Study says visible minorities are more distressed during cancer treatment

CALGARY - Visible minorities or people who don't speak English as a first language are more distressed during and after cancer treatment and are less likely to use services to make things easier, suggests a Calgary researcher....More

Review of studies on organic food finds nutrition about the same as regular food

TORONTO - A new review of the literature on organic produce finds no evidence that organically produced foods are nutritionally superior to regularly produced food....More

Ont. urged to keep youth out of tanning beds due to cancer risk

TORONTO - The NDP's health critic is urging the Ontario government to ban youth from using tanning beds. The call by France Gelinas follows a study by the International Agency for Research that rates the cancer risk of UV tanning beds higher than arsenic....More

N.S. auditor general says province's pandemic plan falls short, action needed

HALIFAX, N.S. - Nova Scotia's auditor general says the province doesn't have an adequate stockpile of medical supplies to protect health-care workers and respond effectively to the swine flu pandemic....More

Man, 62, is third person with H1N1 flu virus to die in Ottawa

OTTAWA - Ottawa Public Health is reporting a third death in the city of a person who had the H1N1 flu virus. A 62-year-old man who tested positive for the virus and had chronic medical conditions died in the past week....More

Americans spend $34 billion a year for herbals, chiropractors, other therapies

ATLANTA - Americans spend more than a 10th of their out-of-pocket health care dollars on alternative medicine, according to the first national estimate of such spending in more than a decade....More

Journal retracts UK study claiming to have created human sperm from stem cell

LONDON - The editor of a scientific journal that published a controversial paper claiming to have created human sperm from embryonic stem cells for the first time has retracted the study....More

Iraq health ministry confirms 4 cases of swine flu among Iraqi students returning from US

BAGHDAD - Iraq's health ministry says four students returning to Baghdad from the U.S. have been diagnosed with swine flu. Ministry spokesman, Dr. Ihssan Jaafar Ahmed, said Friday that the students have been quarantined at a hospital south of Baghdad....More

Obesity can kill, but surgery for it is fairly safe, new study suggests

Obese, but worried that surgery for it might kill you? The risk of that has dropped dramatically, and now is no greater than for having a gall bladder out, a hip replaced or most other major operations, new research shows....More

Obama retools pitch on health care overhaul, emphasizing consumer protections in NC, VA visits

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Senators reported progress on legislation to overhaul the nation's health care Wednesday as President Barack Obama introduced a retooled message asserting his plan would protect Americans and limit insurers' power....More

Mosquitoes deliver malaria 'vaccine' through bites; early tests show promise

In a daring experiment in Europe, scientists used mosquitoes as flying needles to deliver a "vaccine" of live malaria parasites through their bites....More

Health officials expect to have priority list for pandemic vaccine in September

TORONTO - A decision about which groups of Canadians should be front of the line to receive the swine flu vaccine once it becomes available won't be made until early to mid-September, federal health officials said Wednesday....More

Health care deal with conservative Democrats clears way for crucial September vote

WASHINGTON - After weeks of turmoil, House Democrats reached a shaky peace with the party's rebellious rank-and-file conservatives to clear the way for a vote in September on sweeping health care legislation that is among President Barack Obama's top priorities....More

Conjoined twin girls born in Philippines, in frail condition with heart problem

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine doctors have delivered conjoined twin girls who share a body with two heads, a hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday....More

Chinese authorities raid Beijing office of health activist, seize newsletters

BEIJING - Chinese authorities seized dozens of newsletters from a non-profit group that fights discrimination against people with hepatitis B, a campaigner said Thursday, calling the move retribution for the group's advocacy work....More

Abortion and euthanasia injected into health-care reform debate in U.S.

WASHINGTON - The commercial opens with an aging couple sitting at their kitchen table, plaintive piano music playing in the background....More

Study looked at cigarette packaging

TORONTO - When it comes to choosing cigarettes, it seems the prettier the package, the safer the smokes appear to the buyer....More

Pregnant women may be among first to get swine flu shots

ATLANTA - Swine flu has been hitting pregnant women unusually hard, so they are likely to be among the first group advised to get a new swine flu shot this fall. Pregnant women account for 6 per cent of U.S....More

Illness sparks temporary halt to kidney transplants in Saskatchewan

SASKATOON - People in Saskatchewan awaiting a kidney transplant may have to fly to Edmonton for the operation because a key member of the province's transplant surgery team is ill....More

Doctors want Ont. to delay health care restructuring in rural and northern areas

TORONTO - Ontario doctors want the province to delay any major health care restructuring plans until a recently appointed panel makes its recommendations....More

Canadian-US-European pandemic vaccine fast-tracking system years in the planning

TORONTO - As pharmaceutical companies rush to make swine flu vaccine, regulators in Canada, the U.S. and Europe are flipping into gear plans they have honed over several years on fast-tracking flu vaccine for a pandemic....More

Boosting compounds called adjuvants complicate licensing of pandemic vaccines

TORONTO - As swine flu vaccine becomes available in coming months, boosting compounds known as adjuvants may stretch out limited supplies. But they also pose special challenges for vaccine regulatory agencies in places like Canada and the United States....More

Study: Pregnant women with swine flu more than 4 times as likely to be hospitalized

LONDON - Pregnant women who get swine flu are at least four times as likely to be hospitalized as other people with the virus, a new study says....More

