US House leader says health care bill will cover 96 per cent of Americans

WASHINGTON - After months of struggle, House Democrats unveiled sweeping legislation Thursday to extend health care coverage to millions of Americans who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance....More

Top health official warns H1N1 vaccine flow will slow next 2 weeks

TORONTO - Delivery of H1N1 vaccine to the provinces will slow a bit over the next couple of weeks because the manufacturer was asked to make special batches of the product for pregnant women, Canada's chief public health officer said Thursday. Dr....More

Prime Minister Harper receives award for disability plan

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has received a lifetime membership from a disabled people advocacy group in B.C. The Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network honoured Harper for instituting the Registered Disability Savings Plan....More

Pelosi presents 'historic' health care bill, says it will cover 96 per cent of Americans

WASHINGTON - After months of struggle, House Democrats rolled out sweeping legislation Thursday to extend health care coverage to millions of Americans who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance....More

Overwhelming demand for H1N1 vaccine sees thousands line up at Toronto clinics

TORONTO - The overwhelming demand experienced across Canada for the H1N1 vaccine spilled over onto Toronto streets Thursday as thousands turned up at clinics seeking protection from the swine flu....More

Ontario says health units doing best they can in face of H1N1 vaccine demands

TORONTO - Health Minister Deb Matthews says local public health units are reacting as fast as they can to a big increase in demand for the swine flu vaccine....More

DC station airs demo of bare breast self-exams

WASHINGTON - The ABC affiliate here is airing a two-part series that takes a close - and unobscured - look at breast self-exams. The series is airing during the fall "sweeps" period critical for a TV station's ad revenue, prompting concern by a parental watchdog group....More

Alberta health officials approve wage freeze for non-union staff; union opposed

RED DEER, Alta. - The board of directors of Alberta Health Services has voted to freeze the wages of managers and non-union staff for two years, prompting an outcry from the province's largest union....More

Toronto researchers to co-lead international cancer stem cell projects

Two world-renowned Toronto scientists will receive $40 million over the next four years to co-lead two international cancer stem cell research projects funded through a partnership program between Canada and California....More

Size of vaccine order, paperwork turn family docs off H1N1 shot delivery

TORONTO - Family doctors in some parts of Canada have been slow to sign up to deliver H1N1 vaccine to their patients, pointing to a number of obstacles they say are discouraging them from giving the shots....More

Online course aims to help hospital workers with stress during pandemic

TORONTO - In the aftermath of the SARS emergency in 2003, some experts turned their attention to the levels of stress experienced by health-care professionals faced with treating infectious patients....More

Number going to ERs at Ont. children's hospitals doubles over swine flu concerns

TORONTO - Parents worried about swine flu are crowding emergency rooms at children's hospitals in Ottawa and Toronto, forcing some to shut down other services to cope with crush of new patients coming through their doors, officials said Wednesday....More

NDP says B.C. surgery time being offered to non-residents while B.C. people wait

VICTORIA, B.C. - The B.C. government is being accused of cutting surgeries while at the same time offering hip and knee operations to patients from other provinces. NDP Health critic Adrian Dix says thousands of elective surgeries have been cancelled across B.C....More

Health experts say Russia's abstinence approach no match for fast-growing AIDS epidemic

MOSCOW - AIDS experts urged Russian officials to scrap their abstinence-based strategy for curbing the spread of HIV, saying the country's fast-growing epidemic could be entering a dangerous new phase....More

Canadian researchers pioneer gene therapy to repair lungs for transplant

In pioneering research, Canadian scientists have successfully used gene therapy to repair damaged lungs from deceased donors, making them potentially suitable for life-saving transplantation....More

Athletes warned against sharing water bottles to stop swine-flu spread

TORONTO - Health experts and sports associations are urging athletes to avoid sharing water bottles or personal items such as towels to avoid the spread of swine flu, which killed an avid 13-year-old hockey player earlier this week....More

Ontario hospitals ask province to include them in freedom of information law

TORONTO - The Ontario Hospital Association is asking the government to extend freedom of information laws to cover the province's 155 hospitals. CEO Tom Closson says recent controversies involving eHealth and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp....More

Number of teenagers with risk factors for heart disease is rising: study

CALGARY - More than one in five teenagers has at least one risk factor for heart disease such as obesity and high cholesterol, a jump from just six years earlier, suggests new research....More

No need for flu to frighten trick-or-treaters, but use common sense: doctors

CALGARY - Something more frightening than ghosts and goblins may be lurking in the shadows this Halloween when kids go door-to-door or dig into their candy stash....More

Kids can gain alarming amount of weight on psychiatric drugs, new research shows

CHICAGO - Children on widely used psychiatric drugs can quickly gain an alarming amount of weight; many pack on nearly 20 pounds and become obese within just 11 weeks, a study found. "Sometimes this stuff just happens like an explosion....More

How low can you go? Big brewers come out with ultra-low-calorie beer

MILWAUKEE - How low can beer makers go? Having conquered the beer-belly set, some of the biggest brewers in the U.S. are trying to win over the six-pack-ab crowd with ultra-low-calorie suds....More

H1N1 kills 13-year-old Toronto boy; dad urges parents to watch kids carefully

TORONTO - The swine-flu death of an otherwise healthy hockey-playing teen came without warning and should serve as a lesson to parents to keep a close eye on their ill children, the boy's grief-stricken father said Tuesday....More

