Mounties battle the bulge, hopefully increase brain power with fitness

REGINA - RCMP Sgt. Rob Lutzko was in peak physical shape when he joined the force in 1993, but admits he's since packed on a little weight. "Without a doubt," smiles Lutzko....More

More than two-thirds of Ontario, N.S., paramedics experience abuse on job: study

TORONTO - Paramedics coping with the demands of providing front-line emergency care are also facing personal attacks on the job, with more than two-thirds polled in Ontario and Nova Scotia reporting incidents of verbal, physical or sexual abuse, according to new research....More

Calgary police issue ecstasy warning after three likely deaths

CALGARY - Alberta Health officials have issued an alert about the street drug ecstasy after three recent deaths in the Calgary area were linked to the chemical. Officials say that although toxicology tests aren't complete, the drug is the likely cause....More

Argentine president, facing thyroid cancer, struggles to delegate, saying she can't do it all

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentina's president cracked jokes and sounded optimistic Wednesday after her thyroid cancer diagnosis was announced, but she's clearly struggling with the need to delegate power while she recovers from next week's surgery....More

Alberta to review pathology testing after questions at three different hospitals

EDMONTON - Alberta's health minister has ordered a review of diagnostic imaging and pathology testing in the province after inaccurate results surfaced in three different hospitals over the last two months....More

Alberta doctor suspended for sex, inappropriate conduct with patients

EDMONTON - An Edmonton family doctor has been suspended for inappropriate conduct with two female patients, including sex with one of them. Dr....More

B.C. residents to pay more for health care, insurance, power and gas in 2012

VANCOUVER - British Columbia residents will pay more in the coming year for health care, electricity, car insurance and gasoline....More

About 300,000 teddy bears recalled due to potential choking hazard

TORONTO - The popular toy manufacturer Build-A-Bear has issued a recall for some teddy bears that could be a choking hazard to children....More

U.S. health overhaul says free preventive care, but it pays to ask doc first

CHICAGO - Bill Dunphy thought his colonoscopy would be free. His insurance company told him it would be covered 100 per cent, with no copayment from him and no charge against his deductible. The one-year-old health law in the U.S....More

Studies see little benefit of Avastin against ovarian cancer, more side-effects

Avastin, the blockbuster drug that just lost approval for treating breast cancer, now looks disappointing against ovarian cancer, too....More

Savvy strategy gave Lipitor come-from-behind win over cholesterol leaders, then all drugs

TRENTON, N.J. - Lipitor, the bestselling drug in the history of pharmaceuticals, is the blockbuster that almost wasn't. When it was in development, the cholesterol-lowering medicine was viewed as such an also-ran it almost didn't make it into patient testing....More

Pottery Barn Kids Madeline Bed canopy recalled due to falling risk: Health Canada

OTTAWA - A Pottery Barn Kids bed canopy is being recalled because the product could come apart and fall, posing a hazard to consumers. Health Canada announced a joint recall with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Williams Sonoma Inc....More

Oklahoma baby is 3rd sickened by rare bacteria sometimes linked to formula

ATLANTA - An Oklahoma baby is the third infant this month sickened by a rare type of bacteria sometimes associated with tainted powdered infant formula....More

A sneeze, years of back pain: surgery with 'GPS for the spine' makes it better

TORONTO - It was an ordinary everyday manoeuvre in 2005 that put Tammy Milgrom on track for one back surgery after another. She bent down to do laundry, she sneezed, and her back went out....More

Mounties battle the bulge, hopefully increase brain power with fitness

REGINA - RCMP Sgt. Rob Lutzko was in peak physical shape when he joined the force in 1993, but admits he's since packed on a little weight. "Without a doubt," smiles Lutzko....More

Argentine president, facing thyroid cancer, struggles to delegate, saying she can't do it all

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentina's president cracked jokes and sounded optimistic Wednesday after her thyroid cancer diagnosis was announced, but she's clearly struggling with the need to delegate power while she recovers from next week's surgery....More

Some facts about the federally-funded pilot program At Home/Chez Soi

OTTAWA - The At Home/Chez Soi pilot project was started in 2008 with $110 million in five-year funding, through the Mental Health Commission. Here is how it works: What: Traditional help for the homeless aims to resolve their underlying issues first....More