Conjoined twin girls born in Philippines, in frail condition with heart problem

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine doctors have delivered conjoined twin girls who share a body with two heads, a hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday....More

Medtronic says it will pay Abbott $400M to settle stent and stent delivery patent lawsuits

NEW YORK - Medtronic Inc. said Monday it agreed to pay Abbott Laboratories $400 million to settle patent lawsuits related to the design of vascular stents....More

Golf rehab helps put stroke patient back into swing of things on and off green

TORONTO - In one swift movement, Ray Hooker unleashes a backswing that sends a little white ball soaring - using just one arm. It's a remarkable feat in its own right. Not too long ago, it seemed a virtual impossibility....More

Diabetic seniors who take antipsychotic drugs at higher risk of hospitalization

TORONTO - Seniors with diabetes who are given antipsychotic drugs to control symptoms of dementia have an increased risk of ending up in hospital with potentially dangerous high blood sugar levels, researchers say....More

Diabetic seniors who take antipsychotic drugs at higher risk of

TORONTO - New research shows that seniors with diabetes who are given antipsychotic drugs to control the symptoms of dementia have an increased risk of ending up in hospital with potentially dangerous high blood sugar....More

Cda must place swine flu vaccine order by end of July, numbers being finalized

TORONTO - Canadian officials are finalizing a decision on how much swine flu vaccine the country will need this fall. Ontario's chief medical officer of health says the order must be placed by the end of the month. Dr....More

Calgary-area woman becomes 5th Albertan to die from swine flu virus

CALGARY - Alberta has recorded its fifth swine flu death. Alberta Health says the latest person to die is a woman from the Calgary area who had underlying medical conditions. Dr....More

Study looked at cigarette packaging

TORONTO - When it comes to choosing cigarettes, it seems the prettier the package, the safer the smokes appear to the buyer....More

Pregnant women may be among first to get swine flu shots

ATLANTA - Swine flu has been hitting pregnant women unusually hard, so they are likely to be among the first group advised to get a new swine flu shot this fall. Pregnant women account for 6 per cent of U.S....More

Nova Scotia announces first confirmed swine flu death

HALIFAX, N.S. - Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting the first death in the province from the swine flu. A woman in her 50s died today in hospital, where she had been admitted with H1N1 roughly two weeks earlier....More

Fourth person in Alberta, a woman from province's north, dies of swine fu

CALGARY - A fourth person in Alberta has died after contracting the H1N1 virus. Alberta Health Services says a woman from northern Alberta died in an Edmonton hospital on Monday. Dr....More

Brooklyn man's arrest on kidney-selling charges throws a spotlight on organ trafficking

NEWARK, New Jersey - Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn called himself a "matchmaker," but his business wasn't romance....More

Obama calls for end to disparity in health costs between small and big companies

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, citing a new White House study suggesting that small businesses pay far more per employee for health insurance than big companies, said Saturday the disparity is "unsustainable - it's unacceptable....More

Health Canada warns of allergy risk from product labelled as 'non-dairy' item

OTTAWA - Health Canada has warned people with milk allergies not to use an unauthorized natural health product labelled as a "non-dairy" item. The federal agency said Dophilus Chewable tablets, manufactured by SISU of Burnaby, B.C....More

Bill Gates receives Indira Gandhi prize for his foundation's work in India

NEW DELHI - Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Saturday received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development from India's president, a government statement said. The prize recognizes his work with the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation....More

Scientists try to stop schizophrenia in its tracks

PORTLAND, Maine - She was sociable and happy in high school. But in college that changed abruptly: Depressed and withdrawn, some days she couldn't get out of bed. And that wasn't all....More

Key Democratic senator says Senate can't pass health care overhaul without Republicans

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats alone cannot pass President Barack Obama's ambitious overhaul of how Americans receive health care, a top lawmaker acknowledged on Sunday....More

Feds OK Tamiflu for children under age 1

OTTAWA - The antiviral drug Tamiflu can now be prescribed to babies to prevent or treat early symptoms of swine flu. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq signed an interim order this week allowing doctors to prescribe the drug to children under one year of age....More

Chinese scientists make major progress on stem cells made without embryos, produce live mice

WASHINGTON - Two teams of Chinese scientists have made a major advance in mice in the development of a new kind of stem cell that does not involve destroying embryos....More

China's US$124 billion health care reform must tackle unnecessary treatments, drugs

BEIJING - China's $124 billion overhaul of its ailing health care system needs to address the prescription of unnecessary drugs and treatments - a widespread practice relied upon to finance the medical sector, the World Bank said Thursday....More

Arab states ban young, old and infirm from performing Mecca pilgrimage over swine flu fears

CAIRO - Arab health ministers banned children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses from attending the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year over fears the mass gathering could speed the spread of swine flu....More

After pivotal news conference, Obama heads to Midwest selling health care

CLEVELAND - President Barack Obama continued Thursday his push for a massive overhaul of America's health system, saying Americans need it and must overcome resistance from opponents in Washington....More

WHO flu chief: World still 'relatively early' in swine flu pandemic

GENEVA - The global swine flu pandemic is still in its early stages and reports of over 100,000 infections in England alone last week are plausible, the World Health Organization's flu chief said Friday....More

UN health agency's flu chief: safety of swine flu vaccine 'cannot be compromised'

