US health official: Woman with anthrax may have swallowed spores airborne by drumming

CONCORD, N.H. - A U.S. woman diagnosed with a rare gastrointestinal anthrax case may have swallowed spores propelled into the air by vigorous drumming, a state health expert said....More

Study shows popular herbal supplement doesn't slow mental decline

TORONTO - A new study shows that popular herbal supplement ginkgo biloba does not help slow mental decline in older adults....More

Researchers say US agency's approval of heart devices is often based on weak evidence

CHICAGO - Two new studies find shortfalls in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval process for heart devices such as pacemakers and stents....More

J&J expands voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets, cites nausea from mouldy smell

NEW YORK - Johnson&Johnson is expanding a voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets due to consumer reports of a mouldy smell that can cause nausea and stomach pain. According to a statement on the Food and Drug Administration Web site, the New Brunswick, N.J....More

Doctors leave 9 needles in body of Brazilian boy allegedly stuck by stepfather in revenge act

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Brazilian doctors have decided not to immediately remove nine of the 31 needles found in a toddler's body because his life is no longer in danger. Doctor Roque Aras said Tuesday that the remaining needles are small and don't pose a significant threat....More

China drops hepatitis B testing for school, employment amid efforts to fight discrimination

BEIJING - China will soon stop mandatory hepatitis B tests for people applying for jobs or admission to schools, the Health Ministry said Tuesday, after years of efforts by civic groups to fight discrimination against carriers of the liver disease....More

H1N1 flu is not as contagious as other pandemic strains except for kids: study

How contagious is swine flu? Less than the novel viruses that have caused big world outbreaks in the past, new research suggests....More

Antibiotic for animals being recalled due to reports of allergic reactions

TORONTO - Health Canada is warning veterinarians, livestock producers and pet owners that one lot of the prescription drug Longisil is being recalled due to an unusually high number of adverse reactions in treated animals....More

Aging population prompts rise in disabilities, says federal report

OTTAWA - An aging population and growing awareness mean the number of people living with disabilities is on the rise in Canada, says a newly released report....More

WHO chief says too early to say if swine flu pandemic has peaked everywhere

GENEVA - Many more people could become sick with swine flu this winter even though it has peaked in North America and some European countries, the head of the World Health Organization said Tuesday....More

US health official: Woman with anthrax may have swallowed spores airborne by drumming

CONCORD, N.H. - A U.S. woman diagnosed with a rare gastrointestinal anthrax case may have swallowed spores propelled into the air by vigorous drumming, a state health expert said....More

Study shows popular herbal supplement doesn't slow mental decline

TORONTO - A new study shows that popular herbal supplement ginkgo biloba does not help slow mental decline in older adults....More

Researchers say US agency's approval of heart devices is often based on weak evidence

CHICAGO - Two new studies find shortfalls in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval process for heart devices such as pacemakers and stents....More

J&J expands voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets, cites nausea from mouldy smell

NEW YORK - Johnson&Johnson is expanding a voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets due to consumer reports of a mouldy smell that can cause nausea and stomach pain. According to a statement on the Food and Drug Administration Web site, the New Brunswick, N.J....More

Doctors leave 9 needles in body of Brazilian boy allegedly stuck by stepfather in revenge act

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Brazilian doctors have decided not to immediately remove nine of the 31 needles found in a toddler's body because his life is no longer in danger. Doctor Roque Aras said Tuesday that the remaining needles are small and don't pose a significant threat....More

China drops hepatitis B testing for school, employment amid efforts to fight discrimination

BEIJING - China will soon stop mandatory hepatitis B tests for people applying for jobs or admission to schools, the Health Ministry said Tuesday, after years of efforts by civic groups to fight discrimination against carriers of the liver disease....More

Newer generations of hearing aids promise improvements from swimming to Bluetooth

WASHINGTON - They are not your grandfather's hearing aids. Today's newest models range from the completely invisible - it sits deep in the ear canal for months at a time - to Bluetooth-enabled gadgets that open cellphones and iPods for hearing-aid users....More

Home health books offer soup-to-nuts explanations of medical conditions

TORONTO - Imagine treating a pregnant woman's morning sickness with an injection of cocaine. Or how about prescribing cannabis for epilepsy? Or tobacco smoking for asthma? These are but a few of the weird and wacky recommendations found in the first Merck Manual for physicians,...More

H1N1 pandemic poses big communications challenge for global health agency: Chan

OTTAWA - For the director general of the World Health Organization, the best news of the decade is the fact that the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century is a moderate - some would even call it mild - one....More

H1N1 flu virus voted top news story of 2009 in Canadian Press survey

TORONTO - An influenza virus that scientists believe migrated from pigs to people before touching off a global pandemic was the runaway selection for the top Canadian news story of 2009....More

Aging population prompts rise in disabilities, says federal report

OTTAWA - An aging population and growing awareness mean the number of people living with disabilities is on the rise in Canada, says a newly released report....More

WHO chief says too early to say if swine flu pandemic has peaked everywhere

GENEVA - It is too early to declare that the swine flu pandemic has peaked worldwide and many more people could become sick with the virus this winter, the head of the World Health Organization said in an interview published Tuesday....More

J&J expands voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets, cites nausea from mouldy smell

