacles deep inside a premature baby's eye, scar tissue that is pulling apart the infant's retina....More

Fewer food recalls if emphasis put on quality management of supply chains

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Hardly a day goes by that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency doesn't issue yet another food product recall....More

Ontario health official investigates after N.B. youth dies awaiting ambulance

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government has asked a provincial health official from Ontario to investigate why it took an ambulance almost an hour to reach a 14-year-old boy who died before it could arrive....More

Much of drinking in Canada done in excess, study suggests

TORONTO - A new study suggests much of the drinking done in Canada is being done in excess. Researchers from the University of Victoria's Centre for Addictions Research say that at least half of alcoholic drinks - and probably much more - are being consumed on days or in weeks...More

KFC gambling on chicken that is grilled, not fried

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Would KGC ever have the same ring? In a culinary gambit backed by buckets of big money, KFC is hoping to replicate its founder's recipe for success with the introduction of Kentucky Grilled Chicken....More

Environmental Protection Agency hosts summit to deal with bedbugs

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is waking up to what has become a growing nightmare in many parts of the country - a bedbug outbreak. The tiny reddish-brown insects, last seen in great numbers before the Second World War, are on the rebound....More

Domestic abuse on rise as families try to cope with recession

TORONTO - A young woman, cuddling her eight-week-old infant, comes seeking help for physical abuse by her spouse: her eye is blackened and the baby has a broken arm....More

Company says prostate cancer vaccine shows promise

An experimental treatment that takes an entirely new approach to fighting prostate cancer extended survival in a late-stage study, its maker announced Tuesday. Seattle-based Dendreon Corp....More

Swedes accuse European Union of snuffing out smokeless tobacco

STOCKHOLM - Few things get Swedish snus users more riled up than the European Union's ban on oral snuff, and Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling is no exception....More

Some off the top and blood pressure check too: Health workers visit barbershops

ST. LOUIS - When Robert Hibler stopped by his barber, he got a new haircut - and a wake-up call. Two nursing students visited Flotrin's Barber Shop in north St. Louis offering to take customers' blood pressure, and Hibler's was high: 145/90....More

Section of Alliston hospital closed to visitors due to gastro-intestinal outbreak

ALLISTON, Ont. - A section of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, Ont., is closed to most visitors due to a gastro-intestinal outbreak. The hospital says a number of patients in its surgical unit are sick with the illness....More

Quebec lab a world leader in using technology to treat mental illness

MONTREAL - A Quebec university has made virtual therapy a reality by using computer wizardry to treat phobias, depression and addiction while forging Canada's reputation as a world leader in the emerging field of cyberpsychology....More

Review of studies adds weight to heart health claims for Mediterranean diet

TORONTO - For years, studies have talked about one food or another being good or bad for our hearts, and at times it's difficult to sort out what's what....More

Prescription for an ailing pharaoh: A bunch of herbs, a jug of wine

WASHINGTON - When great-grandma took a nip of the elderberry wine "for medicinal purposes," she was following a tradition that goes back thousands of years....More

New tool lets scientists watch how disease attacks premature babies' eyes

WASHINGTON - Dr. Thomas Lee painstakingly scrapes away spiderweb-like tentacles deep inside a premature baby's eye, scar tissue that is pulling apart the infant's retina....More

Fewer food recalls if emphasis put on quality management of supply chains

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Hardly a day goes by that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency doesn't issue yet another food product recall....More

Hundreds of Illinois patients possibly exposed to TB

CHICAGO - Hundreds of patients and staff at three Chicago-area hospitals may have been exposed to tuberculosis by a contagious health care worker, officials said Friday. About 300 staff and 150 patients may have been exposed at Children's Memorial Hospital, said Dr....More

Canada doing better than U.S. against whooping cough in adolescents: expert

EDMONTON - Canada is doing a better job than the United States in reversing a trend toward a higher incidence of whooping cough among adolescents, says one of the country's leading experts. But the U.S....More

Boston hospital performs America's 2nd face transplant on man hurt in fall

A Boston hospital has performed America's second face transplant. The 17-hour operation took place Thursday at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. A hospital spokesman says it was performed on a man who suffered traumatic facial injuries in a fall....More

Undeclared peanuts in Bergen Brand Almond cookies.