GENEVA - The World Health Organization's flu chief says there must be no doubt over the safety of swine flu vaccines before they are given to the public....More

Fourth person in Alberta, a woman from province's north, dies of swine fu

CALGARY - A fourth person in Alberta has died after contracting the H1N1 virus. Alberta Health Services says a woman from northern Alberta died in an Edmonton hospital on Monday. Dr....More

German farmer making good progress after world's first double arm transplant

BERLIN - The recipient of the world's first complete double arm transplant scratched his head and back and beamed at his doctors Wednesday, saying he was on the path to independence a year after the pioneering operation....More

FDA says electronic cigarettes contain same cancer-causing ingredients as tobacco cigarettes

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials said Wednesday they have found cancer-causing ingredients in electronic cigarettes, despite manufacturers' claims the products are safer than tobacco cigarettes....More

EU Commission calls for member states to pool research to tackle Alzheimer’s, dementia

BRUSSELS - The European Commission is calling on EU countries to pool research efforts to prevent, better treat and care for people with Alzheimer's and dementia....More

'Missing link' found in primate form of AIDS virus killing chimps

WASHINGTON - Scientists believe they have found a "missing link" in the evolution of the virus that causes AIDS. It bridges the gap between the infection that does no harm to most monkeys and the one that kills millions of people....More

White House gave early invitations to medical industry execs to discuss health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - Administration officials began talking privately to major players in the health care industry within a few weeks of President Barack Obama's inauguration, a newly released list of White House visitors shows....More

NZ researchers to begin implanting pig cells in humans as experimental treatment for diabetes

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A New Zealand biotech company began a trial Thursday that will implant cells from newborn pigs into eight human volunteers as an experimental treatment for their diabetes....More

China's US$124 billion health care reform must tackle unnecessary treatments, drugs

BEIJING - China's $124 billion overhaul of its ailing health care system needs to address the prescription of unnecessary drugs and treatments - a widespread practice relied upon to finance the medical sector, the World Bank said Thursday....More

Arab states warn sick, old and infirm against Mecca pilgrimage for swine flu fears

CAIRO - Arab health ministers decided in a late night meeting Thursday to ban children, the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions from attending the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year in effort to slow the spread of swine flu....More

Global health officials debate how to slow spread of swine flu until vaccine becomes available

GENEVA - Some Muslim countries are advising pregnant women not to attend the hajj pilgrimage. China is quarantining any visitor suspected of having a fever, while priests in New Zealand have been banned from placing Communion wafers on worshippers' tongues....More

Efforts to improve swine flu vaccine yields drawing a blank, experts warn

TORONTO - It may take substantially longer to make the full amounts of swine flu vaccine countries have contracted to buy because efforts to improve the yield of the vaccine seed strains aren't bearing fruit, experts say....More

Democratic abortion opponents say bill could allow for government money to end pregnancies

WASHINGTON - Democratic lawmakers opposed to federal funding for abortions said Tuesday the House of Representatives' leadership's health care bill contains a "hidden mandate" that would allow taxpayer dollars to be used to end pregnancies....More

CFIA inspectors caught swine flu investigating Alberta pig farm outbreak

TORONTO - Two Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors appear to have contracted swine flu while investigating an outbreak of the new virus in pigs on an Alberta farm in late April, the agency confirmed Tuesday....More

Cautious optimism by victims following release of listeriosis outbreak report

Elizabeth Schroh never questioned the roast beef and turkey cold cuts being served at her Saskatchewan nursing home last summer, and neither did her family. They trusted the 82-year-old would get better care at the home than anything the family could provide....More

Quebec finds first, Japan finds second cases of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu

TORONTO - Canada has recorded a case of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu virus, in a Quebec man who had been given the drug to prevent infection....More

Product recalled due to possible salmonella risk

The following recall has been announced because the product may be contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems; no illnesses have been...More

EU Commission calls for member states to pool research to tackle Alzheimer’s, dementia

BRUSSELS - The European Commission is calling on EU countries to pool research efforts to prevent, better treat and care for people with Alzheimer's and dementia....More

SKorean court orders hospital to pay damages to couple for giving wrong baby 16 years ago

SEOUL, South Korea - A South Korean court has ordered a hospital to pay 70 million won ($55,793) in damages to a couple that raised the wrong daughter for 16 years because of a hospital mistake....More

Risk factors for heart disease rising in younger, poorer Canadians: study

TORONTO - Despite a decline in rates for heart disease and stroke among Canada's population overall, cardiovascular disease is actually on the rise in two segments of society - people under age 50 and those of lower socioeconomic status, researchers have found....More

Listeriosis investigator submits long-awaited report

OTTAWA - An investigator's report into a deadly bacterial outbreak won't be tinkered with before it's released to the public on Tuesday, says the Prime Minister's Office....More

Educators prepare to tackle diabetes among Native American children with new program

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - A special curriculum aimed at tackling the growing prevalence of diabetes among Native American children has been developed by health officials, tribal leaders and educators from across the country....More

Alberta professor hopes WW1 records will help in study of post-traumatic stress

CALGARY - The battlefield has changed over the last 100 years but one fact remains: war is still hell for many soldiers, especially those who return home suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder....More

3 people detained, 20 questioned in Romania over trafficking eggs for in vitro fertilization

BUCHAREST, Romania - Three Romanians were detained and 20 people were being questioned on suspicion of performing in vitro fertilization illegally, Romanian organized crime prosecutors said Monday....More