NEW YORK - Johnson&Johnson is expanding a voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets due to consumer reports of a mouldy smell associated with nausea and stomach pain. The New Brunswick, N.J....More

China drops hepatitis B testing for school, employment amid efforts to fight discrimination

BEIJING - China will soon stop mandatory hepatitis B tests for people applying for jobs or admission to schools, the Health Ministry said Tuesday, after years of efforts by civic groups to fight discrimination against carriers of the liver disease....More

Why the United States is the only wealthy nation without universal coverage

THE ISSUE: Why is the United States the only wealthy industrialized nation that does not have universal health coverage? THE POLITICS: Health insurance in the United States is provided primarily by employers....More

US Senate passes historic health care overhaul bill after days of debate, gives Obama victory

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in U.S. history....More

U.S. Senate passes historic health-care legislation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate has passed President Barack Obama's landmark health-care overhaul in a climactic Christmas Eve vote, extending medical insurance to 30 million Americans....More

Health Canada warns against use of weight-loss product containing BZP

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers who are watching their weight to stay away from an unauthorized product sold over the Internet that contains a synthetic substance called benzylpiperazine, or BZP. The product is RevolutionDS Weight Loss, and is sold in capsule form....More

Polish official who campaigned for swine flu vaccines now sick with the virus

WARSAW, Poland - A Polish official who has waged a campaign against the government for refusing to import swine flu vaccines says he is himself now sick with the illness....More

China treats severe swine flu patients with plasma harvested from recovered, vaccinated people

BEIJING - China has started treating severely infected swine flu patients with blood plasma donated by survivors - a therapy not yet proven to work but one that has shown potential to save lives....More

Some House supporters of public health insurance plan seem resigned to giving it up in talks

WASHINGTON - Two House Democrats who favour a government insurance plan, a central element of health care legislation passed in their chamber, acknowledged Sunday it might have to be sacrificed as negotiators work out a final agreement with the Senate. Rep....More

H1N1 flu virus voted top news story of 2009 in Canadian Press survey

TORONTO - An influenza virus that scientists believe migrated from pigs to people before touching off a global pandemic was the runaway selection for the top Canadian news story of 2009....More

Study finds swine flu is a threat to new mothers, not just pregnant women

LOS ANGELES - Swine flu is not only dangerous to pregnant women, but it's a threat to new mothers too, the first study to document this risk shows....More

Olymel, Royal, Lafleur deli meats possible Listeria bacteria hazard; recall issued

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the manufacturer are warning the public not to consume some ready-to-eat deli meats from Olymel as they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

Judge denies request by AIDS group for mandatory condoms on porn sets

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles judge has denied a request from an AIDS advocacy group calling for mandatory use of condoms on porn sets....More

Air pollutants from vehicle exhaust linked to severe pneumonia in seniors

TORONTO - Prolonged exposure to high levels of chemicals from motor vehicle exhaust fumes and industrial air pollutants can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia among seniors, a study has found....More

Why the United States is the only wealthy nation without universal coverage

THE ISSUE: Why is the United States the only wealthy industrialized nation that does not have universal health coverage? THE POLITICS: Health insurance in the United States is provided primarily by employers....More

US Senate passes historic health care overhaul bill after days of debate, gives Obama victory

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in U.S. history....More

U.S. Senate passes historic health-care legislation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate has passed President Barack Obama's landmark health-care overhaul in a climactic Christmas Eve vote, extending medical insurance to 30 million Americans....More

Health Canada warns against use of weight-loss product containing BZP

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers who are watching their weight to stay away from an unauthorized product sold over the Internet that contains a synthetic substance called benzylpiperazine, or BZP. The product is RevolutionDS Weight Loss, and is sold in capsule form....More

France to compensate people who suffered health problems from nuclear tests

PARIS - France's parliament on Tuesday passed a law to compensate victims of nuclear tests in Algeria and the South Pacific, a response to decades of complaints by people sickened by radiation....More

Democrats, White House predict success on health care after Senate vote

WASHINGTON - Democrats confidently predicted Senate passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul after it easily cleared the second of three critical procedural votes on Tuesday morning. A final vote on Obama's top domestic priority is slated for 8 a.m....More

Vaccine for kids curbs holiday bacterial infections in older adults

LOS ANGELES - Holiday visits have become safer for grandparents thanks to a childhood vaccine that has dramatically curbed infections spread by kids, a new study finds....More

Study finds swine flu is a threat to new mothers, not just pregnant women

LOS ANGELES - Swine flu is not only dangerous to pregnant women, but it's a threat to new mothers too, the first study to document this risk shows....More

Olymel, Royal, Lafleur deli meats possible Listeria bacteria hazard; recall issued

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the manufacturer are warning the public not to consume some ready-to-eat deli meats from Olymel as they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

Judge denies request by AIDS group for mandatory condoms on porn sets

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles judge has denied a request from an AIDS advocacy group calling for mandatory use of condoms on porn sets....More

Air pollutants from vehicle exhaust linked to severe pneumonia in seniors

TORONTO - Prolonged exposure to high levels of chemicals from motor vehicle exhaust fumes and industrial air pollutants can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia among seniors, a study has found....More

U.S. Senate passes historic health-care legislation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate has passed President Barack Obama's landmark health-care overhaul in a climactic Christmas Eve vote, extending medical insurance to 30 million Americans....More