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Dollarama are warning people with allergies to peanut proteins not to consume certain Bergen brand Almond Cookies. The affected product may contain peanuts which are not declared on the label....More

Swedes accuse European Union of snuffing out smokeless tobacco

STOCKHOLM - Few things get Swedish snus users more riled up than the European Union's ban on oral snuff, and Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling is no exception....More

Some off the top and blood pressure check too: Health workers visit barbershops

ST. LOUIS - When Robert Hibler stopped by his barber, he got a new haircut - and a wake-up call. Two nursing students visited Flotrin's Barber Shop in north St. Louis offering to take customers' blood pressure, and Hibler's was high: 145/90....More

Section of Alliston hospital closed to visitors due to gastro-intestinal outbreak

ALLISTON, Ont. - A section of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, Ont., is closed to most visitors due to a gastro-intestinal outbreak. The hospital says a number of patients in its surgical unit are sick with the illness....More

Quebec lab a world leader in using technology to treat mental illness

MONTREAL - A Quebec university has made virtual therapy a reality by using computer wizardry to treat phobias, depression and addiction while forging Canada's reputation as a world leader in the emerging field of cyberpsychology....More

Publicity around infant girl's donor drama angers other parents at Sick Kids

TORONTO - The unfolding Kaylee Wallace heart-transplant saga that has captured both media attention and sympathy across the continent has angered other parents with desperately ill children at the same hospital who worry that a disturbing precedent has been set....More

FDA says liquid morphine painkiller for dying can remain on market

NEW YORK - A liquid morphine painkiller given by family caregivers to dying patients can remain on the market, federal regulators have decided after hearing protests over their decision to remove it....More

Father of Kaylee Wallace says they will not put her back on life-support

TORONTO - The father of a baby at the centre of a heart donor drama says his daughter's condition is deteriorating but he will not put her back on life-support....More

Father of Kaylee Wallace expresses frustration at public, hospital

TORONTO - The father of Kaylee Wallace, a baby at the centre of a heart donor drama, issued an emotional rebuttal Thursday to what he said was harsh judgment from the public....More

CDC: US food poisoning cases held steady in 2008, despite high-profile outbreaks

ATLANTA - Americans didn't suffer more food poisoning last year despite high-profile outbreaks involving peppers, peanut butter and other foods, according to a government report released Thursday. Rates of food-borne illnesses have been holding steady for five years....More

B.C.'s provincial health officer says drinking water could be better managed

VICTORIA, B.C. - B.C.'s provincial health officer says the government and water suppliers have made improvements to how drinking water is managed over the last two years but more needs to be done. Dr....More

Aboriginal leaders say they'll evacuate 700 kids affected by harmful fumes

TORONTO - A remote First Nations community in northern Ontario is preparing to evacuate about 700 children over fears that harmful fuel fumes are making them ill, an aboriginal leader said Thursday....More

'Feisty' infant at centre of donor drama to decide fate on own terms: father

TORONTO - A feisty and complex baby girl at the centre of a heart donor drama has defied her doctor's prognosis by surviving off life-support and will choose her fate on her own terms, her father said Wednesday....More

Taxing sugar-laden pop, energy drinks could cut consumption: obesity expert

TORONTO - Adding a special tax on sugared drinks like soda pop could significantly cut consumption and help reduce levels of obesity among both adults and children, say the authors of an opinion article in the New England Journal of Medicine....More

Regulators suspend N.J. doc's medical licence indefinitely in Hep B outbreak case

TRENTON, N.J. - A New Jersey doctor whom health officials suspect was the source of a hepatitis B outbreak had his medical licence suspended indefinitely on Wednesday by state regulators. Nearly 3,000 of Dr....More

Parents of infant in donor drama to ask doctors if there's any hope she can live

TORONTO - The parents of a critically ill infant at the centre of a heart donor drama were to ask doctors if there was a "scintilla of hope" that their two-month-old daughter can survive, the father said Wednesday....More