Taiwan team unveils swine-flu control chemical to counter spread of disease

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A Taiwanese government-funded research team Tuesday unveiled a chemical compound that it says can kill swine flu and bird flu viruses in the environment to help prevent their spread....More

Obama denies he's pushing too hard on health care, says uninsured need help from Congress now

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is defending his relentless campaign for a health care bill before Congress's August recess, saying "the default in Washington is inaction and inertia." The Republican Party chairman assailed it as an "excessive push....More

South Africa tests AIDS vaccine its scientists developed with help from US

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South Africa is launching clinical trials of the first AIDS vaccines created by a developing country, a feat by scientists who forged ahead even when some of their political leaders shocked the world with unscientific pronouncements about the disease....More

Obama administration asks public to hold off judging health care proposal until it’s complete

WASHINGTON - Administration officials defended President Barack Obama's broad health care proposals on Sunday and urged a skeptical public not to judge the Democrats' overhaul until Congress writes a final version....More

N.B. summer camp continues after girl tests positive for swine flu

SAINT JOHN, N.B. - One case of swine flu has not disrupted a summer camp outside Saint John, N.B. and no new cases are suspected, the camp's executive director Dean Stephenson said Sunday....More

28-year-old woman returning from pilgrimage to Mecca becomes Egypt's first swine flu death

CAIRO - The Egyptian health ministry reports that a 28-year-old woman returning from a pilgrimage to Islam's holy places in Mecca, Saudi Arabia has become Egypt's first swine flu death....More

South Africa tests AIDS vaccine its scientists developed with help from US

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South Africa announced the launch of clinical trials of the first AIDS vaccines created by a developing country with assistance from the U.S. on Monday....More

South Africa stops funding for AIDS vaccine research even as it launches vaccine trial

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The leading scientist of the first AIDS vaccine created in a developing country says South Africa's government has stopped funding vaccine research....More

SKorean court orders hospital to pay damages to couple for giving wrong baby 16 years ago

SEOUL, South Korea - A South Korean court has ordered a hospital to pay 70 million won ($55,793) in damages to a couple that raised the wrong daughter for 16 years because of a hospital mistake....More

Listeriosis investigator set to hand in report to agriculture minister

OTTAWA - The top investigator into last year's deadly listeriosis crisis hands in her long-awaited report to Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Monday....More

Legacy of 1976 swine flu outbreak led to Canada's pandemic vaccine contract

TORONTO - If the swine flu situation becomes more severe and countries start squabbling over scarce pandemic vaccine supplies, Canada will be sitting pretty....More

Kids safe despite swine flu at summer camp, says Ont. health minister

TORONTO - Ontario's health minister is reassuring parents their kids aren't in danger after the swine flu spread through at least three summer camps, saying the province is keeping a close eye on the situation....More

Investigation into hep C infected Colorado scrub tech expands to New York, Texas

DENVER - Thousands more patients may have been exposed to hepatitis C by an infected Colorado surgery tech who allegedly swapped needles, as the investigation spreads to New York and Texas....More

First US double hand transplant patient looks forward to feeling wife's hands

PITTSBURGH - From a Pennsylvania hospital bed, Jeff Kepner says he is looking forward to being able to feel his wife's and his daughter's hands when he holds them. The 57-year-old Augusta, Georgia, man is the first U.S. double hand transplant patient....More

Fights over swine flu vaccine doses loom, could provoke battles among govts

LONDON - An ugly scramble is brewing over the swine flu vaccine - and when it becomes available, Britain, the United States and other nations could find that the contracts they signed with pharmaceutical companies are easily broken....More

Eight-year study finds many kids with chronic daily headaches improve

TORONTO - Doctors who see children who get chronic daily headaches frequently face the question "When will the headaches go away?" The results of a study in Taiwan that tracked more than 100 young adolescents aged 12 to 14 for eight years provide some clues....More

Army suicides down; study says a third of veterans diagnosed with mental health disorders

WASHINGTON - Suicides reported among soldiers have tapered off from extreme highs of early this year amid intense U.S. Army efforts to stem the deaths, but officials are not yet ready to say they have turned a corner on the problem....More

Alberta opts for credit card over scalpel in its approach to health care

EDMONTON - Recession-shocked Alberta appears ready to put its credit card on the table rather than take out a scalpel to make deep cuts to health care....More

DEA weighs new limits on distribution of drug eyed in Michael Jackson case

WASHINGTON - Federal authorities are considering making the potent anesthetic propofol - one of the drugs found in Michael Jackson's home - a controlled substance, which would put new limits on its distribution....More

Canadian pathologists call for cancer testing standard after N.L. botched tests

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Pathologists in Canada are calling for the standardization of the kind of tissue testing that was at the centre of Newfoundland's breast cancer testing scandal....More

BC health authorities target overtime, fees, service cuts to tackle deficits

VANCOUVER, B.C. - British Columbia's new health minister has told regional health authorities to cut costs to avoid a $360-million deficit because the province won't be providing any bailout money as costs continue to climb....More

B.C. health critic says Liberals manipulated voters before election

VANCOUVER, B.C. - British Columbia's new health minister has told regional health authorities to cut costs to avoid a $360-million deficit because the province won't be providing any bailout money as costs continue to climb....More