Ontario's privacy commissioner probing missing health records in Durham Region

TORONTO - Ontario's information and privacy commissioner has launched an investigation after the health information of more than 83,000 people who attended H1N1 flu clinics in Durham Region, east of Toronto, was apparently lost....More

MedImmune's nasal spray swine flu vaccine recalled because of diminished strength

WASHINGTON - Drugmaker MedImmune is recalling nearly 5 million doses of swine flu vaccine because the nasal spray appears to lose strength over time, federal health officials announced Tuesday....More

Ikea recalls Leopard children's high chair due to potential safety hazard

TORONTO - Ikea Canada is voluntarily recalling the Leopard children's high chair due to a potential safety issue. Snap locks that secure the seat to the frame can break, posing fall and choking hazards to children. There are no reported incidents in Canada....More

Heart and Stroke Foundation calls for regulation of unhealthy trans fats

OTTAWA - The Heart and Stroke Foundation says heart-clogging trans fats are still too commonly found in the food we eat. The foundation wants the government to step in and regulate trans fats, saying voluntary measures clearly aren't working....More

Health Canada seeks input on adding anti-cancer drug to junk food.

OTTAWA - Ottawa wants to know what you think about its unusual proposal to put a cancer-fighting drug into junk food....More

France to compensate people who suffered health problems from nuclear tests

PARIS - France's parliament on Tuesday passed a law to compensate victims of nuclear tests in Algeria and the South Pacific, a response to decades of complaints by people sickened by radiation....More

Democrats, White House predict success on health care after Senate vote

WASHINGTON - Democrats confidently predicted Senate passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul after it easily cleared the second of three critical procedural votes on Tuesday morning. A final vote on Obama's top domestic priority is slated for 8 a.m....More

Air pollutants from vehicle exhaust linked to severe pneumonia in seniors

TORONTO - Prolonged exposure to high levels of chemicals from motor vehicle exhaust fumes and industrial air pollutants can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia among seniors, a study has found....More

Health care bill backed by Obama clears key Senate test on party line vote

WASHINGTON - Landmark health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama passed its sternest Senate test early Monday, overcoming Republican delaying tactics on a 60-40 vote that all but assures its passage later this week. "Let's make history," Democratic Sen....More

Formerly conjoined twins released from Australian hospital, will spend 3rd birthday at home

MELBOURNE, Australia - Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna were discharged from an Australian hospital Monday, five weeks after their separation surgery and just in time to celebrate their third birthday....More

Experts say pandemic could have a silver lining if it knocks out other viruses

TORONTO - When you think of a flu pandemic, the images that come to mind are of people sick and people dying. But influenza experts quietly admit there may be a silver lining - or several - to the H1N1 pandemic that erupted this year....More

Dutch cull first of 40,000 goats to counter Q-fever outbreak, which has killed 6 people

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Dutch government on Monday began culling the first of thousands of pregnant goats and sheep targeted for destruction because they carry a disease that killed six people earlier this year....More

Democrats clear critical hurdle on path toward passage of Obama health overhaul

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama scored a major victory on his top domestic issue as Senate Democrats narrowly prevailed on a procedural vote Monday backing his plan to overhaul America's health care system....More

Brazilian man says on TV he stuck needles into stepson trying to kill him, to spite wife

BRASILIA, Brazil - The 2-year-old boy who had nearly three dozen sewing needles shoved into his body by his stepfather is expected to undergo another surgery this week, doctors said Monday....More

Proposed expansion of toxic waste dump in California moving through permitting process

LOS ANGELES - Officials overseeing a tiny farming community in central California are expected to make a decision Tuesday on the proposed expansion of the largest toxic waste dump in the West of the U.S. amid growing concerns about a spike in the town's number of birth defects....More

Health Canada seeks input on adding anti-cancer drug to junk food.

OTTAWA - Ottawa wants to know what you think about its unusual proposal to put a cancer-fighting drug into junk food....More

NFL partners with critics at BU for study, encourages players to donate brains

The NFL is partnering with Boston University brain researchers who have been critical of the league's stance on concussions, The Associated Press learned Sunday....More

Maine legislator wants cancer warning on cellphones

AUGUSTA, Maine - A Maine legislator wants to make the state the first to require cellphones to carry warnings that they can cause brain cancer. Democratic Rep....More

Israel harvested organs from bodies, including Palestinians, in 1990s without permission

JERUSALEM - Israel has admitted that in the 1990s, its forensic pathologists harvested organs from dead bodies, including Palestinians, without permission of their families....More

Democrats confident; Republicans critical as test vote nears

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats confidently advanced health care legislation Sunday toward a make-or-break test vote in a push for Christmas-week passage. Republicans vowed to resist what they appeared unable to stop....More

Cdns give passing grade to all three gov't levels on flu handling: poll

TORONTO - Canadians think governments at all three levels have done an OK job of handling the H1N1 flu, though many also think the risk was exaggerated, a new poll suggests....More

Health care bill backed by Obama clears key Senate test on party line vote

WASHINGTON - Landmark health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama passed its sternest Senate test early Monday, overcoming Republican delaying tactics on a 60-40 vote that all but assures its passage later this week. "Let's make history," Democratic Sen....More

Formerly conjoined twins released from Australian hospital, will spend 3rd birthday at home

