Japanese who sued government, company over mercury poisoning agree to settlement

TOKYO - More than 2,000 people who suffer from a rare neurological disorder agreed to accept a settlement proposal Monday and abandon their lawsuits against the Japanese government and the company they say made them sick by dumping mercury....More

British government seeks ban on 'legal high' mephedrone amid media storm over deaths

LONDON - British authorities on Monday were considering banning mephedrone, a legal drug that has emerged from the shadows to the front pages after being linked to several deaths....More

Study: A small dose of chocolate could cut heart attack or stroke risk by almost 40 per cent

LONDON - The Easter Bunny might lower your chances of having a heart problem. According to a new study, small doses of chocolate every day could decrease your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 40 per cent....More

Ontario to regulate retirement homes for first time; residents to get rights

TORONTO - Retirement homes in Ontario would face licensing and regulation for the first time under proposed legislation, the government said Tuesday....More

Nearly 1 in 4 out-of-province hospitalizations for childbirth, infants: study

TORONTO - Mothers giving birth and newborns needing hospital care comprise the largest group among patients in Canada who are hospitalized outside their home province or territory, says a new report focusing on the portability provisions of the Canada Health Act....More

N.S. gov't to cover travel and accommodation for out-of-province health care

HALIFAX, N.S. - Approved patients who need to travel out of province for insurable medical care not available in Nova Scotia will be eligible for financial assistance for travel and accommodations, beginning Thursday....More

Many minority women unable to access health providers due to barriers: study

TORONTO - Many women from visible minority groups say they have difficulty getting a primary-care physician or specialists to address urgent health concerns or to monitor chronic medical conditions, a study has found....More

B.C. Centre for Disease Control issues alert after measles outbreak

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is warning the public to be alert after a measles outbreak in Metro Vancouver. The centre says there have been 10 confirmed and four suspected cases of measles in the Lower Mainland in the past two weeks....More

Long-term care facility closes to visitors due to norovirus-like illness

HALIFAX, N.S. - A long-term care facility in Nova Scotia is closed to visitors because of an outbreak of a norovirus-like illness. Haliburton Place in the Hants Community Hospital in Windsor closed temporarily Saturday after some patients became ill....More

Swine flu fallout: many suffer from nagging symptoms long after H1N1 subsides

HALIFAX, N.S. - Marga Cugnet thought she knew what she was in for when she came down with swine flu last October. But the health administrator from Weyburn, Sask....More

Saskatchewan coughs up more money to improve surgical wait times

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government is coughing up more money to improve surgical wait times....More

Proposed N.S. legislation will see pharmacists administer vaccines

HALIFAX, N.S. - In a move aimed at relieving some of the stress in Nova Scotia's health-care system, pharmacists will be able to administer vaccines by injection and monitor drug therapy under proposed amendments to the province's Pharmacy Act....More

Japanese who sued government, company over mercury poisoning agree to settlement

TOKYO - More than 2,000 people who suffer from a rare neurological disorder agreed to accept a settlement proposal Monday and abandon their lawsuits against the Japanese government and the company they say made them sick by dumping mercury....More

British government seeks ban on 'legal high' mephedrone amid media storm over deaths

LONDON - British authorities on Monday were considering banning mephedrone, a legal drug that has emerged from the shadows to the front pages after being linked to several deaths....More

Study: A small dose of chocolate could cut heart attack or stroke risk by almost 40 per cent

LONDON - The Easter Bunny might lower your chances of having a heart problem. According to a new study, small doses of chocolate every day could decrease your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 40 per cent....More

Many minority women unable to access health providers due to barriers: study

TORONTO - Many women from visible minority groups say they have difficulty getting a primary-care physician or specialists to address urgent health concerns or to monitor chronic medical conditions, a study has found....More

To screen or not to screen? Experts weigh merits of breast cancer screening vs. overtreatment

BARCELONA, Spain - Are doctors overtreating breast cancer? At a breast cancer conference Friday in Barcelona, experts discussed how to implement mammogram screening programs across Europe, balancing fighting cancer with the goal of targeting only those women who need to be...More

H1N1 viruses that are resistant to new flu drug spotted in US flu case

TORONTO - U.S. scientists are reporting the first case of resistance of the H1N1 flu virus to the first new flu drug to hit the market in about a decade....More

For some cancer patients, removing a breast doesn't always mean living longer

BARCELONA, Spain - New research suggests that women with gene mutations that predispose them to breast cancer might not pay a huge price in survival if they choose to preserve their breast instead of having it removed....More

Experts say smoke-happy China could learn how to kick the habit from Hong Kong

Nearly one in three smokers worldwide lights up in China, where cigarettes - commonly given as gifts - are so tightly woven into the culture, some believe it's an impossible habit to kick. But a new report suggests the keys to quitting lie in the country's own backyard....More

Quebec health-care workers' union walks away from negotiating table

MONTREAL - The union representing some 58,000 public health-care workers in Quebec has walked away from the negotiating table. The federation of Quebec health-care workers accused the Quebec government of "contempt....More

Liberals urged to champion politically risky health-care overhaul

MONTREAL - Federal Liberals received some politically unpalatable advice Saturday to champion the overhaul of one of Canada's most cherished national programs: medicare....More

Long-term care facility closes to visitors due to norovirus-like illness

HALIFAX, N.S. - A long-term care facility in Nova Scotia is closed to visitors because of an outbreak of a norovirus-like illness. Haliburton Place in the Hants Community Hospital in Windsor closed temporarily Saturday after some patients became ill....More