B.C. cadet training reduced after cadet comes down with swine flu

VERNON, B.C. - An army cadet training centre in Interior British Columbia has cut back on activities after a cadet came down with swine flu and others reported respiratory problems. The centre in Vernon, B.C....More

Although study urges a tobacco-free military, Pentagon won't ban war zone smoking

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon reassured troops Wednesday that it won't ban tobacco products in war zones. Defence officials hadn't actually planned to eliminate smoking - at least for now....More

Almost 1 in 5 university students report experiencing recent violence: study

TORONTO - They may have come in for a sprained ankle or to refill their birth control prescriptions, but almost one in five university students visiting their school's health clinics reported being victims of violence in the past six months, a new study shows....More

2010 Games organizers say talks underway over access to swine flu vaccine

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Vancouver's Olympic organizers say they won't be at the front of the line if a vaccine against swine flu becomes available before the 2010 Games. But they are concerned that delays in production of the vaccine could impact the Winter Olympics....More

Swine flu fears close lung association camps for kids with asthma in U.S. west

DENVER - Swine flu is keeping kids with asthma home from camp this summer. The American Lung Association has advised its affiliated camps to close, including one in Colorado that was scheduled to begin next week....More

Quebec reporting another swine flu death to boost national tally to 42

QUEBEC - Quebec health officials are reporting another death associated with the swine flu for a national tally of 42. They say the victim was a woman in her 60s from the Montreal area who had underlying medical conditions....More

Ontario health minister says mental health care should be more accessible

TORONTO - Ontario's health minister says he wants to make mental health and addiction services accessible through the justice system, schools and other social services....More

Master Choice recalls food with undeclared milk ingredient

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued an alert to inform people with milk allergies not to consume certain products. The agency, along with Metro Ontario Inc., is warning against Master Choice brand frozen garlic and herb baguettes....More

Health councils to give advice to Alberta government

EDMONTON - The Alberta government has set up 12 health advisory councils to provide feedback about the province's health care. They replace 59 community health councils which operated under the former health regions....More

Communications exec leaves N.L. health board at centre of cancer test scandal

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A top official hired to improve communications for the Newfoundland health board at the centre of the province's botched breast cancer testing scandal has left the organization....More

China stops shock therapy for Internet addicts

BEIJING - China's Health Ministry has ordered a hospital to stop using electric shock therapy to cure youths of Internet addiction, saying there was no scientific evidence it worked....More

Alberta sex change patients file human rights complaints over lost gov't funding

EDMONTON - At least three dozen sex change patients have filed human rights complaints since the Health Department cut funding for operations that can cost up to $80,000....More

People with misophonia experience extreme reactions to specific sounds

TORONTO - The sound of a carrot snapping in two is enough to send Ben Mariano running from a room. For the 32-year-old Toronto accountant, gum-chewing, lip-smacking and carrot-crunching are akin to nails on a blackboard. Worse, even....More

Obama nominates rural family physician as next surgeon general

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated for surgeon general a rural family physician who has faced hurricanes, flood and fire to care for impoverished patients along Alabama's Gulf Coast. Obama says Dr....More

Japan lifts ban on children donating organs

TOKYO - Japan lifted a ban on organ donations from children, reversing a restriction that created such a dearth of small organs in the country that young patients were forced to seek transplants abroad....More

Health-care workers should get first crack at pandemic vaccine: WHO

TORONTO - Health-care workers around the world should have priority access to swine flu vaccine when it becomes available, the World Health Organization said Monday....More

Health officials say New Brunswick laboratory can now confirm cases of swine flu

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick health officials are now able to do all stages of swine flu testing in the province. Dr. Paul Van Buynder, deputy chief medical officer of health, says the tests can be done at the pandemic lab of the Dr. Georges L. Dumont Regional Hospital in Moncton....More

FDA scientists question data for J&J ovarian cancer drug

WASHINGTON - Food and Drug Administration scientists are questioning whether study results are reliable enough to warrant approval for a new cancer drug from Johnson & Johnson....More

Doctors in the dark over Dutch reactor shutdown

OTTAWA - The already shaky isotope supply may get a whole lot shakier. A Dutch reactor stepping in for its downed counterpart at Chalk River, Ont....More

British girl's heart heals itself after revolutionary transplant

LONDON - British doctors designed a radical solution to save a girl with major heart problems in 1995: they implanted a donor heart directly onto her own failing heart....More

Reported U.S. swine flu cases up to 37,000 and deaths hit 211, CDC says

ATLANTA - U.S. health officials say swine flu activity is dying down a bit, but the number of cases has surpassed 37,000 and deaths hit 211. The numbers rose from 170 deaths and nearly 34,000 confirmed and suspected swine flu cases reported last week....More

Pregnant women more at risk of complications from swine flu: feds

OTTAWA - The federal government says pregnant women who catch swine flu are at greater risk of early deliveries or miscarriages. But they aren't any more likely to get the virus than anyone else....More

New vaccine research centre in Halifax at forefront in battle against swine flu

HALIFAX, N.S. - The director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology says the new Halifax-based research facility, which officially opened Friday, will play a leading role in Canada's efforts to stop the spread of swine flu. Dr....More

Canadians favour their health care to American system: poll

OTTAWA - Canadians think their American neighbours would be wise to look north as they grapple with a massive health-care overhaul....More