Bill and Melinda Gates highlight success of US spending to save children's lives

WASHINGTON - The billionaire co-founder of Microsoft is touting what he sees as an investment with enormous returns - the money spent to improve health care in poor countries and the millions of lives saved because of it....More

Online course aims to help hospital workers with stress during pandemic

TORONTO - In the aftermath of the SARS emergency in 2003, some experts turned their attention to the levels of stress experienced by health-care professionals faced with treating infectious patients....More

Homeless, rooming house residents at risk for early death: study

TORONTO - Canadians living in homeless shelters and rooming houses have a much shorter life expectancy than the general population - and poverty is not the only factor contributing to their premature deaths, researchers conclude....More

Federal government buying unadjuvanted vaccine from Australia for pregnant women

TORONTO - Canada is importing adjuvant-free H1N1 vaccine from Australia for pregnant women, hoping to be able to offer that product sooner than if it waits for unadjuvanted vaccine from Canada to make it through the licensing process....More

Disgraced SKorean cloning scientist convicted in stem cell scandal, but avoids prison

SEOUL, South Korea - A disgraced cloning expert who falsely claimed major breakthroughs in stem cell research was convicted Monday for embezzlement and other charges connected to the scandal, but he will not serve time in prison....More

Debate over different swine flu vaccines in Germany overshadows start of mass vaccinations

BERLIN - A debate over two different swine flu vaccines overshadowed Germany's launch of a public inoculation program against the pandemic on Monday....More

Canadians coast to coast roll up their sleeves for H1N1 vaccinations

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Canadians from coast to coast rolled up their sleeves Monday as the country's provinces and territories began vaccinations for the H1N1 virus, but for many the process was far from smooth....More

Amid rising elective deliveries, hospitals curtail labour induced too soon

WASHINGTON - Hoping to schedule your baby's birth while your mother's in town, or before the doctor goes on vacation? Labour is becoming less of a late-night surprise, but some U.S....More

'Angina of legs' a sign of elevated heart attack, stroke risk: doctors

All Canadians over age 50 should be routinely tested for a narrowing of blood vessels to the legs that could put them at elevated risk for a heart attack or stroke, cardiologists say....More

Saskatchewan considers law to stop drivers from smoking in cars with children

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government plans to broaden anti-tobacco laws in the province and that may include a ban on smoking in cars with children....More

Swine flu vaccinations rolled out across regions of Ont. starting Monday

TORONTO - Monday marks the start of H1N1 flu vaccination programs across most of Ontario for a high-risk priority group of people, and officials are urging all others to wait their turn....More

New swine flu ads to urge Canadians to roll up their sleeves for the shot

OTTAWA - A sweeping ad campaign is planned over the next few weeks to prod reluctant Canadians to get the swine-flu shot, The Canadian Press has learned....More

Key Democrat says public insurance option close to gaining votes needed for passage in Senate

WASHINGTON - A proposal for government-backed health insurance is close to gaining the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate and probably will be in overhaul legislation, a Senate Democratic leader said Sunday....More

Health flap, loss of ministers: cracks in Williams government's armour?

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Danny Williams has such an iron-clad clutch on power in Newfoundland and Labrador that some political watchers have dubbed the province "Dannystan." That may be changing....More

H1N1 outbreak could be 'dangerous' for Canada's homeless: advocates

MONTREAL - In one of Canada's first sweeps of H1N1 inoculation, street nurses will be ducking in and out of alleys on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, vaccinating the homeless, the downtrodden and the drug-addicted....More

Cornwall-area preteen is latest H1N1 casualty as second wave sweeps province

CORNWALL, Ont. - A preteen who died after being admitted to an Ottawa hospital this weekend marks Ontario's first H1N1 fatality since the second wave of the pandemic was confirmed by health officials....More

Disgraced SKorean cloning scientist convicted in stem cell scandal, but avoids prison

SEOUL, South Korea - A disgraced cloning expert who falsely claimed major breakthroughs in stem cell research was convicted Monday for embezzlement and other charges connected to the scandal, but he will not serve time in prison....More

'Angina of legs' a sign of elevated heart attack, stroke risk: doctors

All Canadians over age 50 should be routinely tested for a narrowing of blood vessels to the legs that could put them at elevated risk for a heart attack or stroke, cardiologists say....More

WHO to help Philippines deal with deadly leptospirosis outbreak in flood-hit Manila

MANILA, Philippines - The World Health Organization will send an emergency team to help the Philippines deal with a bacterial disease outbreak that has killed at least 148 people and sickened nearly 2,000 in and around the flood-hit capital, officials said Thursday....More

N.S. health minister says flu shot best defence against overcrowding ERs

HALIFAX, N.S. - Nova Scotia's health minister said Thursday that contingency plans are in place if people sick with swine flu jam the province's already clogged emergency rooms....More

International Diabetes Foundation releases guidelines for health providers

TORONTO - The International Diabetes Federation has released three sets of guidelines for health providers aimed at improving patient care and stemming the growing worldwide incidence of the disease....More

Critics, residents protest cuts to health services in rural communities

TORONTO - Critics and residents in rural communities are demanding that the Ontario government stop cuts to their health-care services until an expert panel finishes its report....More