MELBOURNE, Australia - Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna were discharged from an Australian hospital Monday, five weeks after their separation surgery and just in time to celebrate their third birthday....More

Dutch cull first of 40,000 goats to counter Q-fever outbreak, which has killed 6 people

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Dutch government on Monday began culling the first of thousands of pregnant goats and sheep targeted for destruction because they carry a disease that killed six people earlier this year....More

US gives business additional year before enforcing lead testing rules

WASHINGTON - Makers of toys and other children's products won a reprieve Thursday from federal regulators trying to implement legislation Congress passed more than a year ago after a holiday season marred by scores of lead-tainted toy recalls....More

SCOC won't hear appeal from Ont. nurses who caught SARS during 2003 outbreak

TORONTO - Registered nurses say they are devastated that the Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear their appeal of an earlier decision that nurses who contracted SARS could not sue the Ontario government....More

Pilot project to increase amount of care in New Brunswick nursing homes

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government is launching a pilot project aimed at increasing the amount of care in nursing homes in the province. Brian Kenny, the minister of state for seniors, says the project at five nursing homes will increase care to 3....More

New study suggests cannabis use by teens damages brain worse than suspected

MONTREAL - The effects of daily cannabis use on teenage brains is worse than originally thought and the long-term effects appear to be irreversible, new research from McGill University suggests. The study, by Dr....More

Hospital funding freeze means longer lineups, paying for services: critics

TORONTO - Ontario residents should expect to pay upfront for more health-care services and endure longer lineups if the Liberal government makes good on its threat to freeze funding for hospitals next year, critics said Thursday....More

Cardiome Pharma says vernakalant (iv) beats amiodarone in European study

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Cardiome Pharma Corp. (TSX:COM) said Thursday that a Phase 3 study in Europe found vernakalant (iv) performed better than amiodarone in treating atrial fibrillation or an irregular heart rhythm....More

California program offers health care to illegal immigrants, uninsured as Congress debates

VALLEJO, Calif. - Dozens of patients file through Sutter Solano Medical Center's emergency room every day in this recession-wracked Northern California city, often without insurance, cash or legal immigration status. They all get health care, no questions asked....More

B.C. Ombudsperson wants government action for vulnerable seniors in care

VICTORIA, B.C. - B.C. Ombudsperson Kim Carter says the government needs to do more when it comes to protecting seniors in residential care. Carter makes 10 recommendations in an initial report examining seniors' care in British Columbia....More

Health Canada warns of window blind dangers following massive U.S. recall

OTTAWA - Health Canada is reminding people to be very careful about using Roman shades and roll-up blinds due to the possible strangulation hazard they pose to children....More

800,000 doses of children's swine flu vaccine recalled; potency dipped below required levels

ATLANTA - Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children manufactured by French drug company Sanofi Pasteur have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday....More

50 million blinds recalled as strangulation hazard

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government and the window covering industry Tuesday recalled more than 50 million Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds because of the risk children may be strangled by the cords....More

'We're not done yet': Canada's top doc warns against H1N1 flu complacency

TORONTO - Canadians should avoid becoming complacent about the H1N1 flu virus, which is unpredictable and could stage a big comeback in the new year, says Canada's chief public health officer. In the final federal briefing of the year on the pandemic virus on Tuesday, Dr....More

Study says 39 Quebec women didn't receive proper breast-cancer treatment; 5 died

QUEBEC - A new study says nearly 40 Quebec women with breast cancer received improper treatment since last year because of testing irregularities - and five of them died....More

Platelet-rich therapy legal, widely used by sports and other doctors

TORONTO - Ultimate fighting champion Georges St-Pierre got it to repair a groin injury. Pittsburgh Steelers Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu used it to heal damaged knees before the Super Bowl....More

Brazil toddler has 50 sewing needles inside body, doctors say they apparently inserted

BRASILIA, Brazil - A 2-year-old Brazilian boy has as many as 50 metal sewing needles inside his body and a doctor treating the boy said Wednesday they were apparently stuck there one by one. Dr....More

Brazil boy has 50 sewing needles inside his body, doctors evaluating operation

BRASILIA, Brazil - A 2-year-old Brazilian boy has as many as 50 metal sewing needles inside his body and a doctor treating the boy said Wednesday they were apparently stuck there one by one. Dr....More

Falling on sand from playground equipment means fewer broken arms: study

TORONTO - Children who fall off playground equipment and land on sand are far less likely to break an arm than those who take a tumble onto a wood-chip surface, a study has found....More

WHO: Malaria may have dropped by half in some countries, but problems remain

LONDON - Malaria cases appear to have been slashed by half in more than a third of countries battling the disease following a renewed push by the United Nations to eradicate it, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. In a new global report on malaria, the U.N....More

N.B. government offers incentive to recruit new nurses to rural areas

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government will spend $800,000 on a new incentive program designed to fill hard-to-recruit nursing positions in the province....More

Industry-sponsored study finds wind turbines pose no health threat

OTTAWA - Noise and vibration from giant wind turbines may be annoying but pose no risk to human health, an industry-funded study concludes....More

Health Canada warns of window blind dangers following massive U.S. recall

OTTAWA - Health Canada is reminding people to be very careful about using Roman shades and roll-up blinds due to the possible strangulation hazard they pose to children....More