Painkiller-addicted scrub tech causes hepatitis scare in Colo, unnerving thousands of patients

DENVER - Kimberly Spencer's 9-year-old son went to Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center last month for what was supposed to be a routine surgery. The rambunctious child stuck a BB in his ear and doctors had to operate to remove it. What happened next shocked the family....More

In N.S., doctors seek to reform nursing home care with dedicated visits

DARTMOUTH, N.S. - Dr. Ellen Jost and nursing home resident Joan Harnish are comfortable together, speaking of the elderly woman's illnesses like long-time friends chewing over the latest neighbourhood news....More

Swine flu vaccine production hits a snag: yield so far is 'less than optimal'

TORONTO - Swine flu vaccine production has hit a snag, with manufacturers reporting a disappointingly low yield when vaccines viruses are grown in eggs....More

Study: Clozapine may have saved schizophrenics

LONDON - Thousands of people with schizophrenia worldwide could have been saved if doctors had prescribed them the anti-psychotic drug clozapine, a new study says....More

Study finds that cutting a third of calories extends the life of monkeys

WASHINGTON - Eat less, live longer? It seems to work for monkeys: A 20-year study found cutting calories by almost a third slowed their aging and fended off death. This is not about a quick diet to shed a few pounds....More

Obama, top advisers urge states to gird now for fall vaccinations, outbreaks

WASHINGTON - U.S. swine flu vaccinations could begin in October with children at schools among the first in line, the Obama administration said Thursday as the president and his cabinet urged states to figure out now how they'll tackle the virus' all-but-certain resurgence....More

N.L. nursing home restrictions lifted after resident recovers from swine flu

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health board has lifted visitor restrictions at a St. John's nursing home after a resident recovered from swine flu....More

Health Canada probing potential link between diabetes drug and cancer

TORONTO - Health Canada is investigating the diabetes drug Lantus after research suggested there may be an increased risk of developing various types of cancer among those taking the medication....More

Health Canada detects BPA in jarred baby food, water; levels considered safe

TORONTO - Health Canada testing has detected bisphenol A in baby foods in glass jars with metal lids and in some 18.5-litre polycarbonate bottles of drinking water, but it says the levels are low and pose no health or safety concerns....More

Air Force Academy isolates 84 cadets with signs of respiratory illness

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colorado - The Air Force Academy says 84 cadets are being kept in isolation after showing symptoms of an undetermined respiratory illness. Academy spokeswoman Capt....More

Air Canada ordered to pay Montreal doctor $1,000 for mid-air consultation

MONTREAL - Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) has been ordered to pay a Montreal doctor $1,000 in compensation for having to perform medical duties during an international flight in 2006. That is less than the $3,058 initially sought by Dr....More

2 Edmonton hospitals cutting number of MRI scans due to budget problems

EDMONTON - The union representing Alberta health technologists says two Edmonton hospitals are being forced to cut back on MRI scans when waiting lists are already at critical levels....More

Experimental drug helps rabbits, monkeys survive anthrax infections

NEW YORK - An experimental drug helped monkeys and rabbits survive anthrax in a series of studies, suggesting it could be useful in case of another anthrax attack. In 2001, five people died after inhaling anthrax germs they'd gotten through the U.S. mail....More

EU warns of antitrust probes into drug makers

BRUSSELS - The European Union is warning of a wave of antitrust probes into major drug makers Wednesday, saying they were deliberately stalling cheaper generic medicines....More

EU wants to ensure 75 per cent of elderly vaccinated for seasonal flu by 2014

BRUSSELS - The European Commission says EU member states should vaccinate 75 per cent of their elderly and health-risk citizens for seasonal flu by winter 2014....More

Cocoa mix product is recalled for possible salmonella contamination

The following recall has been announced because the product may be contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune...More

Chalk River reactor down until year's end

OTTAWA - The Chalk River reactor will be down until the end of year. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. says it needs at least that long to figure out how to repair the leaky and aging reactor....More

British scientists claim to create human sperm, but other scientists question the data

LONDON - British scientists claim they have created human sperm from stem cells. But other experts have questioned their data....More

Alberta health records may be compromised by Trojan horse computer virus

EDMONTON - The Alberta government is warning about a computer virus that may have compromised the private health information of more than 11,000 people....More

37 boys die following traditional circumcisions in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG - Health officials say 37 boys have died following traditional circumcisions in South Africa since June 1, with 13 deaths in the past week alone. The number is a dramatic increase from last year's 24 deaths....More

Paperless hospital points the way, but obstacles to digital health records exist

PITTSBURGH - Baby Riley Matthews wheezed noisily on the exam table. "He's belly-breathing," the emergency-room doctor said worriedly - Riley's little abdomen was markedly rising and falling with each breath, a sign of respiratory distress....More

Officials to increase testing of swine flu for Tamiflu resistance after US case

ATLANTA - U.S. health officials are stepping up testing of swine flu cases for Tamiflu resistance. The action comes after an American teen was diagnosed with a resistant strain....More

New non-pandemic influenza virus found in Saskatchewan hog workers

REGINA - A new, never before seen flu virus has been found in Saskatchewan, but health officials were quick point out Tuesday that it's not connected to the current H1N1 pandemic. Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, Dr....More

Md. doctor says multi-kidney transplant record achieved involving 8 donors

BALTIMORE - A Maryland transplant surgeon says he and doctors at four hospitals in four states have transplanted eight kidneys and he considers that the largest series of multi-kidney donations ever. Dr....More

Food safety standards for eggs, meat, veggies being adopted by U.S.