British government seeks ban on 'legal high' mephedrone amid media storm over deaths

LONDON - British authorities on Monday were considering banning mephedrone, a legal drug that has emerged from the shadows to the front pages after being linked to several deaths....More

Retired doctors to help implement world's largest HIV testing campaign in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - South Africa's health minister is asking retired health workers to help implement the world's largest voluntary HIV counselling and testing campaign in South Africa. Dr....More

Ontario hospitals get 1.5 per funding boost in budget, below minimum hoped

TORONTO - Ontario hospitals will get a 1.5 per cent funding increase in this year's budget, below the minimum they were hoping for as they struggle to stay out of the red to maintain services for patients....More

Old style 'Little People' toys are a choking risk, Health Canada warns

TORONTO - Health Canada is warning parents, grandparents and people who look after small children to get rid of a popular old type of toy that is no longer considered safe....More

Number of kids with Type 2 diabetes rising, especially among aboriginals: report

WINNIPEG - What used to be known as adult-onset diabetes is showing up in more and more children, especially among aboriginals, says a recent study by the Manitoba Institute of Child Health....More

N.L. government enhances air ambulance service to improve response times

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The Newfoundland and Labrador government is trying to improve medical response times in the province by adding another air ambulance to the fleet and relocating one. The health minister says they will replace a 20-year-old aircraft in St....More

Herbal diet product's undeclared ingredient may pose health risks: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers about an unauthorized health product called Herbal Diet Natural, which contains an undeclared ingredient that may pose serious health risks. Herbal Diet Natural is not authorized for sale but has been found on the Canadian market....More

Experts: Up to a third of breast cancer cases could be avoided with diet, exercise

BARCELONA, Spain - Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease....More

Experts say smoke-happy China could learn how to kick the habit from Hong Kong

Nearly one in three smokers worldwide lights up in China, where cigarettes - commonly given as gifts - are so tightly woven into the culture, some believe it's an impossible habit to kick. But a new report suggests the keys to quitting lie in the country's own backyard....More

H1N1 virus more like 1918 flu than modern cousins; explains infection patterns

TORONTO - The pandemic H1N1 virus more closely resembles the 1918 Spanish flu virus than more modern cousins in the same flu family, new research shows - a finding which helps explain the age pattern of H1N1 infections....More

Global Fund seeks $20 billion to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria in poor nations

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - A global group funding the battle against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in impoverished countries urged wealthy nations on Wednesday to keep paying for the fight even as the economic crisis forces budget cuts....More

CPSC: More than 1 million baby slings recalled after links to 3 deaths

WASHINGTON - More than one million baby slings made by Infantino were recalled Wednesday after claims linking them to three infant deaths. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said babies could suffocate in the soft fabric slings....More

China has world's biggest diabetes epidemic, surpassing many rich nations: study

After working overtime to catch up to life in the West, China now faces a whole new problem: the world's biggest diabetes epidemic. One in 10 Chinese adults already have the disease and another 16 per cent are on the verge of developing it, according to a new study....More

Cancer advocacy group calls for e-health records for patients, more drug funding

TORONTO - As Donna Hammill-Chalk undergoes treatment for breast cancer, she can log onto the website at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, type in a username and secure password, and gain access to her medical records....More

Bone drugs prevent far more fractures than rare breaks linked to them: study

A new study gives reassuring news about the safety of bone-building drugs like Fosamax and Reclast that millions of women take for osteoporosis. The study finds that long-term use of these drugs does not significantly raise the risk of a rare type of fracture near the hip....More

15,000 baby slings recalled in Canada, 1 million-plus in US after 3 infants die

TORONTO - Almost 15,000 baby slings are being recalled in Canada and more than one million in the United States after the carrying devices were linked to the deaths of three infants. Health Canada and the U.S....More

Experts: Up to a third of breast cancer cases can be avoided by eating less, exercising more

BARCELONA, Spain - Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference on breast cancer said Thursday....More

Health law will require calorie counts in menus in 200,000 restaurants nationwide

WASHINGTON - A requirement tucked into the nation's massive health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore....More

Delays in travel grants forcing northern patients to cancel appointments: NDP

TORONTO - Dozens of patients in northern Ontario are being forced to cancel appointments with medical specialists due to delays in government-funded travel grants, former NDP leader Howard Hampton charged Tuesday. Christopher Pelletier of Emo, Ont....More

Canadians approve funding contraceptives; maybe not abortion, for world’s poor: poll

OTTAWA - A new poll suggests Canadians overwhelmingly support providing contraceptives to the world's poorest women but they're not so sure about abortion....More

Calif. teen hit by baseball clings to life; injury prompts safety review

SAN FRANCISCO - As a Northern California high school baseball player clings to life after he was hit in the head by a line drive during a practice game, educators at his school are asking if metal bats are more dangerous than wooden ones....More

Abortion battle clouds plan to help Third World mothers, kids

OTTAWA, Ont. - A Liberal effort to smoke out the Conservative government's position on funding foreign abortions has gone up in flames - and down to defeat....More

41 per cent of Canadian adults have high total cholesterol: StatsCan survey

TORONTO - A Statistics Canada study of the blood samples of thousands of Canadians has found that 41 per cent of adults who were tested had a high total cholesterol level....More

Global Fund urges donors to keep paying to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria in poor nations

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - A global group funding the battle against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in impoverished nations worldwide is urging donors to keep paying for the fight even as the economic crisis forces budget cuts....More

CPSC: More than 1 million baby slings recalled after links to 3 deaths

WASHINGTON - More than 1 million baby slings made by Infantino were recalled Wednesday after claims linking them to three infant deaths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said babies could suffocate in the soft fabric slings....More