800,000 doses of children's swine flu vaccine recalled; potency dipped below required levels

ATLANTA - Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children manufactured by French drug company Sanofi Pasteur have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday....More

50 million blinds recalled as strangulation hazard

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government and the window covering industry Tuesday recalled more than 50 million Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds because of the risk children may be strangled by the cords....More

'We're not done yet': Canada's top doc warns against H1N1 flu complacency

TORONTO - Canadians should avoid becoming complacent about the H1N1 flu virus, which is unpredictable and could stage a big comeback in the new year, says Canada's chief public health officer. In the final federal briefing of the year on the pandemic virus on Tuesday, Dr....More

Cholesterol pill Crestor curbs heart problems in some patients, says FDA

WASHINGTON - Federal scientists say AstraZeneca's cholesterol pill Crestor lowers the risk of heart attack, death and stroke in patients without a history of heart disease, though some safety concerns remain....More

CFIA warns Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies may be contaminated.

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Heinz Canada are warning the public that Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies should not be consumed....More

Bone-building drugs may help prevent breast cancer, studies suggest

SAN ANTONIO - New results from a landmark women's health study raise the exciting possibility that bone-building drugs such as Fosamax and Actonel may help prevent breast cancer....More

Hockey coaches, trainers talk safety, pressure to play at concussion seminar

REGINA - Former NHL defenceman Jamie Heward says he was "bred to be a hockey player." "I've been playing hockey since I was five years old," says Heward....More

Marathon 13-way kidney transplant brings hope to some with no other options

WASHINGTON - Twenty-six operations put healthy kidneys into 13 desperately ill people: Doctors have just performed a record-setting kidney swap, part of a pioneering effort to expand transplants to patients who too often never qualify....More

Jewish women could benefit from broader DNA testing for cancer risk: study

All Jewish women should be offered DNA testing to determine if they carry a genetic mutation that dramatically raises their risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer, a group of researchers says....More

Falling on sand from playground equipment means fewer broken arms: study

TORONTO - Children who fall off playground equipment and land on sand are far less likely to break an arm than those who take a tumble onto a wood-chip surface, a study has found....More

WHO: Malaria may have dropped by half in some countries, but problems remain

LONDON - Malaria cases appear to have been slashed by half in more than a third of countries battling the disease following a renewed push by the United Nations to eradicate it, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. In a new global report on malaria, the U.N....More

Officials say cancer risk minimal to residents of Canada's last asbestos town

The presence of asbestos fibres lingers in the air of Canada's last town to mine the substance, but it doesn't translate into a cancer risk for its population, says a new government review. Residents of Thetford Mines, Que....More

Novel drug combo boosts survival of breast cancer patients with advanced disease, study finds

SAN ANTONIO - Some women with very advanced breast cancer may have a new treatment option. A combination of two drugs that more precisely target tumors significantly extended the lives of women who had stopped responding to other medicines, doctors reported Friday....More

Indonesian hospital drops defamation case against patient critic who has become a folk hero

JAKARTA, Indonesia - An Indonesian hospital will drop a civil defamation case against a former patient whose emailed complaint to friends over her misdiagnosis won nationwide attention, the hospital's lawyer said Friday....More

Cholesterol pill Crestor curbs heart problems in some patients, says FDA

WASHINGTON - Federal scientists say AstraZeneca's cholesterol pill Crestor lowers the risk of heart attack, death and stroke in patients without a history of heart disease, though some safety concerns remain....More

CFIA warns Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies may be contaminated.

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Heinz Canada are warning the public that Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies should not be consumed....More

Bone-building drugs may help prevent breast cancer, studies suggest

SAN ANTONIO - New results from a landmark women's health study raise the exciting possibility that bone-building drugs such as Fosamax and Actonel may help prevent breast cancer....More

Hockey coaches, trainers talk safety, pressure to play at concussion seminar

REGINA - Former NHL defenceman Jamie Heward says he was "bred to be a hockey player." "I've been playing hockey since I was five years old," says Heward....More

Marathon 13-way kidney transplant brings hope to some with no other options

WASHINGTON - Twenty-six operations put healthy kidneys into 13 desperately ill people: Doctors have just performed a record-setting kidney swap, part of a pioneering effort to expand transplants to patients who too often never qualify....More

Spanish gov't new abortion law will require teens to inform parent before ending pregnancy

MADRID, Spain - The Spanish government will amend its proposed abortion bill to oblige girls aged 16 and 17 to inform one of their parents if they want to end their pregnancy....More

Parents struggle to find balance between happy, healthy for kids during holidays

NEW YORK - Pam Vetter's 15-year-old son balked when she told him she was opting for a healthier holiday season this year: fish rather than turkey, fewer carbs and sweets. He threatened to purchase a turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pies and put together his own traditional meal....More

Italy: RU-486 abortion pill will be available in hospitals

ROME - Italy has given a final go-ahead to the abortion drug RU-486, capping years of debate and defying opposition from the Vatican....More

Israeli study suggests Mozart's music may help speed up weight gain in premature babies

JERUSALEM - Is Mozart good for babies? A group of Israeli doctors have plunged into this long-running debate with a small study that found the soothing sounds of the 18th century composer may help premature babies grow faster....More