Numerous shoppers pepper sprayed at Winnipeg's Polo Park shopping centre

WINNIPEG - Boxing Day shoppers at a Winnipeg mall got more than they bargained for when youths shot pepper spray, sending three people to hospital. Police and paramedics were called to Polo Park mall around 2:30 p.m....More

Guess who funds biggest project ever to house the homeless? Stephen Harper

TORONTO - The government's response to the Attawapiskat housing crisis may well have underscored Stephen Harper's reputation for his hard line rather than his heart, with his focus on the aboriginal reserve's financial problems, not its social ones....More

Forethought, caution help keep dream cruises from becoming health nightmares

TORONTO - Some people think of them as the ultimate in no-muss, no-fuss travel. But while a cruise can be a dream vacation, it can turn into a nightmare if health problems mar your trip....More

Winterize workouts: Proper prep, gear, diet help fuel exercisers in cold weather

Bruce Bowen doesn't plan to abandon his workout routine and hibernate during the winter, but the longtime runner does make adjustments when lacing up in chillier weather....More

Scientists fear controversy over bird flu studies could lead to research chill

Influenza scientists are worried they may be feeling a cold front moving in. A recent unprecedented decision by the U.S....More

Insurance company Kaiser Permanente offers cash to Colorado adults for losing weight

DENVER - Insurance company Kaiser Permanente Colorado is offering cash to Coloradans to lose weight and keep it off....More

Savvy strategy gave Lipitor come-from-behind win over cholesterol leaders, then all drugs

TRENTON, N.J. - Lipitor, the bestselling drug in the history of pharmaceuticals, is the blockbuster that almost wasn't. When it was in development, the cholesterol-lowering medicine was viewed as such an also-ran it almost didn't make it into patient testing....More

What does a home mean? For the homeless, it means peace, safety and recovery

TORONTO - For Khusrow Mahvan, who lived on the cold concrete of Toronto streets for over a decade, having a home means peace, tranquility and tasty food....More

Vicodin times 10: Abuse experts worried about new, stronger form of a widely abused painkiller

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of a highly abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new wave of abuse....More

Some facts about the federally-funded pilot program At Home/Chez Soi

OTTAWA - The At Home/Chez Soi pilot project was started in 2008 with $110 million in five-year funding, through the Mental Health Commission. Here is how it works: What: Traditional help for the homeless aims to resolve their underlying issues first....More

Numerous shoppers pepper sprayed at Winnipeg's Polo Park shopping centre

WINNIPEG - Boxing Day shoppers at a Winnipeg mall got more than they bargained for when youths shot pepper spray, sending three people to hospital. Police and paramedics were called to Polo Park mall around 2:30 p.m....More

Guess who funds biggest project ever to house the homeless? Stephen Harper

TORONTO - The government's response to the Attawapiskat housing crisis may well have underscored Stephen Harper's reputation for his hard line rather than his heart, with his focus on the aboriginal reserve's financial problems, not its social ones....More

Forethought, caution help keep dream cruises from becoming health nightmares

TORONTO - Some people think of them as the ultimate in no-muss, no-fuss travel. But while a cruise can be a dream vacation, it can turn into a nightmare if health problems mar your trip....More

Scientists fear controversy over bird flu studies could lead to research chill

Influenza scientists are worried they may be feeling a cold front moving in. A recent unprecedented decision by the U.S....More

Scientists fear controversy over bird flu studies could lead to research chill

Influenza scientists are worried they may be feeling a cold front moving in. A recent unprecedented decision by the U.S....More

Wal-Mart pulls powdered baby formula from more than 3,000 stores after US baby dies

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Wal-Mart and health officials awaited tests Thursday on a batch of powdered infant formula that was removed from more than 3,000 stores nationwide after a newborn baby who consumed it apparently died from a rare infection....More

U.S. finds new human infection with swine H3N2 flu; virus now called ‘variant’

U.S. public health officials have found another case of human infection with a swine-origin H3N2 virus, this time in a child from West Virginia....More

U.S. finds new human infection with swine H3N2 flu; virus now called ‘variant’

Another case of human infection with a H3N2 virus of swine origin is being reported in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says the latest case was a child who was likely infected by another person, not through exposure to a pig....More