James Black, whose discovery of beta-blockers revolutionized heart disease treatment, has died

LONDON - The University of Dundee says that its former chancellor, Nobel-prize winning pharmacologist James Black, has died. He was 85. Black's discovery of the drug propranolol revolutionized the treatment abnormal heart rhythms, angina and high blood pressure....More

Health Canada warns antibiotic Avelox may be linked to rare liver problem

TORONTO - Health Canada is warning that the antibiotic Avelox may be linked to rare but dangerous liver problems. The drug regulator says Bayer Inc., which makes the drug, is updating the product label to draw attention to this potential side-effect....More

Film obtained by activists allegedly documents 2007 outbreak of HIV among Uzbek children

MOSCOW - An AIDS outbreak at two children's hospitals in Uzbekistan has killed at least 14 children and left 133 infected with HIV, according to a documentary posted on a respected Central Asian news Web site on Monday. The editor of Ferghana....More

B.C. Cancer Agency gives clean bill of health to Kelowna breast cancer tests

KELOWNA, B.C. - Health officials have released the results of an internal review, almost a year after a former chief pathologist in Kelowna claimed possible errors were made in breast cancer testing. Interior Health CEO Dr. Robert Halpenny says a review by the B.C....More

American doctor charged in Australian patient deaths faces 1st day of trial, pleads not guilty

BRISBANE, Australia - An American surgeon charged with killing three Australian patients with unnecessary, sloppy or antiquated operations pleaded not guilty Monday to manslaughter in a case that has drawn widespread attention in Australia....More

Mind the gap: Hospital gown offers snaps down the side to preserve British patients’ dignity

LONDON - Gone are the fiddly little ties that open at the worst possible time: Hospital gowns that snap down the side are being promoted in Britain in a bid to improve the hospital experience for sick people. The British government and the Design Council backed the project....More

Jesus Christ Supersizer: Food in Last Supper paintings has grown by biblical proportions

Has even the Last Supper been supersized? The food in famous paintings of the meal has grown by biblical proportions over the last millennium, researchers report in a medical journal Tuesday....More

Health law will require calorie counts in menus in 200,000 restaurants nationwide

WASHINGTON - A requirement tucked into the nation's massive health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore....More

Health Canada OKs addition of caffeine to non-cola soft drinks

TORONTO - Non-cola soft drinks could soon be spiked with an eye-opening ingredient - the caffeine that's already added to colas. Health Canada announced Friday it is authorizing the use of caffeine as a food additive in all carbonated soft drinks, not just cola-type beverages....More

Big dip in US tuberculosis cases last year may be due to better screening of immigrants

ATLANTA - An unexpected big drop in new U.S. tuberculosis cases is probably because of stepped up screening and treatment of immigrants before they leave their native countries, health officials say....More

Trial to begin in case of US surgeon charged in patient deaths at rural Australian hospital

BRISBANE, Australia - An American doctor charged with manslaughter in the deaths of three patients at a rural Australian hospital will go on trial Monday, accused of repeatedly botching operations and performing surgeries he was not capable of handling....More

Study: Lesser-known superbug more of a problem in Southern hospitals than MRSA

ATLANTA - As one superbug seems to be fading as a threat in hospitals, another is on the rise, a new study suggests. A dangerous, drug-resistant staph infection called MRSA is often seen as the biggest germ threat to patients in hospitals and other health care facilities....More

US Congress passes landmark health care reform bill

WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled Congress handed President Barack Obama a huge victory Sunday night extending health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracking down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage....More

Edmonton hospital closes mental health beds due to psychiatrist shortage

EDMONTON - The Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton is closing eight mental health crisis treatment beds. The executive director for Addiction and Mental Health in Edmonton says the beds are being closed due to a shortage of psychiatrists....More

US Congress passes landmark health care reform bill in huge victory for Obama

WASHINGTON - Congress extended health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans with a historic vote that capped a century-long quest for near universal coverage and handed a massive triumph to Barack Obama's young presidency....More

Obama's historic health-care reform to become law

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama has achieved what's proven impossible for so many U.S. presidents before him - he's ensured millions of uninsured Americans will soon get health care following a monumental vote that will undoubtedly define his presidency....More

Severe radioactive isotope shortage looming, could affect 1,000s of patients

TORONTO - The health of thousands of Canadian and U.S. patients could be put in jeopardy by a critical shortage of radioactive isotopes over the next few weeks, nuclear medicine experts say....More

Scientists with ties to industry more likely to write nice things about drugs

TORONTO - Medical authors with ties to diabetes drug makers were more likely to publish favourable articles on a controversial diabetes medication than authors who had no such ties, a new study reveals....More

FDA panel recommends Boston Scientific's electronic heart device for less-severe heart disease

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Federal health advisers said Thursday an electronic heart implant should be approved for a large group of U.S. heart-disease patients who currently aren't eligible for the device....More

China probes vaccines after news report of deaths, illnesses in northern province

BEIJING - China's Health Ministry is investigating the safety of inoculations in a northern province after a report that defective vaccines possibly killed four children and seriously sickened dozens....More

Calif worker safety board to consider mandating condoms for porn actors to curb spread of STDs

LOS ANGELES - Condoms might be the only thing porn actors are required to wear if the state's workplace safety board approves a petition mandating their use....More

Bulk of seniors taking at least five drugs, sometimes 10, 15: study

TORONTO - The majority of Canadian seniors are taking multiple types of drugs and in some cases the intake is fairly substantial, a new report suggests. Just under two-thirds of people 65 and older are taking five or more prescription drugs on an ongoing basis....More