WASHINGTON - New safety standards aimed at reducing salmonella and E. coli outbreaks are part of a U.S. government effort to try to make food safer to eat. A food safety panel established by U.S....More

Another swine flu death in Quebec raises national total to 37

QUEBEC - Another Quebecer has died after getting swine flu, bringing the national death toll to 37. Quebec health officials had no immediate details on the identity of the latest person to die. Fifteen Quebecers have now died after getting the H1N1 virus....More

EU warns of antitrust probes into drug makers

BRUSSELS - The European Union is warning of a wave of antitrust probes into major drug makers Wednesday, saying they were deliberately stalling cheaper generic medicines....More

British scientists claim to create human sperm, but other scientists question the data

LONDON - British scientists claim they have created human sperm from stem cells. But other experts have questioned their data....More

UN may need more than $1 billion to combat swine flu, says Ban

GENEVA - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world body may need over US$1 billion to fight the swine flu pandemic for the rest of this year....More

UN chief says $1 billion is needed for the fight against swine flu

GENEVA - The United Nations may need more than US$1 billion this year to help poor countries fight the swine flu pandemic, the world body's Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday. "The funding has not been flowing as we have been expecting," Ban said....More

Three more deaths on Prairies from flu bring official national total to 36

Three new deaths from swine flu were reported Monday - one in each Prairie province - increasing the known number of people who have succumbed to the virus in Canada to 36. Saskatchewan's third fatal flu case involved a child under 10....More

Spending on heart drugs more than doubles in 10 years, study finds

TORONTO - The amount spent on drugs to prevent and treat such conditions as heart attack and stroke is soaring in Canada, say researchers, with cardiac medications now accounting for one in five of all prescriptions filled....More

NIH issues final rules for research with stem cells from fertility clinic leftovers

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government issued final rules Monday expanding taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem cells, easing scientists' fears that some of the oldest batches might not qualify and promising a master list of all that do. U.S....More

From Haiti, a surprise: good news about AIDS; infection rate plummets

BLANCHARD, Haiti - When Micheline Leon was diagnosed with HIV, her parents told her they would fit her for a coffin. Fifteen years later, she walks around her two-room concrete house on Haiti's central plateau, watching her four children play under the plantain trees....More

Dirty pedicures: The ugly side of pretty feet in the beauty industry

TORONTO - With sandal season in mind, Sandra D' Alesio hurried out to beautify her feet between nursings of her six-month-old son, Anthony. But the moment she stepped into a scalding foot bath in a makeshift Hamilton salon, her experience - and her feet - turned ugly....More

Can't sleep? Computer-based home therapy shows promise for insomnia

CHICAGO - Sleepless people sometimes use the Internet to get through the night. Now a small study shows promising results for insomniacs with nine weeks of Internet-based therapy. No human therapist is involved....More

Alberta Medical Association warns province against rapid health care cuts

EDMONTON - The Alberta Medical Association is warning the provincial government not to make too many changes to the health care system too soon. AMA president Dr. Noel Grisdale says rapid budget cuts could short-circuit the ability of the system to deliver health services....More

WHO says global tally of swine flu cases nears 90,000

GENEVA - The World Health Organization says the number of officially confirmed swine flu cases worldwide has reached 89,921. The global body says 12,720 new cases have been reported since Wednesday - about half of them in the United States....More

Heart patients in U.S. alternative medicine study not fully told of risks: probe

A U.S. federal investigation has found that heart attack survivors enrolled in a study of a controversial alternative medicine treatment were not told enough about potential dangers from the drug being tested, including death....More

Tamiflu resistant H1N1 from Hong Kong more worrying than earlier findings

TORONTO - All cases of Tamiflu resistance are not created equal. So while the first three instances of swine flu infection with Tamiflu-resistant viruses were reported in the past week, it was Number 3, not Number 1 that put influenza experts on edge....More

Quebec ambulance workers consider new pressure tactics in contract talks

MONTREAL - Quebec ambulance technicians are considering the possibility of resorting to new pressure tactics in their contract negotiations with the provincial government....More

B.C. health minister not warm to consolidating health regions Alberta-style

KAMLOOPS, B.C. - New B.C. Health Minister Kevin Falcon apparently isn't anxious to follow in Alberta's footsteps and combine the province's regional health authorities to save money. Alberta reorganized its health-care delivery by consolidating its nine health regions....More

Health Canada, FDA warn against use of two energy drinks sold in U.S. and Canada

OTTAWA - Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are warning consumers not to buy two types of energy drinks, saying that utility knife blades were found in two vials in an apparent case of tampering....More

From Haiti, a surprise: good news about AIDS; infection rate plummets

BLANCHARD, Haiti - When Micheline Leon was diagnosed with HIV, her parents told her they would fit her for a coffin. Fifteen years later, she walks around her two-room concrete house on Haiti's central plateau, watching her four children play under the plantain trees....More

President's Choice meat recall and E. coli cases in London, Ont., not connected

LONDON, Ont. - Three cases of children with E. coli reported in the London, Ont., area last week aren't related to this week's voluntary recall of President's Choice fresh beef products at grocery stores across Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec....More

Melanoma on the rise in young as number of dermatologists shrinks

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Brynessa Gradley's life changed just over a year ago when she scratched an itchy spot on her leg as she came out of the shower....More

International study links aboriginal health, lifestyle, local decision-making

EDMONTON - Aboriginal people around the world are increasingly suffering from lifestyle-related illness such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes, according to a major new global study....More

Fawcett's death from rare disease may remove stigma from a taboo topic: experts

ATLANTA - In a perverse twist of medical fate, Farrah Fawcett has become the poster girl for anal cancer, a rare disease often linked to a sexually transmitted virus....More

Doctors nix idea of 'flu parties' to get immunity in case virus becomes deadlier

TORONTO - As a reason for a party, this one is getting a big thumbs down from public health officials....More

Canada's in the spotlight as debate on health care reform rages in the U.S.