Tories, NDP demand government release pay, other data on ORNGE air ambulance

TORONTO - Ontario's opposition parties demanded answers Friday about high salaries at the province's air ambulance system and accused the Liberal government of stonewalling their attempts to get the information....More

NDP demand Liberal government release pay, other data on ORNGE air ambulance

TORONTO - The New Democrats are demanding more information about high salaries at Ontario's air ambulance system. NDP Health Critic France Gelinas says the Liberal government must answer for what she calls "the outrageous secrecy and salaries at ORNGE....More

France recommends 'preventive' removal of all PIP breast implants

PARIS - The health minister has called on some 30,000 women with breast implants made by French company Poly Implant Prothese to have them removed "as a preventive measure not of an urgent nature....More

Official: France's health insurance agency to file complaint in breast implant scandal

PARIS - France's national health insurance agency will file a criminal complaint in a breast implant scandal, an official said Saturday, after authorities recommended that women with potentially faulty implants have them removed and agreed to pay for the procedure....More

Mead Johnson says more tests found no bacteria in infant formula

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Illinois-based Mead Johnson says another batch of tests done on its Enfamil Premium Newborn infant formula found no trace of the bacteria tied to the death of a baby in Missouri....More

Kenya families facing HIV and high food prices make tough choices on who gets fed

NAIROBI, Kenya - Rosalia Adhiambo won't take the free anti-HIV drugs that would prolong her life. The spiraling price of food in Kenya means she can't afford to feed both her grandniece and herself....More

Journal Science retracts study linking chronic fatigue syndrome to a virus

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The journal Science is retracting a research paper suggesting that chronic fatigue syndrome may be caused by a particular virus. The paper was published in 2009....More

Health Minister looks into executive salaries at air ambulance service

TORONTO - Ontario's health minister is looking into executive salaries at the province's air ambulance service after receiving what she calls troubling and concerning information....More

Health Canada reviewing safety of drug Rasilez after patient trial halted

OTTAWA - Health Canada is reviewing the safety of the blood-pressure drug Rasilez after its manufacturer halted a large study that showed the medication could have adverse effects when combined with some other prescription drugs....More

Health Canada recalls more kids jewelry products due to excessive lead content

OTTAWA - Health Canada is recalling more children's jewelry products after a sampling program turned up excessive lead in the products. One recall involves metallic heart-shaped pendants and plastic bracelets imported from China and sold by Toy Land Co....More

Editors, news directors select Jack Layton as 2011's Newsmaker of the Year

OTTAWA - John Gilbert Layton wore dozens of different name tags in his decades of public service: activist, guitarist, father and finally, leader of the official Opposition. Most knew the NDP leader by another name: Jack....More

Wal-Mart pulls powdered baby formula from more than 3,000 stores after US baby dies

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Wal-Mart and health officials awaited tests Thursday on a batch of powdered infant formula that was removed from more than 3,000 stores nationwide after a newborn baby who consumed it apparently died from a rare infection....More

France recommends 'preventive' removal of all PIP breast implants

PARIS - The health minister has called on some 30,000 women with breast implants made by French company Poly Implant Prothese to have them removed "as a preventive measure not of an urgent nature....More

Care worker accused of sexually assaulting 88-year-old Alzheimer's resident

TORONTO - A caregiver and support worker at a Toronto long-term centre has been charged with sexually assaulting an 88-year-old resident with Alzheimer's....More

At malls and Christmas gatherings, sensitive Santas cater to kids with autism

HARTFORD, Conn. - Visiting a shopping mall to share Christmas wishes with Santa had always been too much for 10-year-old Ben Borre, due to the autism that makes the noise, lights and crowds an unbearable torment....More

Americans troops who relieved Canadians face charges in soldier's death

OTTAWA - Zangabad was the kind of place that used to send shivers down the spines of Canadian troops, a boiling cauldron of never-ending roadside bombs, booby traps and ambushes that drove even the best right up to the edge....More

Adding catch-up phase to HPV vaccine policy could save lives and money: study

TORONTO - A new study says protecting women aged 17 to 26 against the human papillomavirus or HPV in a catch-up vaccination round would save lives — and save millions of dollars in the process....More

Teens who express differences with mom might also resist peer pressure: study

TORONTO - Frustrated parents who are frequently at odds with an argumentative adolescent might take heart from the findings of new research on teens, their moms and their friends. It seems that not all disagreements are bad....More