Chair of eHealth Ontario apologizes to taxpayers for consultant scandal

TORONTO - Taxpayers got an apology of sorts Wednesday from the chairwoman of eHealth Ontario for a scandal involving the awarding of hundreds of millions of dollars in untendered contracts to consultants....More

Ambulances in U.S. start charging extra for obese patients

TOPEKA, Kan. - The memory still bothers Ken Keller: A panicked ambulance crew had a critically ill patient, but the man weighed more than 1,000 pounds and could not fit inside the vehicle. And the stretcher wasn't sturdy enough to hold him....More

Public health insurance plan gaining favour with senators; White House completing health bill

WASHINGTON - The Senate has long been seen as opposed to the federal government selling health insurance in competition with private industry, but now senior Senate Democrats and White House officials are strongly considering including such a measure in health care overhaul legislation,...More

Inherited obesity: A fat woman's womb may nudge her children toward becoming obese later on

NEW YORK - When Kathy Perusse had weight-loss surgery and shed 120 pounds (54 kilograms), she may have done more than make her own life easier. She went on to have two daughters, and she may have boosted their chances of avoiding becoming obese, like her two older children are....More

Feds approve swine-flu vaccine, shots to begin in days

OTTAWA - Canada's largest-ever immunization campaign is ready to go now that the federal government has approved the swine-flu vaccine....More

Feds approve swine-flu vaccine, shots to begin in days

OTTAWA - Canada's largest-ever immunization campaign is ready to go now that the federal government has approved the swine-flu vaccine....More

Feds approve swine-flu vaccine, shots to begin as early as next week

OTTAWA - Canada's largest-ever immunization campaign is about to get underway now that the federal government has approved the swine-flu vaccine. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq's office confirmed Wednesday an announcement would be made at 12:30 p.m....More

Feds approve swine-flu vaccine, shots to begin as early as next week

OTTAWA - Canada's largest-ever immunization campaign is ready to go now that the federal government has approved the swine-flu vaccine....More

Facts about vaccine for H1N1 flu

Some facts about the vaccine for the H1N1 flu, approved Wednesday for national distribution. What is it: A vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline in Ste-Foy, a district of Quebec City....More

Canada buying H1N1 vaccine without adjuvant, hoping people don't wait for it

TORONTO - Canada is buying 1.8 million doses of H1N1 vaccine it hopes people won't want and won't wait for....More

A look at key dates in the race to develop a vaccine for the H1N1 flu

A chronology of the swine flu pandemic and the effort to develop, test and approve a vaccine for H1N1, which received federal government approval Wednesday: March 18 - Mexican government begins to track an increase in cases of severe respiratory illness in Mexico....More

Chair of eHealth Ontario apologizes to taxpayers for consultant scandal

TORONTO - Taxpayers got an apology of sorts Wednesday from the chairwoman of eHealth Ontario for a scandal involving the awarding of hundreds of millions of dollars in untendered contracts to consultants....More

Somers' book on alternative cancer remedies latest celeb attack on mainstream med

NEW YORK - Suzanne Somers is at it again. Less than a year after the former sitcom actress frustrated mainstream doctors (and cheered some fans) by touting bioidentical hormones on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," she's back with a new book....More

Saskatchewan eyes private delivery of health services to cut surgical wait times

REGINA - The birthplace of medicare could see more private delivery of health services as the Saskatchewan government tries to tackle a backlog in surgeries....More

Safety board says sleep disorder a problem behind the wheel, in the cockpit and in the cab

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government should start screening truck and bus drivers, commercial pilots, train engineers and merchant sailors for sleep apnea, a disorder that is cropping up in transportation accidents, federal safety investigators said Tuesday....More

Obama urges Democrats to unite around health care bill, says to 'keep our eye on the prize'

NEW YORK - President Barack Obama is telling Democrats to stay focused on the reason the health care system needs an overhaul, which he says is extending insurance to tens of millions of people who have no medical coverage....More

Mislabelling means some patients could get wrong drug: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers who take the antidepressant Trazorel (50 mg) or the anti-nausea medication Cesamet (1 mg) of a mislabelling issue that may potentially result in patients getting the wrong medication....More

Full results from test on AIDS vaccine show it modestly prevents infection

Fresh results from the world's first successful test of an experimental AIDS vaccine confirm that it is only marginally effective and suggest that its protection against HIV infection may wane over time....More

Alberta going from highest generic drug prices in Canada to lowest

EDMONTON - Alberta is changing its deal with generic drug makers to push the cost of such prescriptions from the highest in Canada to the lowest....More

Obese Brit who could be world's fattest man reportedly due to go under the knife to get op

LONDON - A Briton who could possibly be the world's fattest man is reportedly due to go under the knife in an attempt to cut his weight. The Sun tabloid says that 48-year-old Paul Mason is due to have an operation at St. Richard's Hospital in southern England....More

One in 3 Canadians less inclined to shake hands because of swine flu: poll

WINNIPEG - As Canada prepares to welcome the world to the Winter Olympics with an elbow bump rather than a handshake, concern over swine flu is prompting some people in this country to back away from handshakes and hugs....More

Federal government won't prosecute medical marijuana users if they comply with state law