Ottawa should get more involved in fighting childhood obesity: McGuinty

TORONTO - Ottawa should be more involved in fighting childhood obesity rather than having the provinces take action by forcing restaurants and schools to post calorie counts on menus, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday....More

Baby in Toronto hospital breathing on her own; not a transplant candidate

TORONTO - A critically ill baby whose heart was expected to be given to another sick child is now breathing on her own and is not considered a potential donor....More

Baby at centre of heart donor drama breathing on her own in Toronto hospital

TORONTO - The heart-rending fate of an infant suffering from a rare brain disorder was unclear Wednesday after the two-month-old girl defied her doctor's prognosis and survived after being removed from life-support....More

B.C. to approve two new drugs to treat disease that could cause blindness

VICTORIA, B.C. - The B.C. government will start funding two new drugs to treat people suffering from a disease that could cause blindness for seniors....More

'Feisty' infant at centre of donor drama to decide fate on own terms: father

TORONTO - A feisty and complex baby girl at the centre of a heart donor drama has defied her doctor's prognosis by surviving off life-support and will choose her fate on her own terms, her father said Wednesday....More

Researchers say new prostate drug shows early promise, but more testing needed

WASHINGTON - Early trials of a new drug for advanced prostate cancer are showing some success, researchers report....More

Predicting when it's time for early Alzheimer's patients to give up the car keys

WASHINGTON - Scientists are creating tests to show when it's time for people with early Alzheimer's disease to stop driving....More

Popularity of brain-fitness games soaring, but do they really work?

TORONTO - All eyes are trained on the wall-mounted TV as colourful balloons sporting various numbers spin and dance around the screen. Players call out the numbers, lowest to highest, and the activities co-ordinator clicks a remote to burst the balloons as the answers come fast and furious....More

Parents of baby girl hope dying child's heart can live on in another infant

TORONTO - The grief-stricken parents of a two-month-old daughter were holding out hope Tuesday that their dying child's heart can live on in another baby....More

Parents disappointed after baby girl's heart transplant doesn't go ahead

TORONTO - The parents of a terminally-ill two-month-old baby were crushed Tuesday night after a transplant surgery failed to go ahead at a Toronto hospital, but doctors said there's still a chance their daughter's heart could be donated before she dies....More

Conjoined twins separated at Nashville hospital

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Conjoined twin girls who had been fused at the torso and shared a liver were separated Tuesday at a Tennessee hospital, officials said. Keylee Ann and Zoey Marie Miller were born Jan. 4 in Johnson City....More

Britain struggles over how much to spend on life-extending cancer drugs

LONDON - In October, Rocky Fernandez was told he might not live to Christmas. Suffering from kidney cancer that had spread to his lungs, his doctor wanted to prescribe him Sutent, a relatively new cancer drug. But Fernandez hit a roadblock....More

Warning to not eat Safeway lean ground beef sold in Sask, Man, and NE Ont.

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to eat certain lean ground beef sold at Canada Safeway because it may be contaminated with E. coli....More

Williams blasts NL health board in its handling of missed cancer tests

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health board was "disgraceful" in its attempt to mislead the media with the release of new information concerning the number of patients who need their breast cancer test results reviewed, Premier Danny Williams said Monday....More

VA patient tests positive for HIV after exposure to contaminated equipment

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Veterans Affairs department says a patient has tested positive for HIV after being exposed to contaminated equipment at a medical facility. The VA reported previously that hepatitis has been found in 16 patients....More

N.L. health board 'disgraceful' in handling of missed cancer tests: Williams

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Danny Williams is denouncing the way Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health board released new information about the number of patients who need their breast cancer test results reviewed....More

French doctors perform face, hand transplants on burn victim

PARIS - Dozens of doctors working in teams over 30 hours performed the world's first simultaneous partial-face and double-hand transplant during the weekend, Paris' Public Hospital authority said Monday. The authority described the recipient as a 30-year-old burn victim....More

World Health Organization calls for disaster-proof hospitals

BEIJING - The World Health Organization called on governments Tuesday to make their hospitals disaster-proof, nearly a year after a massive earthquake devastated parts of southwest China - including scores of hospitals....More

Study of American children finds among 4-year-olds, 1 in 5 is obese

CHICAGO - A striking new study says almost one in five American four-year-olds is obese, and the rate is alarmingly higher among American Indian children, with nearly a third of them obese. Researchers were surprised to see differences by race at so early an age....More

Predicting when it's time for early Alzheimer's patients to give up the car keys

WASHINGTON - Scientists are creating tests to show when it's time for people with early Alzheimer's disease to stop driving....More

Popularity of brain-fitness games soaring, but do they really work?