Marijuana trends grow against the grain of intense police funding: report

VANCOUVER - Billions of dollars have been put towards nipping the drug-trade in the bud, yet the ease of obtaining marijuana and its potency have bloomed, while its price has dropped, according to a prominent group lobbying for cannabis legalization....More

Kenya families facing HIV and high food prices make tough choices on who gets fed

NAIROBI, Kenya - Rosalia Adhiambo won't take the free anti-HIV drugs that would prolong her life. The spiraling price of food in Kenya means she can't afford to feed both her grandniece and herself....More

Editors, news directors select Jack Layton as 2011's Newsmaker of the Year

OTTAWA - John Gilbert Layton wore dozens of different name tags in his decades of public service: activist, guitarist, father and finally, leader of the official Opposition. Most knew the NDP leader by another name: Jack....More

Duncan says cuts in federal health transfers will affect every hospital

TORONTO - Ontario's Liberal government will make it clear to voters that it's the federal Conservatives who are forcing cuts to health services, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Tuesday....More

Canadian researchers to begin human testing of experimental HIV vaccine

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have been given the green light for human testing of an experimental HIV vaccine, but the initial trial will determine only its safety, not whether the vaccine works to prevent infection with the virus. The U.S....More

Breast cancer gene mutations may also lead to heart problems: studies

TORONTO - Two gene mutations known to put women who carry them at significantly higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers may also predispose those same women to heart disease, a pair of new studies suggest....More

B.C. doctor complains of lack of supplies following death of Vernon senior

VERNON, B.C. - An 88-year-old Vernon, B.C., man is dead and an investigation is underway after his doctor complained of insufficient surgical supplies....More

Amid concern over lab-bred bird flu, US says full details of research shouldn't be published

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government paid scientists to figure out how the deadly bird flu virus might mutate to become a bigger threat to people, and two labs succeeded in creating new strains that spread easier....More

Alberta's premier says full anti-smoking strategy aimed at youth in the works

CALGARY - Alberta's premier says a full-scale strategy aimed at protecting children and youth from the effects of smoking is in the works....More

Alberta likely to benefit from new health transfer plan; Redford

CALGARY - Alberta's premier says she likes Ottawa's plan for health-care funding and she suggests the province is likely to end up ahead financially....More

At malls and Christmas gatherings, sensitive Santas catering to needs of children with autism

HARTFORD, Conn. - Visiting the mall to share Christmas wishes with Santa has never been part of Ben Borre's childhood, a sad but necessary concession to the autism that would make the noise, lights and crowds an unbearable torment for the 10-year-old....More

Closing five public health clinics could spread sexual infections: B.C. nurses

VANCOUVER - Nurses in the B.C. Interior are warning the impending closure of five public health clinics will hurt the poor. The five clinics test and treat sexually transmitted infections and are set to close at the end of the month....More

Thousands ante up online for diet betting between the turkey and the bubbly

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Neil Ylanan eats for a living and travels constantly as a food expert for a company that supplies in-flight meals to airlines....More

Osteoporosis drugs linked to increase in rare thigh fractures: Health Canada

TORONTO - Health Canada is alerting Canadians that a class of drugs used for osteoporosis is linked to a slightly higher risk of a rare but serious thigh bone fracture known as an atypical femur fracture....More

Keep an eye out for new flu viruses, World Health Organization warns countries

The World Health Organization is urging countries to be on the lookout for new flu viruses. The WHO is stressing the importance of monitoring for new variants of flu and reporting any findings to the Geneva-based UN health agency....More

Injuries, deaths due to swallowed button batteries on the rise: Health Canada

TORONTO - Health Canada says reports of injuries and deaths resulting from people swallowing button batteries are on the rise....More

How to tell men with low-risk prostate cancer that delaying treatment is an option

WASHINGTON - John Shoemaker visited six doctors in his quest to find the best treatment for his early stage prostate cancer — and only the last one offered what made the most sense to the California man: Keep a close watch on the tumour and treat only if it starts to grow....More

Concussion dominant issue for NHL this year, likely to take centre ice for 2012 too

TORONTO - Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Chris Pronger — the names of NHL players sidelined by concussion have been piling up like combatants in a bench-clearing brawl....More