WASHINGTON - Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration....More

eHealth Ontario's top brass to testify before legislative committee Wednesday

TORONTO - A promise that top officials from scandal-plagued eHealth Ontario will appear before a legislative committee didn't stop Opposition demands Monday for a public inquiry into the $1 billion the province has spent trying to develop electronic health records....More

Doctors say Ottawa needs to spend $1.5B on hospitals, health facilities

REGINA - Canada's doctors say the federal government needs to spend a huge amount of money to build hospitals and other health facilities. Dr. Anne Doig, president of the Canadian Medical Association, says Ottawa should add $1....More

Crack cocaine smoking increases risk of HIV: Vancouver study shows

TORONTO - People who regularly smoke crack cocaine have a significantly higher risk of becoming infected with HIV, warn Canadian researchers, who say use of the drug has risen dramatically across the country in the last several years....More

Budget cuts threaten money-saving Vancouver Island health-care clinic

VICTORIA, B.C. - A Vancouver Island nurse practitioner who sees 200 patients a month says health-care cuts are threatening the survival of a community clinic that saves money because its model reduces visits to hospitals and doctor's offices....More

AECL who? Poll finds most Canadians know little about isotope maker

OTTAWA - A survey commissioned by the federal government suggests most Canadians don't know much about Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., but they still don't want the Crown corporation privatized....More

Full results from test on AIDS vaccine show it modestly prevents infection

Fresh results from the world's first successful test of an experimental AIDS vaccine confirm that it is only marginally effective and suggest that its protection against HIV infection may wane over time....More

Ecuador president wants to bypass drug patents to produce cheaper generics

QUITO, Ecuador - President Rafael Correa says he is preparing to override a host of drug patents to provide lower-priced generic medications in Ecuador. Correa says Ecuador will seek "compulsory licenses" from companies to produce medications considered indispensable....More

Feds may face own eHealth headaches, after scandal in Ontario

OTTAWA - The auditor general of Canada is releasing a report next month on a federal eHealth agency that could cite many of the problems that plagued Ontario's own similar agency. Canada Health Infoway is a federal corporation created in 2001 that has already spent $1....More

B.C. AG conducts e-health review amid scandal allegations

VICTORIA, B.C. - B.C.'s auditor general is reviewing a provincial electronic health project as an RCMP fraud and breach of trust investigation involving the province's former top e-health bureaucrat nears completion....More

AP Newsbreak: New medical marijuana policy issued by Obama administration

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they closely conform to state laws. The Justice Department is set to issue new policy guidelines on medical marijuana Monday....More

Aides: Obama still favours government-run option in health overhaul, but not demanding it

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will not demand that a final health care reform bill include a government-run insurance plan as a way of driving down costs through competition, though that's his preference, top White House advisers said Sunday....More

Swimming with turtles? Not a good idea, says report on biggest US turtle-salmonella outbreak

CHICAGO - Two girls who swam with pet turtles in a backyard pool were among 107 people sickened in the largest salmonella outbreak blamed on turtles in the U.S., researchers report....More

Provinces and territories receive first shipments of the H1N1 vaccine: official

TORONTO - The first shipments of the H1N1 vaccine have already reached the provinces and territories to allow local health officials immediate access to the vaccine once it is approved, an official with the Public Health Agency of Canada said Sunday....More

Federal government won't prosecute medical marijuana users if they comply with state law

WASHINGTON - Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration....More

Imperial Tobacco destroyed at least 60 reports on smoking, researchers say

MONTREAL - Imperial Tobacco Canada destroyed decades' worth of scientific research that demonstrated the devastating effects of smoking, a new medical journal article alleges....More

Health minister praises Saskatchewan First Nation for swine flu plan

COWESSESS, Sask. - Four-year-old Brennan Redwood knows that he needs to wash his hands for as long as it takes to sing the alphabet - about 30 seconds....More

Giving babies Tylenol to prevent fever may make vaccines less effective: study

Giving babies Tylenol to prevent fever when they get childhood vaccinations may backfire and make the shots a little less effective, surprising new research suggests. It is the first major study to tie reduced immunity to the use of fever-lowering medicines....More

Drugmaker Pfizer closes $68B purchase of Wyeth, gets biotech, vaccine, consumer businesses

Pfizer Inc. and Wyeth have tied the knot in the drug industry's most expensive marriage this year....More

Antimicrobial mask maker Noveko signs distribution deal in Southeast Asia

MONTREAL - Antimicrobial products maker Noveko International Inc. has signed a three-year distribution deal for antimicrobial masks and respirators and hand sanitizers in Southeast Asia....More

Alberta, citing research, lengthens interval to three years between pap smears

EDMONTON - Alberta is lengthening the suggested interval between Pap smears to three years from one....More

A step toward future heart repair: Using mice stem cells to grow beating strip of heart muscle

WASHINGTON - US scientists have grown a piece of heart muscle - and then watched it beat - by using stem cells from a mouse embryo, a big step toward one day repairing damage from heart attacks. Think of Dr. Kenneth Chien as a heart mechanic....More

Health minister to tour B.C. H1N1 lab after praising First Nation flu efforts

COWESSESS, Sask. - Canada's health minister is heading for the west coast as part of a pandemic planning tour that earlier brought praise for a Saskatchewan First Nation....More