WASHINGTON - It's rare that anything to do with Canada is front and centre in the minds of Americans, but the Canadian health-care system has been a hot topic of discussion over the past few weeks as Capitol Hill legislators work on a massive health-care overhaul....More

Alberta Medical Association warns province against rapid health care cuts

EDMONTON - The Alberta Medical Association is warning the provincial government not to make too many changes to the health care system too soon. AMA president Dr. Noel Grisdale says rapid budget cuts could short-circuit the ability of the system to deliver health services....More

Heart patients in U.S. alternative medicine study not fully told of risks: probe

A U.S. federal investigation has found that heart attack survivors enrolled in a study of a controversial alternative medicine treatment were not told enough about potential dangers from the drug being tested, including death....More

Alberta Health Services Board faces $1.1-billion shortfall

CALGARY - Alberta's health-care board continues to bleed red ink and faces a $1.1-billion budget shortfall this fiscal year. And as the board passed its $10....More

Acetaminophen may seem benign, but taking too much can harm liver

TORONTO - For most people, acetaminophen is likely considered one of the more benign drugs in their medicine cabinets. But take too much and this seemingly innocuous painkiller can cause potentially fatal liver failure....More

81-year-old woman becomes 10th person to die of swine flu in Ontario

TORONTO - Ontario has confirmed another death associated with the swine flu. An 81-year-old Toronto woman is the 10th person to die in Ontario who tested positive for the H1N1 virus....More

30 Canadian deaths associated with swine flu as Ontario up to 11

TORONTO - Ontario is now reporting 11 deaths associated with the swine flu for a national total of 30. An 81-year-old Toronto woman and a 41-year-old Hamilton woman who had chronic health problems both tested positive for the virus....More

U.S. obesity rates still rising in 23 states, Medicare to brace for influx of fat boomers

WASHINGTON - Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighbouring Alabama: obese baby boomers. It's time for the United States' annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news....More

President's Choice steaks, other meats, recalled due to possible E. coli

Canada's food inspection agency has issued a warning not to eat a wide selection of President's Choice fresh beef products because they might contain E. coli....More

Few survive cardiac arrest even with hospital CPR; study finds little improvement over time

You don't have to be Michael Jackson to have this problem: The odds of surviving cardiac arrest after getting CPR in a hospital are slim and have not improved in more than a decade, a big Medicare study concludes....More

12 hospitalized in U.S. in connection with possible E. coli outbreak in beef linked to Colo. company

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials say at least 12 people have been hospitalized in connection with a possible E.coli outbreak in beef and two of them suffered kidney failure....More

Canada-U.S. may go different routes on pandemic vaccine production

TORONTO - Canada and the United States may go separate ways when deciding whether powerful boosting compounds called adjuvants should be added to swine flu vaccines, experts suggest. Canada will likely use adjuvanted swine flu vaccine, says Dr....More

Bone agent linked to problems in neck surgeries, higher costs in spinal fusions

CHICAGO - A bone growth agent used in thousands of spinal fusion surgeries for neck pain has been linked to complications and higher cost, according to the first nationwide study of the product....More

Backlog of autistic kids waiting for treatment growing too quickly: NDP

TORONTO - The backlog of autistic children waiting for crucial therapy in Ontario is growing and in some cases leaving parents to pick up the tab for costly treatment, critics said Tuesday....More

Alberta Health Services Board faces $1.1-billion shortfall

CALGARY - Alberta's health-care board continues to bleed red ink and faces a $1.1-billion budget shortfall this fiscal year. And as the board passed its $10....More

Acetaminophen may seem benign, but taking too much can harm liver

TORONTO - For most people, acetaminophen is likely considered one of the more benign drugs in their medicine cabinets. But take too much and this seemingly innocuous painkiller can cause potentially fatal liver failure....More

81-year-old woman becomes 10th person to die of swine flu in Ontario

TORONTO - Ontario has confirmed another death associated with the swine flu. An 81-year-old Toronto woman is the 10th person to die in Ontario who tested positive for the H1N1 virus....More

30 Canadian deaths associated with swine flu as Ontario up to 11

TORONTO - Ontario is now reporting 11 deaths associated with the swine flu for a national total of 30. An 81-year-old Toronto woman and a 41-year-old Hamilton woman who had chronic health problems both tested positive for the virus....More

11 deaths associated with swine flu in Ontario; woman, 41, among new cases

TORONTO - Ontario is now reporting 11 deaths associated with the swine flu. An 81-year-old Toronto woman and a 41-year-old Hamilton woman who had chronic health problems both tested positive for the virus....More