Hospitals focus on sepsis deaths as area of concern: Canadian study

TORONTO - A new report focuses on efforts by Canadian hospitals to reduce more than 9,300 deaths each year from sepsis, a serious body-wide response to infection that patients often acquire while being treated in hospital....More

Australia lifts 5-year ban on clinical trials of animal-to-human tissue transplants

SYDNEY, Australia - Australia announced Thursday it will lift a 5-year ban on clinical trials of animal-to-human transplantation, after the government's top health body determined the risk of transmitting animal viruses to people was low....More

Uganda's parliament criminalizes female circumcision with life imprisonment for offenders

KAMPALA, Uganda - A Ugandan official says that parliament has passed a bill banning female genital mutilation. Uganda's Minister of Ethics and Integrity James Nsaba Buturo said that the new law, passed without opposition late Thursday, could give offenders a life sentence....More

CFIA warns Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies may be contaminated.

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Heinz Canada are warning the public that Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies should not be consumed....More

AP sources: Democrats reach tentative deal to drop government-run plan from health bill

WASHINGTON - After days of secret talks, Senate Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday night to drop a government-run insurance option from sweeping health care legislation, several officials said, a concession to party moderates whose votes are critical to passage of President Barack Obama's...More

White House appears to be shutting door on prescription drugs from Canada

WASHINGTON - An attempt by a North Dakota senator to give Americans the right to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada could be on life support despite President Barack Obama's onetime support of the idea. An amendment to the health-care reform bill currently before the U.S....More

Transmisson of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 on a Vietnamese train 'a concern': WHO

TORONTO - Researchers in Vietnam are reporting that seven healthy people on a train caught Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 flu....More

Senate Democrats banish new US government insurance plan as they advance on health care bill

WASHINGTON - Democrats in the U.S. Senate, moving to make good President Barack Obama's pledge to reform the health care system, say a compromise that erases a government-run health insurance program from legislation moves them closer to passing the measure in the upper house....More

Report calls on B.C. government to hike the price of booze to curb consumption

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Addictions experts are calling on the province to hike the price of booze to battle creeping consumption in B.C....More

Obama, liberals and moderates find something to like in US health compromise

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama as well as Democratic liberals and moderates all found something to like Wednesday in an emerging compromise to expand the role of government in the nation's health care system, raising hopes inside the party that passage of legislation might finally be...More

Group led by IBM awarded Man. government contract for electronic health records

WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government has awarded a $22.5 million dollar contract to design and implement an electronic health records system. The group that will take on the task is being led by IBM....More

Australia lifts 5-year ban on clinical trials of animal-to-human tissue transplants

SYDNEY, Australia - Australia announced Thursday it will lift a 5-year ban on clinical trials of animal-to-human transplantation, after the government's top health body determined the risk of transmitting animal viruses to people was low....More

Ottawa may share blame for tobacco-related health care costs: B.C. appeal court

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Ottawa has been drawn back into a massive health-care recovery lawsuit after the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled it may share blame with tobacco companies for smoking-related health costs....More

NFL's charitable foundation awarding US$1.5 million in research grants

NEW YORK - The NFL's charitable foundation is awarding US$1.5 million in grants to support medical research on subjects such as artery blockage in retired players, stem cell usage for tendon repair and heat stress risks....More

Health Canada warns against using certain unauthorized Acai berry products

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning Canadians not to use certain Acai berry products after shipments stopped at the border were found to contain an undeclared drug called sildenafil....More

Health Canada issues warning for baby beds due to potential suffocation risk

OTTAWA - Two infant deaths in the U.S. have led to the recall of Amby Baby Motion Beds in that country, and Health Canada is advising Canadians to stop using the hammock-like baby bed due to a potential suffocation hazard....More

First Nations can't go back to 'business as usual' after flu outbreak: AFN chief

WINNIPEG - For a few weeks this spring, the world's attention was focused on a small cluster of First Nation reserves in northern Manitoba. The isolated communities, home to fewer than 10,000 people, appeared to be at the Canadian epicentre of the H1N1 flu pandemic....More

Canadian soldiers file fewer sick days despite stress of Afghan war

OTTAWA - The stress of combat in war-torn Afghanistan hasn't stopped Canadian soldiers from showing up for work, according to new Canadian Forces figures on sick days....More

Bionic fingers restore dexterity, independence to man who lost part of hand

TORONTO - Even though he is 60, one of Frank Hrabanek's biggest thrills these days is being able to tie his shoelaces by himself....More

AP sources: Democrats reach tentative deal to drop government-run plan from health bill

WASHINGTON - After days of secret talks, Senate Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday night to drop a government-run insurance option from sweeping health care legislation, several officials said, a concession to party moderates whose votes are critical to passage of President Barack Obama's...More

US agency says 50 patients join 200-plus already exposed to dangerous radiation in hospital

WASHINGTON - Federal health regulators have identified 50 more patients exposed to dangerous radiation levels from brain scans at a hospital where more than 250 patients have received dangerous CT scans in the past 18 months....More

Taking antibiotics correctly as important as taking them for correct duration

TORONTO - Most of us have heard the cardinal rules of antibiotics. Don't take them when they aren't needed. And when they are prescribed, take every last pill - do not stop just because you start to feel better. There are other rules, however, that many of us may not know....More