Proposed rules to ease way for US soldiers seeking stress disability compensation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has proposed reducing the paperwork required for soldiers applying for disability to show they have suffered combat-related stress....More

More Canadians will be immunized for H1N1 faster than other countries: official

WINNIPEG - Canada may be behind other countries in rolling out its swine flu vaccine, but the population should be immunized by Christmas before the virus peaks, the country's chief public health officer said Wednesday....More

Many elderly with dementia, kidney failure in nursing homes get futile care: studies

LOS ANGELES - A surprising number of frail elderly Americans in nursing homes are suffering from futile care at the end of their lives, two new federally funded studies reveal....More

Imperial Tobacco destroyed 7 million pages of research on smoking, says report

MONTREAL - Imperial Tobacco Canada destroyed seven million pages of research which included decades worth of studies that indicated the devastating effects of smoking, a new medical journal article alleges....More

Future generations to benefit from 30-year cancer prevention project

VANCOUVER, B.C. - While there's no salve for the gripping helplessness that comes from learning a loved one has cancer, a national research study aims to give the average Canadian an opportunity to soothe someone's future grief....More

Children under 10 likely to need 2 doses of swine flu vaccine, tests by Sanofi show

MILWAUKEE - Test results of its swine flu vaccine suggest that children under 10 are likely to need two shots to be fully protected, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur said Wednesday....More

Car seats in short supply at taxi companies surveyed

TORONTO - The majority of taxi companies across Canada included in a new study do not provide child restraint devices such as car seats, according to a survey published in the journal Paediatrics and Child Health....More

Paladin Labs gets Canadian rights to estrogen treatment for post-menopausal women

MONTREAL - Paladin Labs Inc. will take over all commercial responsibilities for the selling, marketing and distribution of Estring estrogen product in Canada under a revised agreement with Pfizer Canada Inc....More

No money, no problem: Miami doctor who treats poor, uninsured wins recognition

MIAMI - Dr. Pedro Jose Greer stands in a cool, dim operating room at Miami's Mercy Hospital, looking at a glowing image of a patient's digestive system on a flat-screen TV....More

Nearly 1,000 children in China test positive for lead poisoning

BEIJING - Nearly 1,000 children in a central Chinese province have tested positive for excessive lead in their blood, state media reported Tuesday, the latest of several lead poisoning cases involving thousands of children across the country....More

McGuinty wiling to work with hospitals on shortfalls but says future funding increases may drop

TORONTO - Ontario's hospitals will get some help from the province as they struggle to balance their books amid a $154-million shortfall, but they shouldn't expect funding to be as high as in previous years, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday....More

Keyhole prostate surgery may mean higher risk of incontinence, sexual problems

CHICAGO - A new study suggests less-invasive keyhole surgery for prostate cancer may mean a higher risk for lasting incontinence and impotence when compared with traditional surgery....More

Health care reform clears a US Senate hurdle, wins bonus backing from moderate Republican

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's vow to reform the U.S. health care system cleared a key hurdle Tuesday with a bonus vote from a moderate Republican whose backing could be key to final passage....More

Global report: abortions decline but unsafe procedures kill many women in developing world

NEW YORK - While contraceptive use is increasing worldwide, helping fuel a drop in the number of abortions, unintended pregnancies and deaths from unsafe abortion remain rampant in many developing nations, a research institute reported Tuesday in a major global survey....More

Canadian blood supply future uncertain as population ages: study

HAMILTON, Ont. - The greying of Canada's population could pose a serious problem for the country's future blood supply because a high proportion of donors are adolescents and young adults, a study by McMaster University researchers warns....More

Proposed rules to ease way for US soldiers seeking stress disability compensation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has proposed reducing the paperwork required for soldiers applying for disability to show they have suffered combat-related stress....More

No ifs, ands or buts: Syria becomes latest in tobacco-loving Mideast to ban smoking in public

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria's president on Monday issued a decree banning smoking in public places, joining an anti-smoking trend already under way in other Arab countries....More

More than a third of Ontario hospitals didn't balance their books, figures show

TORONTO - More than a third of Ontario hospitals couldn't balance their books last year, amounting to a $154-million shortfall, newly released figures show....More

Lots of rest, fluids, chicken soup a recipe for toughing out swine flu: doctors

Oh boy. Your throat is sore, you have the sniffles and you're starting to cough. Not only that, but you feel feverish and you're aching all over. In fact, you feel absolutely lousy. Yes, chances are you have the dreaded swine flu....More

Health care reform heads for a key vote, but hurdles remain for Obama's top domestic priority

WASHINGTON - Health care reform - President Barack Obama's top domestic policy priority - heads for a critical but far-from-final congressional vote on Tuesday....More

Farmers calling for cull of Manitoba's wild elk after rise in cases of bovine TB

WINNIPEG - Bovine tuberculosis carried by wild elk is increasingly threatening some Manitoba cattle herds, prompting farmers to call for a cull of the animals before more cows succumb to the disease....More

Developing countries may be in for rough ride with H1N1, studies suggest

TORONTO - New studies suggest developing countries with limited high-tech health care may be in for a rough ride with the swine flu. The studies compare what happened to people in Canada and Mexico who ended up in intensive care units with H1N1 infection....More