Medical journal editor calls for end to fighting, head shots in NHL

TORONTO - Fighting and intentional head shots in hockey should be banned because of the risk to players of serious brain injury, says a doctor at the helm of the Canadian Medical Association Journal....More

Major US science group says chimpanzees should rarely be used for medical research anymore

WASHINGTON - Chimpanzees should hardly ever be used for medical research, a prestigious scientific group told the U.S. government Thursday — advice that means days in the laboratory may be numbered for humans' closest relatives....More

Doctors prepare to discharge baby born weighing 9.5 ounces; 2nd smallest in the US

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - At birth, Melinda Star Guido was so tiny she could fit into the palm of her doctor's hand. Weighing just 9 1/2 ounces, she is among the smallest babies ever born in the world....More

Viruses from bird flu cases traced to 'wet' markets; study urges clean up

A new study draws a strong link between the live animal markets of China and human cases of H5N1 avian influenza, often known as bird flu....More

Supply of doctors at an all time high and a glut may be on the horizon

TORONTO - The doctor shortage of a few years ago is being resolved and Canada could be heading towards a glut of physicians, data in a new report on the supply of doctors suggest....More

Montreal public health director recommends safe injection sites for drug addicts

MONTREAL - Montreal's public-health director is recommending the creation of three supervised injection sites for drug addicts to be operated by the health-care system and certain community groups. Dr....More

Health Canada reminds shoppers of possibility of lead, cadmium in kids' jewelry

OTTAWA - Health Canada is serving up a reminder to shoppers who see children's jewelry on a wish list this holiday season....More

Agency proposes new rules for cats on planes to protect allergic passengers

OTTAWA - Fluffy the family cat may miss the next vacation if it involves flying Air Canada or WestJet. The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled the two airlines must protect passengers who are allergic to cats....More

Closing five public health clinics could spread sexual infections: B.C. nurses

VANCOUVER - Nurses in the B.C. Interior are warning the impending closure of five public health clinics will hurt the poor. The five clinics test and treat sexually transmitted infections and are set to close at the end of the month....More

US to adopt strict new limits on using chimpanzees in medical research, saying most unneeded

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government said Thursday it would adopt strict new limits on using chimpanzees in medical research, after a prestigious scientific group recommended that experiments with humans' closest relative be done only as a last resort....More

Physical activity declines as teens enter post-secondary education: McMaster study

HAMILTON - After young people leave home to hit the books at university or college, they don't appear to be hitting the gym — or getting other forms of exercise — as often....More

Parents get belly tattoos to support son on insulin pump for Type 1 diabetes

Some parents get tattoos of their child's name, but Philippe Aumond and Camille Boivin went one better....More

Newfoundland health agency recommends changes after flawed radiology reports

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Health officials in central Newfoundland say a review of more than 2,800 radiology reports has found that 15 were based on incorrect images....More

MP tables proposal to post warnings, ban use of tanning beds by under-18s

OTTAWA - A Conservative MP wants to ban the use of tanning beds by anyone under the age of 18....More

Major US science group says chimpanzees should rarely be used for medical research anymore

WASHINGTON - Chimpanzees should hardly ever be used for medical research, a prestigious scientific group told the U.S. government Thursday — advice that means days in the laboratory may be numbered for humans' closest relatives....More

Doctors prepare to discharge baby born weighing 9.5 ounces; 2nd smallest in the US

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - At birth, Melinda Star Guido was so tiny she could fit into the palm of her doctor's hand. Weighing just 9 1/2 ounces, she is among the smallest babies ever born in the world....More

Supply of doctors at an all time high and a glut may be on the horizon

TORONTO - The doctor shortage of a few years ago is being resolved and Canada could be heading towards a glut of physicians, data in a new report on the supply of doctors suggest....More

As nation watches on TV and Web, Chilean doctors try to separate conjoined twins

SANTIAGO, Chile - Jessica Navarrete and her husband hugged in the doorway of the surgery ward Tuesday morning and kissed their twin babies Maria Paz and Maria Jose....More

Nova Scotia government won't fund insulin pumps for young diabetics

HALIFAX - Young diabetics will not be getting financial support from the province for insulin pumps, Nova Scotia's deputy minister of health told a legislature committee Wednesday....More