TORONTO - All eyes are trained on the wall-mounted TV as colourful balloons sporting various numbers spin and dance around the screen. Players call out the numbers, lowest to highest, and the activities co-ordinator clicks a remote to burst the balloons as the answers come fast and furious....More

Autistic Hamilton girl wins right to continue treatment, for now

TORONTO - A six-year-old autistic girl in Hamilton won the right to continue receiving treatment for her condition on a temporary basis Thursday, a day after her father asked the Ontario government to keep both his twin daughters on the program....More

Planning on southern hemisphere travel? Get a flu shot, experts suggest

TORONTO - Experts suggest people who are planning to travel to the southern hemisphere during that part of the world's winter should consider getting a flu shot now. The U.S....More

NJ doctor denies being hep B source; inspectors describe unsanitary conditions

NEWARK, N.J. - Medical regulators in New Jersey heard from health inspectors on Friday about unsanitary conditions in a doctor's office they suspect is the source of a hepatitis B outbreak, in which nearly 3,000 patients are being warned to get tested. Five cancer patients of Dr....More

N.B. government confirms latest breach of confidential health records

FREDERICTON - There were calls from the Opposition on Friday for New Brunswick Health Minister Mike Murphy to quit or be fired after the third breach of confidential health records in just over a year....More

38 more patients need their breast cancer tests reviewed: N.L. health board

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland's largest health board says test samples from 38 additional breast cancer patients need to be reviewed to determine whether they were accurate....More

Ebola scientists eager to be vaccinated, hope vaccine use spurs production

TORONTO - The emergency use of a Canadian-made Ebola vaccine may have breathed new life into stymied efforts to get experimental vaccines for Ebola and similarly deadly viruses made, scientists say....More

Ebola lab accident could reveal info about efficacy of experimental vaccine

TORONTO - The makers of an experimental Ebola vaccine are hoping the blood of a German researcher exposed to Ebola virus will reveal whether use of the vaccine helped save her life....More

Calgary latest Canadian community to look at safety of fluoride in water

CALGARY - The City of Calgary is the latest community to wade into the decades-old debate on whether adding fluoride to municipal water is a cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay or an outdated practice that could be toxic. Ald....More

Plan by prominent physicians seeks to slash industry influence on doctors

CHICAGO - In a drastic proposal for limiting drug company influence on doctors and patient care, a group of prominent physicians says medical associations and their leaders should reject almost all industry funding....More

Opposition parties claim Ontario wasted $647 million on e-health records

TORONTO - Five years and $647 million were wasted by the Ontario government's attempt to develop electronic health records before the project was shut down and started all over again, the opposition parties charged Thursday....More

NJ warns 3,000 to get tested for hepatitis B after 5 who share doctor get it

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey officials have advised nearly 3,000 people who share a doctor to get tested after five cancer patients who visited the physician were found to have hepatitis B. Two cases of hepatitis B were confirmed in late February as connected with the office of Dr....More

Journal Nature retracts diabetes study published in 2000

NEW YORK - A scientific journal is retracting a research paper published more than eight years ago that reported a gene therapy treatment had led to remission of Type 1 diabetes in rats and mice....More

Grapefruit, birth control pill interaction may have caused weird blood clot case

TORONTO - Chalk another one up to the bizarre power grapefruit and grapefruit juice have to mess around with medications....More

FDA eyes New York state plant in pistachio recall

COMMACK, N.Y. - The investigation into a U.S. salmonella scare involving pistachio nuts has spread from a California processor to its sister plant in New York stet, where inspectors last month found cockroaches and rodent droppings. The U.S....More

Bill to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory gets approval in principle

TORONTO - A proposal to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in all Ontario homes has received approval in principle from all parties at the legislature. Progressive Conservative Ernie Hardeman introduced the bill in December - just a few days after provincial police Const....More