AP Enterprise: Cruise line, NASA got swine flu shots early on; CDC says system worked well

ATLANTA - Last fall, as swine flu cases mounted and parents desperately sought to protect their kids, the hard-to-get vaccine was handed out in some surprising places: the Royal Caribbean cruise line, the headquarters of drug giant Merck, the Johnson Space Center and a Department of Energy...More

WHO: Not sure if drug-resistant TB is declining, most cases in China, India and eastern Europe

LONDON - The World Health Organization says it doesn't have enough information to know if it is winning the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis....More

EU food safety agency says most raw chicken in Europe carries food-poisoning bugs

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union's food safety agency says most chicken sold in Europe is infected with bacteria that can cause food poisoning if the meat is not cooked thoroughly....More

Complaints against Alberta doctors increased almost 40 per cent last year

EDMONTON - Complaints against Alberta doctors increased by more than one-third last year and questions are being raised about why. The College of Physicians and Surgeons announced Wednesday that there were 756 complaints by patients in 2009, up from 550 the previous year....More

China investigating elevated lead levels in children thought linked to local smelters

BEIJING - Chinese officials said Wednesday they are investigating heightened lead levels among hundreds of children in Hunan province thought to be linked to local smelters - one of many cases underscoring the toll pollution is taking on the health of rural Chinese....More

Cancer researchers question why some medical studies exclude gays, lesbians

MILWAUKEE - A small but significant portion of medical studies exclude gays from participating, sometimes without an apparent scientific reason, several cancer researchers say....More

Birth control must be part of PM's G8 initiative on maternal health: Opposition

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to champion maternal and child health on the international stage has turned into a political fracas at home over the right of the world's poorest women to use contraceptives and have safe abortions....More

American clinic sparks debate with raffle of human eggs for infertile winner in Britain

LONDON - An American infertility clinic seeking business in Britain prompted fierce criticism by offering free eggs from a U.S. woman to one participant in a promotional seminar in London on Wednesday....More

American clinic offers infertile British couples chance at free treatment for human eggs

LONDON - An American infertility clinic will offer free human eggs to one British person who participates in an informational seminar Wednesday evening in London....More

Calif worker safety board to consider mandating condoms for porn actors to curb spread of STDs

LOS ANGELES - Condoms might be the only thing porn actors are required to wear if the state's workplace safety board approves a petition mandating their use....More

PepsiCo to stop selling sugary drinks from schools worldwide by 2012

NEW YORK - PepsiCo plans to remove sugary drinks from schools worldwide, following the success of programs in the U.S. aimed at cutting down on childhood obesity....More

Number of Canadians living with kidney failure up substantially in last decade

TORONTO - A new report says the number of Canadians living with end-stage kidney disease has risen 57 per cent over the past decade, which is actually a slight improvement on the last report on the problem....More

Michelle Obama takes campaign to end childhood obesity to the country's largest food makers

WASHINGTON - Michelle Obama has talked to schools and nutrition groups across the U.S. in her effort to reduce childhood obesity. On Tuesday the first lady will face the food companies that make the snacks and junk food that stuff grocery aisles and school vending machines....More

Gene testing helps set right dose for blood-thinner warfarin, prevents hospitalizations

ATLANTA - Doctors are reporting an exciting win for gene testing and personalized medicine: Checking patients' DNA before starting them on a popular blood thinner helps get the tricky dose right and keep them out of the hospital....More

Feds start talks with industry, provinces on next pandemic flu vaccine contract

TORONTO - The federal government wants to explore options for Canada's next pandemic flu vaccine contract, telling industry it will consider whether it is feasible and worthwhile to have a back-up deal with a company other than its main supplier....More

Democrats in Congress consider risky move to get final passage of Obama's health care reform

WASHINGTON - Democrats on Tuesday considered a politically risky move to get President Barack Obama's health care overhaul through its final legislative hurdle: pushing it through the House of Representatives without a direct vote....More

'Nightmare' predicted as FAS makes some aboriginal youth vulnerable to gangs

TORONTO - A higher incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome among some aboriginal communities in Canada is making their youth more vulnerable to being lured into gangs, experts say....More

China investigating elevated lead levels in children thought linked to local smelters

BEIJING - Chinese officials said Wednesday they are investigating heightened lead levels among hundreds of children in Hunan province thought to be linked to local smelters - one of many cases underscoring the toll pollution is taking on the health of rural Chinese....More

Ohio woman: US doctor botched breast surgery, used wrong implants

PITTSBURGH - An Ohio woman claims in a lawsuit that a Pennsylvania plastic surgeon used the wrong kind of breast implants on her, then kept her knocked out longer than necessary and continued with the botched operation on the advice of her fiance....More

Obama pitches health care as Dems point toward a vote and progress in courting lawmakers

WASHINGTON - House Democrats triggered the countdown Monday for the climactic vote on President Barack Obama's fiercely contested remake of the U.S. health care system, even though the legislation remained incomplete and lacked the votes needed to pass....More

McGill launches web program to let people create their own one-stop medical file

MONTREAL - The day is not too far off when your cellphone, iPhone or Blackberry will ring to remind you to take your medication. That's one of the eventual goals of a new web tool which launched by the McGill University Health Centre at a news conference Monday....More

Loblaw, Siena Foods face class-action suit over recall due to Listeria

TORONTO - Loblaw and Siena Foods are facing a class-action lawsuit over the latest meat recall due to Listeria contamination....More