Holiday festivities can cause sensory overload for people with dementia

TORONTO - The holidays are a time when families get together to celebrate cherished traditions — among them gathering around the Christmas tree and sharing a turkey dinner or lighting the menorah and exchanging gifts for Hanukkah....More

Got a light? Netherlands backtracks on anti-smoking policies

AMSTERDAM - It's getting surprisingly easy to light up in the Netherlands these days — cigarettes, that is....More

Doctors separate conjoined twins after 18-hour operation

SANTIAGO, Chile - A hospital official says doctors have separated conjoined twin girls after a marathon 18-hour surgery that Chileans followed on television and the Internet....More

Dealing with dementia: Tips for the holiday season

The holiday season can be particularly stressful for caregivers and people living with dementia. Here are some tips from the Alzheimer's Society to help make the holiday period more enjoyable for everyone involved....More

1 in 4 US women say they suffered harsh violence at hands of intimate partners

ATLANTA - It's a startling number: one in four women surveyed by the U.S. government say they were violently attacked by their husbands or boyfriends....More

Doctors prepare to discharge baby born weighing 9.5 ounces; 2nd smallest in the US

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - At birth, Melinda Star Guido was so tiny she could fit into the palm of her doctor's hand. Weighing just 9 1/2 ounces, she is among the smallest babies ever born in the world....More

Health ministry, medical association approve anesthesia deal for high-risk moms

VANCOUVER - The province and the BC Medical Association have reached a deal to improve care for B.C.'s highest risk maternity patients. The $2....More

Flaherty reneging on promise to maintain funding hikes for health care: Ontario

TORONTO - Ontario is accusing the federal Conservatives of reneging on their election promise to maintain annual increases in health-care funding to the provinces — the first war of words in what's expected to be a contentious debate over a new health accord....More

Fit and festive: Exercise tips to help keep holiday stress at bay

TORONTO - From gift shopping to party planning and visiting loved ones, the seemingly endless demands on time and the pocketbook can take their toll during the holidays....More

Dispute with B.C. anesthesiologists comes to a head as docs threaten withdrawal

VANCOUVER - The British Columbia government and the province's anesthesiologists took competing shots at each other Tuesday in a bitter labour dispute, with each side accusing the other of getting in the way of contract negotiations and preventing more of the specialists from...More

B.C. anesthesiologists say they'll withdraw services in contract dispute

VANCOUVER - B.C.'s anesthesiologists will start withdrawing services April 1, 2012, in a festering dispute with both the provincial government and the B.C. Medical Association. The doctors want a spot at the negotiating table with the B.C....More

Avoid the Christmas coronary, says University of Ottawa Heart Institute

TORONTO - The holiday to-do list might include decorating, shopping for gifts and preparing a feast, but doctors say it's important to take care of your heart too. Some U.S....More

As nation watches on TV and Web, Chilean doctors try to separate conjoined twins

SANTIAGO, Chile - Jessica Navarrete and her husband hugged in the doorway of the surgery ward Tuesday morning and kissed their twin babies Maria Paz and Maria Jose....More

Doctors separate conjoined twins after 18-hour operation

SANTIAGO, Chile - A hospital official says doctors have separated conjoined twin girls after a marathon 18-hour surgery that Chileans followed on television and the Internet....More

New web resource helps kidney patients with complex burden of diet planning

TORONTO - The first Christmas after Marie-Eve Chainey's kidneys failed was not a joyous event. To be sure, there were things for which to be grateful....More

NDP says hospitals charge $1,300 a day for patients despite promise to stop fees

TORONTO - Ontario hospitals are "blackmailing" families with threats of $1,300 daily charges if elderly relatives aren't moved out of the institutions and into long-term care, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday....More

MMR vaccine reactions fairly common at 12 months, but serious reactions rare

TORONTO - Reactions to the first shot of combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are fairly common among young children, but serious reactions are actually rare, a new study looking at data from Ontario suggests....More

Duncan to meet with Attawapiskat chief in attempt to clear the air

OTTAWA - Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan says he's setting up a meeting with the chief of the troubled Attawapiskat First Nation in an attempt to resolve the impasse that has raised tempers on the remote reserve....More

Born smaller than soda cans, tiniest babies are growing up healthy

CHICAGO - One is a healthy first-grader, the other an honours college student majoring in psychology. Once the tiniest babies ever born, both girls are thriving, despite long odds when they entered the world weighing less than a pound....More