Autistic Hamilton girl wins right to continue treatment, for now

TORONTO - A six-year-old autistic girl in Hamilton won the right to continue receiving treatment for her condition on a temporary basis Thursday, a day after her father asked the Ontario government to keep both his twin daughters on the program....More

Young cancer survivors more likely to have learning difficulties: B.C. study

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A study of childhood cancer survivors in B.C. suggests youngsters who have successfully battled brain cancer are much more likely to have learning difficulties in school. Researchers with the B.C. Cancer Agency, B.C....More

World must fight drug-resistant TB threat: WHO

BEIJING - The World Health Organization's chief warned Wednesday that emerging, hard-to-treat strains of tuberculosis are about to spiral out of control and urged countries to fight the growing threat to global public health....More

Smoked salmon recalled over concerns about Listeria

OTTAWA - Several salmon products are being recalled in Canada over concerns they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Mississauga, Ont.-based Niagara Smoked Fish Ltd....More

Opposition says N.B. health minister did nothing to protect blood centre

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's health minister was accused Wednesday of not doing enough to stop Canadian Blood Services from moving its production and distribution facility to Nova Scotia....More

N.B. military widows seek change in criteria for Agent Orange compensation

OROMOCTO, N.B. - A group of New Brunswick military widows is demanding the federal government change the compensation criteria for people exposed to Agent Orange at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in the 1960s....More

Gov't using random measures to deny twin autism treatment, critics say

TORONTO - A six-year-old autistic girl is being denied key treatment by the Ontario government in an arbitrary move aimed at reducing wait lists, critics charged after she was taken off the therapy while her twin stayed on....More

Frito Lay Canada voluntarily recalls pistachios tied to U.S. recall

OTTAWA - A brand of pistachio nuts is being voluntarily recalled by Mississauga, Ont.-based Frito Lay Canada over concerns the product may be contaminated with salmonella....More

Children who survive brain cancers may have special education needs: study

TORONTO - Children who survive brain tumours are far more likely than their schoolmates to have learning difficulties that make getting an education a challenge for them, a new study suggests....More

Sask. appeal court quashes decision to certify class action over painkiller Vioxx

REGINA - The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has overturned a decision that certified a class-action lawsuit over the painkiller Vioxx, but experts say it doesn't mean the legal battle is over for the plaintiffs or the drug maker....More

Sask Appeal Court overturns decision to certify class action in Vioxx lawsuit

REGINA - The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has overturned a decision that certified a class-action lawsuit over the drug Vioxx. The three-judge panel says a lower court made a mistake when it deemed the case a class action against Merck Frosst Canada Ltd., the drug's maker....More

Inspection gaps raise water-quality questions

OTTAWA - Lingering inspection gaps mean millions of travellers can't be certain that water on aircraft and at Canadian airports, seaports and railway stations is safe to drink, says a new audit....More

Canadian-led study: Plavix plus Aspirin helps prevent strokes

ORLANDO, Fla. - Taking the blood thinner Plavix along with Aspirin helped prevent strokes and heart attacks in people with a common heartbeat abnormality that puts them at high risk of these problems, doctors reported Tuesday....More

Canadian Blood Services says job cuts expected in Atlantic Canada

HALIFAX, N.S. - Canadian Blood Services says a number of jobs will be cut as part of changes to its Atlantic operations. The national, non-profit organization says 17 full-time positions in Saint John, N.B....More

World must fight drug-resistant TB threat: WHO

BEIJING - The World Health Organization's chief warned Wednesday that emerging, hard-to-treat strains of tuberculosis are about to spiral out of control and urged countries to fight the growing threat to global public health....More

Smoked salmon recalled over concerns about Listeria

OTTAWA - Several salmon products are being recalled in Canada over concerns they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Mississauga, Ont.-based Niagara Smoked Fish Ltd....More

Frito Lay Canada voluntarily recalls pistachios tied to U.S. recall

OTTAWA - A brand of pistachio nuts is being voluntarily recalled by Mississauga, Ont.-based Frito Lay Canada over concerns the product may be contaminated with salmonella....More