Driving Miss Daisy: Society needs to help seniors who should stop driving

TORONTO - Society needs to do a better job helping seniors drive for as long as is safe and helping them adapt when the time comes to stop, says a new editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal....More

Arteries, cholesterol improve soon after smokers quit, even if they gain weight, study finds

ATLANTA - Quitting smoking can turn back time. A year after kicking the habit, smokers' arteries showed signs of reversing a problem that can set the stage for heart disease, according to the first big study to test this....More

UN AIDS chief says new HIV infections increasing among homosexuals, drug users and prostitutes

NEW YORK - New HIV infections are increasing among homosexuals, drug users and prostitutes who don't seek help because of laws that criminalize these practices, the head of the U.N. AIDS agency said Monday....More

Michelle Obama takes campaign to end childhood obesity to the country's largest food makers

WASHINGTON - Michelle Obama has talked to schools and nutrition groups across the U.S. in her effort to reduce childhood obesity. On Tuesday the first lady will face the food companies that make the snacks and junk food that stuff grocery aisles and school vending machines....More

Experts say Americans getting too many medical tests, maybe even President Obama

CHICAGO - Too much cancer screening, too many heart tests, too many cesarean sections. A spate of recent reports suggests that many Americans are being overtreated. Maybe even President Barack Obama, champion of an overhaul and cost-cutting of the health-care system....More

Study suggests hearts may swoon when stocks do

ATLANTA - Stock market slides may hurt more than your savings. New research suggests they might prompt heart attacks....More

Doping control at Paralympics looks for same drugs but some different techniques

Anti-doping efforts have again kicked into high gear as nearly 600 disabled athletes from around the world compete over the next nine days in the Vancouver Winter Paralympics....More

University of Calgary researchers unlock gene secrets of opium poppy

CALGARY - Scientists at the University of Calgary announced Sunday they have unlocked one of the genetic secrets of the opium poppy - a discovery that may open the door to cheaper and more readily available pain relief....More

Mini clothespin gives safer way to fix leaky valves without open-heart surgery, study finds

ATLANTA - Many Americans with leaky heart valves soon might be able to get them fixed without open-heart surgery. A study showed that a tiny clip implanted through an artery was safer and nearly as effective as surgery, doctors reported Sunday....More

Listeria meat recall prompts proposed class-action against Siena Foods

TORONTO - The latest meat recall due to concerns over listeria contamination has prompted a proposed class action. Merchant Law Group says it is suing Siena Foods Ltd. on behalf of anyone who bought or ate the meat in question....More

Intense treatment fails to prevent heart attacks in diabetics; lifestyle is key, doctors say

ATLANTA - Key results from a landmark federal study are in, and the results are disappointing for diabetics: Adding drugs to drive blood pressure and blood-fats lower than current targets did not prevent heart problems, and in some cases caused harmful side effects....More

Pakistani doctors studying conjoined twins to see if they can operate

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A Pakistani neurosurgeon says doctors are studying a pair of twin girls who were recently born connected at the head to determine whether they can separate them....More

Two more senior lab officials in N.L. resign amid testing errors

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Two more senior laboratory officials have resigned their posts with Newfoundland's largest health authority following the disclosure of drug testing errors....More

Toronto anesthesiologist charged with sexual assault of three patients

TORONTO - Allegations that a Toronto doctor sexually assaulted three female patients while they were under anesthetic had police making an appeal Thursday for other potential victims to come forward. Dr....More

S.W.Ont. doctor who performed mistaken mastectomies has privileges restored

WINDSOR, Ont. - A doctor who performed mistaken mastectomies at a southwestern Ontario hospital had her privileges restored Thursday, after the hospital imposed conditions it determined would ensure patients are not put at risk. A panel had heard six hours of arguments from Dr....More

Quebec moves closer to offering free in vitro fertilization treatments

MONTREAL - Quebec has moved closer to offering free in vitro fertilization for couples who are unable to conceive. Health Minister Yves Bolduc said Thursday the extent of the coverage proposed by the province would be unmatched in North America....More

Mont. governor seeks federal permission to import cheaper drugs from Canada for state programs

HELENA, Mon. - Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Thursday that he is seeking U.S. government permission to import cheaper drugs from Canada for use in state insurance programs....More

B.C. government's transfer of paramedics to health authority angers union

VICTORIA, B.C. - The B.C. government is moving to integrate ambulance service into the health-care system, something the union says is punishment for going on strike last year....More

'We have set our tiny miracle free;' Baby Isaiah taken off life support in Alta

EDMONTON - Surrounded by family, a brain-injured baby died in the arms of his loving parents in an Edmonton hospital after they had spent months trying everything in their power to keep him alive....More

Studies: People with variable blood pressure could be at risk of a stroke

LONDON - People with occasional spikes in their blood pressure could be at higher risk of having a stroke than those with regularly high blood pressure, new studies said Friday....More

US philanthropist Raymond Tye, who paid for conjoined twins' separation, dies at age 87

BOSTON - A Massachusetts philanthropist who gave away millions of dollars to meet medical expenses for needy people and paid for the separation surgery of conjoined Egyptian twins has died. A. Raymond Tye was 87....More

Union fires back on Ontario's new plan to make hospitals compete for cash

TORONTO - The conversation Premier Dalton McGuinty said he wanted to have about Ontario's health-care system seems to be turning into a shouting match....More

U.S. govt panel finds too many women denied chance to avoid repeat C-section

WASHINGTON - Too many pregnant women who want to avoid a repeat cesarean delivery are being denied the chance, concludes a U.S....More