Opioid deaths, most inadvertent, soar since OxyContin hits Canadian market

TORONTO - Accidental deaths due to use of opioid painkillers in Ontario have soared over the past couple of decades, increasing dramatically after a new long-acting version of the drug oxycodone - sold as OxyContin - hit the market, a new study suggests....More

Number of diabetes cases, cost of disease to economy predicted to soar by 2020

TORONTO - The number of Canadians diagnosed with diabetes and its cost to the economy are expected to soar over the next decade, says a report by the Canadian Diabetes Association, which is calling for urgent action to stem the tide of the disease....More

EPA signals new pollution controls, concluding climate-changing gases endanger people’s health

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration took a major step Monday toward imposing the first federal limits on climate-changing pollution from cars, power plants and factories, declaring there was compelling scientific evidence that global warming from manmade greenhouse gases endangers...More

Colon cancer death rate could fall substantially by 2020, optimistic experts predict

ATLANTA - Colon cancer deaths could drop dramatically in America during the next decade because of better screening and treatment, according to an optimistic new prediction by top researchers. The estimate was made in an annual report that shows that, overall, the U.S....More

Brain cancer research finds abnormality in aggressive tumour in children

TORONTO - An international study that included doctors at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children appears to shed new light on a particular type of brain tumour in children that often proves deadly....More

Abortion is next hurdle in health care debate as Obama urges Democrats to unify

WASHINGTON - Buoyed by a presidential pep talk and intense rounds of negotiations, Senate Democrats hope to move closer to embracing a major health care bill this week by tackling the nettlesome issue of abortion....More

Tempers rise as Senate moves toward vote on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - A Republican senator contended Tuesday during rancorous floor debate that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul will shorten the lives of America's seniors by cutting federal coverage for the elderly....More

South Africa's president announces policies to treat more patients living with HIV

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa will treat all HIV-positive babies and expand testing, the president announced Tuesday on World AIDS Day in a dramatic and eagerly awaited shift in a country that has more people living with HIV than any other....More

South Africa to treat all HIV-positive babies, president announces on World AIDS Day

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa announced ambitious new plans Tuesday for earlier and expanded treatment for HIV-positive babies and pregnant women, a change that could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the nation hardest hit by the virus that causes AIDS....More

MLB: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug exemptions rise

NEW YORK - The number of baseball players authorized to use otherwise banned stimulants because they have ADHD rose by a small amount for the second straight year....More

Health News

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning on World AIDS Day that new infections are outpacing the gains from treating HIV sufferers....More

H1N1 vaccine uptake hits range for seasonal shots - roughly 1 in 3 protected

TORONTO - Six weeks into the H1N1 vaccination effort, provinces and territories have vaccinated nearly a third of Canadians, figures compiled and calculated by The Canadian Press reveal....More

H1N1 vaccine uptake hits range for seasonal shots - roughly 1 in 3 protected

TORONTO - Nearly one in three Canadians have been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus, figures provided by provincial and territorial health authorities show....More

Scientists in Italy say amputee controlled robotic hand connected to nerves, felt sensation

ROME - A group of European scientists say they have successfully connected a robotic hand to a man who had lost an arm, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial hand and control it with his thoughts. The experiment lasted a month....More

Cadavers still play an important role for student doctors learning anatomy

WASHINGTON - Colour-coded denim cloths cover the row upon row of black body bags atop cold metal tables. Blue means a body that eventually will go into a common grave. Tan, the family wants those remains back for burial, eventually....More

UN chief warns on World AIDS Day that new infections are outstripping treatment gains

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on World AIDS Day that new infections are outpacing the gains from treating people with the HIV virus and millions of victims still experience widespread discrimination....More

Tempers rise as Senate moves toward vote on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - A Republican senator contended Tuesday during rancorous floor debate that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul will shorten the lives of America's seniors by cutting federal coverage for the elderly....More

South Africa's president announces policies to treat more patients living with HIV

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa will treat all HIV-positive babies and expand testing, the president announced Tuesday on World AIDS Day in a dramatic and eagerly awaited shift in a country that has more people living with HIV than any other....More

South Africa to treat all HIV-positive babies, president announces on World AIDS Day

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa announced ambitious new plans Tuesday for earlier and expanded treatment for HIV-positive babies and pregnant women, a change that could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the nation hardest hit by the virus that causes AIDS....More

MLB: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug exemptions rise

NEW YORK - The number of baseball players authorized to use otherwise banned stimulants because they have ADHD rose by a small amount for the second straight year....More

H1N1 vaccine uptake hits range for seasonal shots - roughly 1 in 3 protected

TORONTO - Six weeks into the H1N1 vaccination effort, provinces and territories have vaccinated nearly a third of Canadians, figures compiled and calculated by The Canadian Press reveal....More

Scientists in Italy say amputee controlled robotic hand connected to nerves, felt sensation

ROME - A group of European scientists say they have successfully connected a robotic hand to a man who had lost an arm, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial hand and control it with his thoughts. The experiment lasted a month....More

Cadavers still play an important role for student doctors learning anatomy

WASHINGTON - Colour-coded denim cloths cover the row upon row of black body bags atop cold metal tables. Blue means a body that eventually will go into a common grave. Tan, the family wants those remains back for burial, eventually....More

UN chief warns on World AIDS Day that new infections are outstripping treatment gains