No money, no problem: Miami doctor who treats poor, uninsured wins recognition

MIAMI - Dr. Pedro Jose Greer stands in a cool, dim operating room at Miami's Mercy Hospital, looking at a glowing image of a patient's digestive system on a flat-screen TV....More

Nearly 1,000 children in central China test positive for lead poisoning

BEIJING - Nearly 1,000 children living near smelting plants in China's central Henan province have tested positive for excessive lead levels in their blood, state media reported Tuesday....More

US study shows no problem giving seasonal, H1N1 vaccines at the same time

TORONTO - U.S. studies have confirmed that only one dose of H1N1 vaccine will be needed to protect adults and seniors. And the studies show that it's OK to give people both the pandemic flu shot and a seasonal shot at the same time. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S....More

Nations no longer counting pandemic flu cases; last US estimate in July, stuck at 1 million

ATLANTA - U.S. health officials have lost track of how many illnesses and deaths have been caused by the first global flu epidemic in 40 years. And they did it on purpose....More

Dr. Frederick 'Fred' Wirth Jr., physician for America's 1st test-tube baby, dies at 68

RENO, Nev. - Dr. Frederick "Fred" Wirth Jr., the physician to America's first test-tube baby, has died, his family said Friday. He was 68. Wirth died Monday of pancreatic cancer in Carson City, said his wife, Linda Wirth....More

Cocaine cut with antibiotic could cause life-threatening infection: health unit

TORONTO - Canadians who use cocaine are being warned that drug dealers may have laced it with a veterinary antibiotic and could find themselves in a fight for their lives....More

Baby born in Germany to woman despite her being in coma for last 22 weeks of pregnancy

BERLIN - A German hospital says a woman has given birth to a healthy baby despite having been in a coma for the last 22 weeks of her pregnancy....More

Toronto hospitals lag behind rest of province in flu shots for staff

TORONTO - You might have thought Toronto's experience with SARS would have made health-care workers in the city's hospitals more likely than their provincial counterparts to get a flu shot. But a new report suggests you would have been wrong....More

Peterborough health warns about contaminated cocaine causing deadly infections

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - Health officials in Peterborough, Ont. have issued a warning that people who use cocaine in the area may be at risk of severe life-threatening infections due to contamination....More

Obama calls for bipartisan work on health care, notes some Republican support outside Congress

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Saturday he's seeing "unprecedented consensus" behind overhauling the U.S. health care system, though he acknowledged continued partisan gridlock in Congress....More

New health minister won't say whether Ont. will recoup wasted cash at eHealth

TORONTO - Ontario's new health minister had few answers Thursday on what she planned to do to quell public anger over the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted by the province in a bungled attempt to create electronic health records....More

New health minister won't say whether Ont. will recoup wasted cash at eHealth

TORONTO - Ontario's new health minister won't say whether she'll try to recoup money that was wasted at eHealth Ontario in the wake of a stinging auditor's report....More

Libs tried to bury Cancer Care Ont. report under audit into eHealth: Opposition

TORONTO - Ontario's opposition parties are accusing the Liberal government of trying to deflect attention from problems with untendered contracts at another provincial health agency....More

Delayed response to heart attack call unrelated to strike: Toronto EMS chief

TORONTO - There was a "preventable delay" in the response to a 911 call after which a 59-year-old man died of an apparent heart attack during this summer's municipal strike in Toronto....More

Cancer Care Ontario disagrees with auditor findings on untendered contracts

TORONTO - A provincial auditor's finding that Cancer Care Ontario broke its own rules by giving out untendered contracts to consultants was challenged Thursday by the agency's chief executive, who said they had a different view of the situation....More

B.C. health minister says government co-operating with RCMP investigation

VICTORIA, B.C. - Health Minister Kevin Falcon says RCMP allegations of breach of trust involving a former top-ranking Health Ministry bureaucrat are serious and deeply concerning to the government....More

B.C. health minister says government co-operating with RCMP investigation

VICTORIA, B.C. - Health Minister Kevin Falcon says RCMP allegations of breach of trust involving a former top-ranking Health Ministry bureaucrat are serious and deeply concerning to the government....More

Nations no longer counting pandemic flu cases; last US estimate in July, stuck at 1 million

ATLANTA - U.S. health officials have lost track of how many illnesses and deaths have been caused by the first global flu epidemic in 40 years. And they did it on purpose....More

Head of blood agency says decision on closure of N.B. centre is final

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government needs to stop fighting the closure of a blood production facility in Saint John and allow the national reorganization of the system to continue, the head of Canadian Blood Services said Wednesday....More

Ex-President Carter seeks to boost campaign to rid Hispaniola of malaria

OUANAMINTHE, Haiti - Jovind Fritzner is well-known in this border town, where the ditches lining the dirt roads collect stagnant water perfect for malaria-carrying mosquitoes....More

Ex-President Carter seeks to boost campaign to rid Hispaniola of malaria

OUANAMINTHE, Haiti - Former President Jimmy Carter travelled to Haiti and the Dominican Republic to meet political leaders, health workers and malaria victims Wednesday in hopes of jump-starting efforts to eradicate the disease in the Caribbean....More

Cancer Care Ontario suffered from same problems as eHealth, audit finds

TORONTO - A new audit of Cancer Care Ontario shows the provincial agency suffered from many of the same problems that plagued troubled eHealth Ontario....More