N.L. chief of lab medicine resigns after drug testing errors discovered

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A high-ranking official with Newfoundland's largest health board has quit his position after drug testing errors were recently discovered. Eastern Health CEO Vickie Kaminski announced Wednesday that Dr....More

Government backs away after B.C. ambulance union says it will roll over deal

VANCOUVER, B.C. - In an effort to wrap up stymied contract talks, B.C.'s ambulance paramedics have agreed to roll over their collective agreement for two more years....More

Genetic researchers share $500,000 prize for medicine and biomedical research

ALBANY, N.Y. - Three American scientists who contributed to the mapping of the human genetic blueprint - an advance that continues to give the medical world a better understanding of human disease - were awarded the country's richest prize in medicine and biomedical research Wednesday....More

Cuba once persecuted homosexuals, transsexuals, now quietly pays for sex-change operations

HAVANA, Cuba - Looking in the mirror used to make Yiliam Gonzalez sick to her stomach. "I would see myself, and my body didn't match who I was," said the 28-year-old wedding pianist, who went by William before receiving a sex change under Cuba's universal health care system....More

B.C. researchers find way to predict treatment response in Hodgkin's patients

TORONTO - An international team of cancer researchers has found a way to predict which Hodgkin's lymphoma patients won't respond well to therapies, opening the door to using a less aggressive regimen on those more likely to be cured. The team, led by researchers at the B.C....More

Family of Quebec woman calls for public inquiry into hospital death

MONTREAL - The family of a woman who died after a four-day wait in the corrdor of a Montreal emergency ward wants a public inquiry into the state of Quebec's health-care system. Mariette Fournier died last month after waiting for a bed at Montreal's Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital....More

CPSC prepares warning about baby slings because of deaths

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is preparing a safety warning about baby slings - those popular and fashionable infant carriers that parents can sling around their chests to carry their baby. The concern: infants can suffocate, and at least a few have....More

Chiropractors fear Saskatchewan could cut coverage in upcoming budget

REGINA - Saskatchewan chiropractors say they fear the government is on the verge of delisting their services in the upcoming provincial budget....More

Changes made at Alberta Children's Hospital after report into series of errors

CALGARY - Alberta health officials say they've made changes after an independent review into a string of mistakes at a Calgary children's hospital last year, including two drug overdoses and a child given the wrong breast milk....More

B.C. mulls top-dollar health centres for foreigners

VICTORIA, B.C. - B.C. Health Minister Kevin Falcon says he is considering selling health-care services to offshore patients in the same way the province markets higher education to foreign students....More

Analysis shows TB 185 times more common among Inuit

A national analysis of health data suggests tuberculosis is 185 times more common among Canada's Inuit than it is among the mainstream population - and getting worse....More

Alberta nurses say employer wants cuts in salaries, benefits in next contract

EDMONTON - Negotiations for a new contract between Alberta's nurses and their employer are off to a rocky start....More

Cuba once persecuted homosexuals, transsexuals, now quietly pays for sex-change operations

HAVANA, Cuba - Looking in the mirror used to make Yiliam Gonzalez sick to her stomach. "I would see myself, and my body didn't match who I was," said the 28-year-old wedding pianist, who went by William before receiving a sex change under Cuba's universal health care system....More

Palin, a critic of socialized health care, acknowledges that her family used Canadian system

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been no friend lately of socialized health care. She has criticized Canada's system, saying it should be dismantled in favour of free enterprise....More

Palin, a critic of socialized health care, acknowledges that her family used Canadian system

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been no friend lately of socialized health care. She has criticized Canada's system, saying it should be dismantled in favour of free enterprise....More

Palin's claim family sought medical care in Canada prompts scrutiny, ridicule

WASHINGTON - Sarah Palin's weekend admission that her family once travelled to Canada to receive treatment under the public health-care system she's so often demonized prompted skepticism and ridicule Monday among her critics in the United States....More

Palin's claim family sought medical care in Canada prompts scrutiny, ridicule

WASHINGTON - Sarah Palin's weekend admission that her family once travelled to Canada to receive treatment under the public health-care system she's so often demonized prompted skepticism and ridicule Monday among her critics in the United States....More

Jump in obesity, C-sections may be playing role in childbirth-related deaths

WASHINGTON - Eleven days after her son Benjamin's birth by C-section, Linda Coale awoke in the middle of the night in pain, one leg badly swollen. Just as her doctor returned her phone call asking what to do, she dropped dead from a blood clot....More

Dutch group pushing right to suicide for people older than 70 gains support

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A campaign to give elderly people in the Netherlands the right to assisted suicide says it has gathered more than 100,000 signatures, hoping to push the boundaries another notch in the country that first legalized euthanasia....More

Alta. researchers look for people to take part in lengthy study on heart failure

CALGARY - A research program is being launched in Alberta that will focus on better diagnosis and treatment of heart failure....More

'Giant colon' aimed at promoting prevention of colorectal cancer, screening

TORONTO - Um ... OK ... it's an embarrassing topic for many people. You know, butts and intestines and bowel movements and all that. But when it comes to saving lives by preventing colon cancer, let's face it, there's no such thing as too much information....More

Obama pitches health-care overhaul that critics say must start anew

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is trying to persuade a weary public and wavering Democrats to get behind his frantic, late-stage push on health care reform, while Republicans dig in and demand starting from scratch after a year's worth of work on the president's top domestic priority....More

Facing election-year politics, Obama pitches health overhaul

WASHINGTON - Facing a tough political environment, President Barack Obama on Saturday turned up the heat for the health care overhaul that has been his top priority for a year, yet has not been passed by a Democratic-dominated Congress....More