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on World AIDS Day that new infections are outpacing the gains from treating people with the HIV virus and millions of victims still experience widespread discrimination....More

Tempers rise as Senate moves toward vote on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - A Republican senator contended Tuesday during rancorous floor debate that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul will shorten the lives of America's seniors by cutting federal coverage for the elderly....More

South Africa's president announces policies to treat more patients living with HIV

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa will treat all HIV-positive babies and expand testing, the president announced Tuesday on World AIDS Day in a dramatic and eagerly awaited shift in a country that has more people living with HIV than any other....More

South Africa to treat all HIV-positive babies, president announces on World AIDS Day

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa announced ambitious new plans Tuesday for earlier and expanded treatment for HIV-positive babies and pregnant women, a change that could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the nation hardest hit by the virus that causes AIDS....More

MLB: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug exemptions rise

NEW YORK - The number of baseball players authorized to use otherwise banned stimulants because they have ADHD rose by a small amount for the second straight year....More

H1N1 vaccine uptake hits range for seasonal shots - roughly 1 in 3 protected

TORONTO - Six weeks into the H1N1 vaccination effort, provinces and territories have vaccinated nearly a third of Canadians, figures compiled and calculated by The Canadian Press reveal....More

Scientists in Italy say amputee controlled robotic hand connected to nerves, felt sensation

ROME - A group of European scientists say they have successfully connected a robotic hand to a man who had lost an arm, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial hand and control it with his thoughts. The experiment lasted a month....More

CDC: Swine flu cases widespread in only 32 states; about 30 more children’s deaths reported

ATLANTA - Swine flu infections seem to be dropping, but the number of children who died with the illness rose by about 30, according to a government report released Monday. Widespread infections of swine flu were reported in 32 states as of Nov....More

Cadavers still play an important role for student doctors learning anatomy

WASHINGTON - Colour-coded denim cloths cover the row upon row of black body bags atop cold metal tables. Blue means a body that eventually will go into a common grave. Tan, the family wants those remains back for burial, eventually....More

UN chief warns on World AIDS Day that new infections are outstripping treatment gains

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on World AIDS Day that new infections are outpacing the gains from treating people with the HIV virus and millions of victims still experience widespread discrimination....More

Tempers rise as Senate moves toward vote on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - A Republican senator contended Tuesday during rancorous floor debate that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul will shorten the lives of America's seniors by cutting federal coverage for the elderly....More

South Africa's president announces policies to treat more patients living with HIV

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa will treat all HIV-positive babies and expand testing, the president announced Tuesday on World AIDS Day in a dramatic and eagerly awaited shift in a country that has more people living with HIV than any other....More

South Africa to treat all HIV-positive babies, president announces on World AIDS Day

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa announced ambitious new plans Tuesday for earlier and expanded treatment for HIV-positive babies and pregnant women, a change that could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the nation hardest hit by the virus that causes AIDS....More

MLB: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug exemptions rise

NEW YORK - The number of baseball players authorized to use otherwise banned stimulants because they have ADHD rose by a small amount for the second straight year....More

H1N1 vaccine uptake hits range for seasonal shots - roughly 1 in 3 protected

TORONTO - Six weeks into the H1N1 vaccination effort, provinces and territories have vaccinated nearly a third of Canadians, figures compiled and calculated by The Canadian Press reveal....More

Neurofibromatosis can cause variety of effects, including skin disfigurement

TORONTO - Bob Bingham settles back in his leather easy chair and agrees he's a man who's comfortable in his own skin. That might come as a surprise to some, for the topography of Bingham's skin is anything but smooth....More

Monkey business: Puerto Rican town divided over plan to breed primates for research in US

GUAYAMA, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico has such a bad history with research monkeys running amok, some residents are stunned that its territorial government has approved a plan to import and breed thousands of primates for sale to U.S. researchers. Bioculture Ltd....More

Indian victims still haunted 25 years after the world's worst industrial disaster

BHOPAL, India - Hazra Bi wishes she could forget. But her damaged family is a living reminder of that December night 25 years ago when lethal gas leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, in the worst industrial disaster the world has ever seen....More

First rigorous autism treatment study in children as young as 18 months finds vast improvement

CHICAGO - The first rigorous study of behaviour treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis....More

CDC: Swine flu cases widespread in only 32 states; about 30 more children’s deaths reported

ATLANTA - Swine flu infections seem to be dropping, but the number of children who died with the illness rose by about 30, according to a government report released Monday. Widespread infections of swine flu were reported in 32 states as of Nov....More

Cadavers still play an important role for student doctors learning anatomy

WASHINGTON - Colour-coded denim cloths cover the row upon row of black body bags atop cold metal tables. Blue means a body that eventually will go into a common grave. Tan, the family wants those remains back for burial, eventually....More

South Africa's Zuma praised for new approach on AIDS, gets $120 million from US

PRETORIA, South Africa - The United States is giving South Africa $120 million for AIDS treatment drugs in response to a plea from President Jacob Zuma that underlines his new approach to fighting the epidemic in the country with the world's heaviest AIDS burden....More

South Africa's president announces policies to treat more patients living with HIV

PRETORIA, South Africa - South Africa will treat all HIV-positive babies and expand testing, the president announced Tuesday on World AIDS Day in a dramatic and eagerly awaited shift in a country that has more people living with HIV than any other....More