Cancer Care Ontario suffered from same problems as eHealth, audit finds

TORONTO - A new audit of Cancer Care Ontario shows the provincial agency suffered from many of the same problems that plagued troubled eHealth Ontario....More

'Lab on a chip' could one day be tool in doctors' offices, clinics

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have developed a "lab-on-a-chip" device that measures estrogen from minuscule samples of blood and tissue - a technology they believe could one day be used to more quickly assess a woman's risk of developing breast cancer....More

'Lab on a chip' could one day be tool in doctors' offices, clinics

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have developed a prototype "lab-on-a-chip" device that measures estrogen from minuscule samples of blood and tissue....More

$1 billion spent but little to show in Ont.'s push for electronic health records

TORONTO - Ontario taxpayers have poured $1 billion into an electronic health-record system that's years away from completion, a mismanaged effort the provincial auditor general said allowed consultants to run amok with little oversight while millions of dollars in untendered contracts went...More

GlaxoSmithKline, Jiangsu Walvax Biotech form joint venture to produce vaccines for China

LONDON - Drugs maker GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Jiangsu Walvax Biotech Company said Tuesday they are forming a joint venture to develop and produce pediatric vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) in China....More

Fitness, medical experts give tips on do's, don'ts of exercise during pregnancy

TORONTO - Brad Schoenfeld has made it his business to help women get into shape, and fitness leading into, during and following pregnancy is no exception. The fitness expert and author, who owns and operates the Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, N.Y....More

FDA says Pfizer's pill Selzentry appears safe for broader use against HIV

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday an HIV drug from Pfizer appears safe for expanded use in patients who have not already taken other drugs to combat the virus. However, the FDA said Pfizer studies paint a mixed picture of its drug's effectiveness....More

CP Exclusive: Ont. health minister resigns ahead of report on eHealth spending abuses

TORONTO - The Canadian Press has learned Ontario's health minister has resigned on the eve of a report into spending scandals at an agency tasked with creating electronic health records....More

CP Exclusive: Ont. health minister resigns ahead of report on eHealth spending abuses

TORONTO - Ontario's health minister bowed to months of opposition pressure and tendered his resignation Tuesday on the eve of a report into how the province spent $1 billion over 10 years to create electronic health records and handed out millions in untendered contracts, The Canadian Press...More

Auditor to detail how Ont. spent $1 billion on electronic health records

TORONTO - Details of multimillion-dollar untendered consulting contracts are just some of the revelations expected Wednesday from a special investigation into how Ontario spent $1 billion over 10 years to create electronic health records and produced little of lasting value....More

2 million babies and mothers die at birth worldwide each year

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - More than two million babies and mothers die worldwide each year as a result of complications during childbirth, according to a study released Tuesday....More

Report: Thousands of Indian women die needlessly in maternal deaths

NEW DELHI - Tens of thousands of Indian women die needlessly every year during pregnancy or because of childbirth-related problems, a human rights group said Wednesday, blaming a medical system hobbled by poor planning, caste discrimination, a lack of accountability and limited access to...More

Caution urged over algae bloom in Bay of Quinte in eastern Ontario

BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Some residents are being urged to avoid direct contact with water from the Bay of Quinte in eastern Ontario because of a huge blue-green algae bloom....More

B.C. doctors to be paid for diagnosing H1N1 flu virus by telephone

VICTORIA, B.C. - Doctors in British Columbia will be paid to diagnose swine flu over the phone. As Health officials brace for a resurgence of the H1N1 virus, the province and B.C. Medical Association have agreed on two new, temporary fee codes....More

As U.S. starts swine flu vaccination, vaccine proponents watch with concern

TORONTO - The United States began to vaccinate its citizens against swine flu on Monday, one of the first countries to roll out its portion of what may be an unprecedented effort to immunize upwards of a billion people around the world over the next few months....More

Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak win Nobel medicine prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Americans Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak won the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discovering a key mechanism in the genetic operations of cells, an insight that has inspired new lines of research into cancer....More

Alberta health care staff rally against closing 246 mental health beds

EDMONTON - The head of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says the Stelmach government's plan to close 246 beds at Alberta Hospital Edmonton is going to badly damage the province's health-care system....More

Pregnant women exposed to chemical more likely to have aggressive girls: study

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Pregnant women exposed to a common chemical found in plastics are more likely to have daughters with aggressive and hyperactive behaviours, suggests a new study that tested two-year-olds....More

Pregnant women exposed to chemical more likely to have aggressive girls: study

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Pregnant women exposed to a common chemical found in plastics are more likely to have daughters with aggressive and hyperactive behaviours, suggests a new study that tested two-year-olds....More

GlaxoSmithKline, Jiangsu Walvax Biotech form joint venture to produce vaccines for China

LONDON - Drugs maker GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Jiangsu Walvax Biotech Company said Tuesday they are forming a joint venture to develop and produce pediatric vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) in China....More

Report says 13 million babies worldwide born premature

WASHINGTON - They call it kangaroo care: A premature baby nestles skin-to-skin against mom's bare, warm chest. In Malawi, mothers' bodies take the place of too-pricey incubators to keep these fragile newborns alive....More

Canadian Stem cell pioneers among possible candidates for Monday's Nobel Prize in medicine