Canadian hospitals inspired by Toyota unfazed by recent troubles

MONTREAL - Toyota may be rapidly becoming a byword for corporate misadventure, but Canadian hospitals are not yet ready to slam the brakes on health-care initiatives inspired by the Japanese carmaker....More

Privacy commissioner questions security of health records after doctors die

REGINA - Gary Dickson has seen abandoned medical records turn up in some pretty bizarre places in his time as Saskatchewan's privacy commissioner - mouldy basements, drafty Quonset huts, vacant buildings....More

Obama tells Democrats to have faith in him, and voters, as he makes final health care pitch

WASHINGTON - In private pitches to Democrats, President Barack Obama says he will persuade Congress to pass his health care overhaul even if it kills him and even if he has to ask deeply distrustful lawmakers to trust him on a promise the White House doesn't have the power to keep....More

CFIA orders recall of pretzel products because of possible salmonella

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume some pretzel products because the products may be contaminated with salmonella. The products contain hydrolysed vegetable protein manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada....More

AIDS virus avoids drugs by hiding in bone marrow; finding could point way to better treatment

WASHINGTON - The virus that causes AIDS can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness, according to new research that could point the way toward better treatments for the disease....More

UN says mother-to-child HIV transmission can be eliminated by 2015

GENEVA - The United Nations says mother-to-child HIV transmission can be eliminated by 2015 if health programs receive increased investments as planned....More

Study of obesity-germ link finds intestinal bacteria can drive appetite in mice

WASHINGTON - Germs in the gut may help drive appetite, says new research into the link between obesity and bacteria. Previous studies have showed that overweight people and normal-weight people harbour different types and amounts of microbes that naturally live in the intestine....More

Senators: Lift lifetime ban on gay men donating blood

WASHINGTON - The time has come to change a policy that imposes a lifetime ban on donating blood for any man who has had gay sex since 1977, 18 U.S. senators said Thursday. "Not a single piece of scientific evidence supports the ban," said Sen....More

Possible hospital changes could lead to reduced services, longer travel: critics

TORONTO - A plan that may force patients to travel farther for some operations to save taxpayers money could result in reduced services and endanger the health of people in rural or northern communities, critics said Thursday....More

Low-fat or low-carb? Gene test claims to show which diet works best; skeptics aren’t so sure

Diet not working? Blame your genes. That's the pitch behind a new test that claims to show whether people will do better on a low-fat or a low-carbohydrate weight loss plan....More

Growing obesity rates put more pressure on provinces to fund surgeries

-age weight, Tracey Wurch tried to work off the excess pounds but couldn't seem to get far. The 46-year-old from Beausejour, Man....More

Cosmetic surgery gets sliced in federal budget

OTTAWA - The nip-and-tuck business got nipped in the federal budget. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is cutting tax deductions for most cosmetic surgery....More

Cdn researchers discover genetic cause for bleeding disorder, develop test

TORONTO - Canadian scientists have discovered the genetic cause for a particular bleeding disorder that traces back to one family in Quebec, and they've developed a genetic test to help diagnose the condition....More

WHO: polio vaccination for over 85 million children starts in 19 African countries

GENEVA - The World Health Organization says more than 85 million children under 5 in west and central Africa will be vaccinated against polio. The agency says the massive vaccination campaign in 19 countries by U.N. agencies and the Red Cross will start March 6....More

Shanghai scrambles to implement ban on smoking in indoor public places ahead of World Expo

SHANGHAI, China - Restaurants and office buildings in China's commercial capital Shanghai are scrambling to set up nonsmoking areas as the city bans lighting up in indoor public spaces ahead of the World Expo....More

London, Ont., man charged with doing dental surgery in basement without licence

LONDON, Ont. - Police in London, Ont., have alerted health officials after charging a man with practising dental surgery without a licence....More

Fitness fusion: Homegrown workouts offer unique blend of exercise elements

TORONTO - Maintaining a consistent exercise regimen is undoubtedly beneficial for your body, but pounding through the same routine week after week will likely leave some feeling stuck in a workout rut....More

Citing Republican ideas, Obama tries to gain support from Democrats for his health care plan

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama embraced a handful of Republican health care ideas Tuesday to lure moderate Democrats' support as he prepared to spell out the final version of his top domestic priority to a sharply divided Congress....More

Woman sues surgeon, hospital over mastectomy done amid no-cancer diagnosis

TORONTO - A woman whose healthy breast was removed by a doctor in the mistaken belief it was cancerous is suing for the devastation she says the unnecessary surgery has caused her. Laurie Johnston, of Leamington, Ont., is seeking $2....More

Obama makes final push for health care reform, tries to unite Democrats

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama made what is expected to be his final push to overhaul the U.S. health care system, revising his plan in an attempt to win the support of moderate Democrats....More

Nurse practitioners to see patients at new for-profit clinic in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG - A businessman plans to open a new health clinic in Winnipeg where patients pay for health services, and provincial officials say they won't stand in the way....More

New American Cancer Society guidance urges docs to explain limits of prostate cancer screening

ATLANTA - New advice from the American Cancer Society puts a sharper focus on the risks of prostate cancer screening, emphasizing that annual testing can lead to unnecessary biopsies and treatments that do more harm than good....More

Wrongful surgery lawsuit launched in Windsor, Ont., mastectomy case

TORONTO - A Leamington, Ont., woman whose case helped spark an investigation into wrongful mastectomies in Windsor is taking legal action over her case. Laurie Johnston's lawyer said she has filed a claim in Windsor for wrongful surgery....More

UN: Many children, non car-users die in road accidents worldwide

Road accidents are the leading cause of death for youths from ages 5 to 29 and nearly half of the 1.2 million traffic fatalities each year are pedestrians, bikers and motorcyclists, the World Health Organization said Tuesday....More

Study: More Afghan women using contraceptives; 300 times safer than pregnancy

Some mullahs in Afghanistan are distributing condoms. Others are quoting the Qur'an to encourage longer breaks between births. Health experts say contraception is starting to catch on in a country with the world's second highest maternal death rate....More

Shanghai scrambles to implement ban on smoking in indoor public places ahead of World Expo

SHANGHAI, China - Restaurants and office buildings in China's commercial capital Shanghai are scrambling to set up nonsmoking areas as the city bans lighting up in indoor public spaces ahead of the World Expo....More

London, Ont., man charged with doing dental surgery in basement without licence

LONDON, Ont. - Police in London, Ont., have alerted health officials after charging a man with practising dental surgery without a licence....More

Fitness fusion: Homegrown workouts offer unique blend of exercise elements

TORONTO - Maintaining a consistent exercise regimen is undoubtedly beneficial for your body, but pounding through the same routine week after week will likely leave some feeling stuck in a workout rut....More

Citing Republican ideas, Obama tries to gain support from Democrats for his health care plan

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama embraced a handful of Republican health care ideas Tuesday to lure moderate Democrats' support as he prepared to spell out the final version of his top domestic priority to a sharply divided Congress....More

Nurse practitioners to see patients at new for-profit clinic in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG - A businessman plans to open a new health clinic in Winnipeg where patients pay for health services, and provincial officials say they won't stand in the way....More

Probe into mistaken mastectomies to include 2 other Windsor-area hospitals

TORONTO - Two other hospitals will be scrutinized by Ontario investigators as they try to uncover why unnecessary mastectomies were performed at a Windsor hospital, but there are no plans to widen the probe further, Health Minister Deb Matthews said Monday....More

Parents of dying kids in pain say they asked docs to hasten death and physicians complied

CHICAGO - It's a situation too agonizing to contemplate - a child dying and in pain. Now a small but provocative study suggests that doctors may be giving fatal morphine doses to a few children dying of cancer, to end their suffering at their parents' request....More

New research suggests obesity risks stacked against minority kids in U.S.

CHICAGO - The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children in the United States starting even before birth, provocative new research suggests. The findings help explain disproportionately high obesity rates in minority children....More

New index quantifies risk of readmission or death after hospital discharge

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have developed a new index to score patients being discharged from hospital on their risk of dying or being readmitted in the next 30 days....More

HEALTHBEAT: Anti-inflammatories for diabetes? Scientists hunt what makes obesity cause disease

WASHINGTON - What if you could be fat but avoid heart disease or diabetes? Scientists trying to break the fat-and-disease link increasingly say inflammation is the key....More

Calgary nursing home slaying could have been prevented:fatality report

CALGARY - A fatality inquiry report into the slaying of a Calgary nursing home resident by his roommate says James Cairns's death could have been prevented....More

1 in 4 parents believes unproven vaccine-autism link, but most do what doc says

CHICAGO - One in four U.S. parents believes some vaccines cause autism in healthy children, but even many of those worried about vaccine risks think their children should be vaccinated....More

Shanghai scrambles to implement ban on smoking in indoor public places ahead of World Expo

SHANGHAI, China - Restaurants and office buildings in China's commercial capital Shanghai are scrambling to set up nonsmoking areas as the city bans lighting up in indoor public spaces ahead of the World Expo....More

Transport authority to examine airline pet policies over allergy concerns

OTTAWA - People with pet allergies may soon breathe a sigh of relief as Canada's transport authority examines the pet policies of the country's biggest airlines....More

Stroke study finds neck stents as good as surgery for fixing narrowed arteries

SAN ANTONIO - People at risk of a stroke because of narrowed neck arteries can be safely treated with a less drastic option than the surgery done now, the largest study ever done on these treatments concludes....More

Obama, Republicans clash on health care overhaul in rare TV summit, little hope of a deal

WASHINGTON - In an extraordinary daylong televised debate, President Barack Obama and Republicans clashed over his plan to overhaul U.S. health care. In the end, there was little reason to hope for a compromise on an issue that could shape Obama's legacy....More

Obama says Dems will get health care remake done with or without Republicans

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama strongly signalled that Democrats will move forward on a health care overhaul with or without Republicans, preparing his party for a fight whose political outcome will rest with voters in November....More

Health Canada wants better standards for baby accessories, such as bassinets

OTTAWA - Health Canada is calling for stricter safety standards for baby accessories. The agency has issued guidelines for manufacturers of items such as change tables, bassinets, mobiles and some types of canopies....More

Despite health risks, some people continue to buy and sell breast milk online

WINNIPEG - Some women are still trying to sell their breast milk online despite concerns from Health Canada about possible disease transmission and contamination....More

Anxious patients flood hotline created in wake of mistaken mastectomies

WINDSOR, Ont. - A hotline set up by a Windsor, Ont., hospital in the wake of mistaken mastectomies coming to light has already fielded some 100 phone calls. Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital spokeswoman Kim Spirou says the callers include a number of breast cancer patients....More

Obama invites compromise with Republicans but says health overhaul must go forward

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Saturday that he wants to compromise with Republicans on his sweeping health care overhaul if they're serious about it but that the reform plan must go forward....More