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Two Canadian scientists whose discovery of stem cells has paved the way for controversial research could be candidates for the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine, the winners of which will be announced Monday....More

"Hillbilly heroin" a growing problem in B.C.'s small communities

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Small communities in British Columbia largely untouched by the scourge of hard drugs are discovering a similar danger that some consider even tougher to tackle because it's handed out with a doctor's blessing....More

Two government studies find autism disorders in one in 100 U.S. children

CHICAGO - Two new government studies indicate about 1 in 100 American children have autism disorders - higher than a previous U.S. estimate of 1 in 150....More

Lab21 to market, sell DiagnoCure cancer test

QUEBEC CITY, Que. - Canadian life sciences company DiagnoCure Inc. (TSX:CUR) says its Previstage test for colorectal cancer will be represented in the United Kingdom and Ireland by a new partner, Lab21 of Cambridge, England....More

Caution urged over algae bloom in Bay of Quinte in eastern Ontario

BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Some residents are being urged to avoid direct contact with water from the Bay of Quinte in eastern Ontario because of a huge blue-green algae bloom....More

Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak win Nobel medicine prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Americans Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak won the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discovering a key mechanism in the genetic operations of cells, an insight that has inspired new lines of research into cancer....More

Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak win Nobel medicine prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak were named winners of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for research that has implications for cancer and aging research Canadian scientists Ernest McCulloch and James Till were believed...More

Surgical masks as good as N95 respirators for blocking flu in hospitals: study

TORONTO - Surgical masks appear to protect health-care workers from catching the flu as well as N95 respirators do in most settings, a new and sure-to-be-debated Canadian study has found....More

Surgical masks as good as N-95 respirators for blocking flu in hospitals: study

TORONTO - A new study suggests surgical masks protect health-care workers from flu as well as N-95 respirators do, at least in most settings. The work, led by Dr....More

Study: Half of drug addicts quit after 6 months of treatment, but long-term care needed

LONDON - About half of heroin and crack cocaine addicts in England's treatment programs quit the drugs after six months, a new study says. Experts warned, however, that the danger of relapse means permanently kicking the habit probably requires ongoing care. A senior U.S....More

Opposition accuses Liberals of double standard on untendered contracts

TORONTO - The Liberal government has a double standard when it comes to holding bureaucrats and cabinet ministers accountable for breaking the rules on expenses accounts and untendered contracts, the New Democrats said Thursday....More

Happy 100th birthday! Most babies born since 2000 will hit 100, life expectancy still rising

LONDON - Most babies born in rich countries this century will eventually make it to their 100th birthday, new research says. Danish experts say that since the 20th century, people in developed countries are living about three decades longer than in the past....More

Friends of Medicare suspects Alberta is hiding user fees and extra billing

EDMONTON - The group Friends of Medicare is turning up the heat on the Alberta government to disclose whether patients are subject to extra billing or user fees....More

Canadian cheerleaders, work to stay safe as sport explodes in popularity

EDMONTON - Paige Parks says cheerleading takes her breath away - and once, it was with the violent force of a car wreck that felt like she'd smashed every bone in her rib cage....More

British coroner says a malignant tumour likely killed girl who died after vaccination

LONDON - A British coroner says a girl who died after receiving a vaccine against cervical cancer was likely killed by a tumour....More

Prenatal exposure to 1918 flu raised heart disease risk later in life: study

TORONTO - Adults who were exposed in-utero to the H1N1 influenza virus of 1918 were significantly more likely to have cardiovascular disease later in life, a U.S. study has found....More

Ont. ombudsman says cutting off cancer patients from Avastin 'verges on cruelty'

TORONTO - Ontario's decision to cut off funding for cancer patients who are taking a costly but potentially lifesaving drug is unreasonable, wrong and "verges on cruelty," the province's ombudsman said in a new report released Wednesday....More

Ont. hospitals to use surgical checklist to improve patient safety starting next year

TORONTO - Ontario hospitals will be required to use a surgical safety checklist and report on their compliance starting next spring as part of a government effort to improve patient safety, The Canadian Press has learned....More

Obama says $5B in stimulus grants will help research cures for cancer, diseases

WASHINGTON - The government on Wednesday awarded $5 billion in grants that President Barack Obama said would pay for research into cures for cancer and other diseases, and create tens of thousands of jobs....More

No link seen between seasonal flu shots and severe swine flu cases: PHAC

The Public Health Agency of Canada says preliminary data show there is no link between being hospitalized with severe swine flu and having had a seasonal flu shot last year....More

Feds shield swine-flu vaccine makers from lawsuits

OTTAWA - Canadians who suffer harmful side effects from the new swine-flu shot can take the vaccine maker to court - but the federal government would be on the hook for any damages. The chief public health officer, Dr....More

Canada a parasite for keeping drug prices low, says U.S. senator

WASHINGTON - An American legislator called Canada "parasitic" on Wednesday for siphoning U.S. dollars to Canada with low prescription drug prices while his country does "all the innovation....More

Advocates call for strategy to deal with mental health system in Nova Scotia

HALIFAX, N.S. - Mental health advocates in Nova Scotia say the province must do something to address a system in crisis. Representatives from several groups held a news conference Wednesday to push the provincial government to draft a comprehensive mental health strategy....More