Alberta investigates scalding death of person in care in Calgary

EDMONTON - The Alberta government says it is investigating what led to a person in provincial care dying after being scalded in bath water....More

'Sicker' Canadians most in need of health care, but cost a barrier for many: report

TORONTO - Canadians with chronic conditions are frequent users of the health-care system, but a new report shows many experience considerable difficulty getting the medical treatment they need....More

NY federal judge to hear arguments over whether pregnancy pill got fair government treatment

NEW YORK, N.Y. - A federal judge in Brooklyn is set to hear arguments over whether the federal government is acting constitutionally in its decisions over the access teenage girls should have to morning-after contraceptive pills....More

Attawapiskat chief counters federal housing offer linked to third-party manager

OTTAWA - The troubled native community of Attawapiskat says it has major problems with the federal government's offer of evacuation and 15 new modular homes, and is countering with its own proposals....More

Gene therapy boosted blood-clotting for hemophiliacs in small study

ATLANTA - In what's being called a landmark study, researchers used gene therapy to successfully treat six patients with severe hemophilia, a blood-clotting disorder....More

Attawapiskat chief lashes out at Ottawa for housing crisis turned political

OTTAWA - At first Attawapiskat was a symbol of the poverty and dilapidated housing that plagues remote First Nations across the country....More

Video game helps advance genetic research into Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer

MONTREAL - A team of McGill University researchers has come up with a way to make playing video games an entirely productive pursuit....More

Fontaine Sante salads recalled

OTTAWA - Several Fontaine Sante brand salads are being recalled because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The affected products have best before dates up to and including Dec 26 and lot numbers 315-339, inclusive....More

Britain's austerity budget threatens cherished National Health Service

LONDON - When David Evans needed a hernia operation, the 69-year-old farmer became so alarmed by the long wait that he used an ultrasound machine for pregnant sheep on himself, to make sure he wasn't getting worse....More

Born smaller than soda cans, tiniest babies are growing up healthy; docs say most not so lucky

CHICAGO - One is a healthy first-grader, the other an honours college student majoring in psychology. Once the tiniest babies ever born, both girls are thriving, despite long odds when they entered the world weighing less than a pound....More

'Sicker' Canadians most in need of health care, but cost a barrier for many: report

TORONTO - Canadians with chronic conditions are frequent users of the health-care system, but a new report shows many experience considerable difficulty getting the medical treatment they need....More

Global research review says abortion doesn't raise risk of mental health problems

LONDON - Abortion does not increase a woman's chance of developing mental health problems, according to a British health agency's review of dozens of studies worldwide over 20 years....More

C. difficile outbreak in Niagara Falls hospital; 3 patients have bug: officials

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - After six weeks of being outbreak free, the Niagara Health System has called a new outbreak of C. difficile in Niagara Falls, Ont. Officials say three patients with hospital-associated C....More

B.C. rock band throws down big fundraising challenge to Nickelback

VANCOUVER - A small rock group from Chilliwack, British Columbia has thrown down a big challenge to one of Canada's top bands. Pardon My Striptease, a young band from Chilliwack, B.C....More

B.C. registry to collect data on MS patients who have CCSVI 'liberation' therapy

VANCOUVER - British Columbia has launched a patient registry to better understand the impact — both positive and negative — of a controversial treatment to unblock neck veins in people with MS and to develop the best followup care for those who have had the...More

Alberta Health Services posts 2nd quarter surplus of $114 million

EDMONTON - For the second straight quarter, Alberta Health Services is showing a surplus. The government agency announced the $114 million surplus, along with a first-quarter surplus of $80 million, on Thursday....More

Ontario hospitals need standard framework for CEO compensation: report

TORONTO - A report suggests Ontario hospitals develop guidelines for compensation paid to hospital chief executive officers....More

Don't eat raw cookie dough because it could contain salmonella or E. coli: study

TORONTO - Generations of neophyte bakers have shrugged off parental warnings about how eating chunks of raw cookie dough could make them sick to their stomachs....More

Attawapiskat must pay Ottawa appointee $1,300 a day to run its finances

OTTAWA - The federal government is forcing the troubled Attawapiskat First Nation to pay a private-sector consultant about $1,300 a day to run its finances — even though the government’s own assessments say the third-party management system is not cost-effective....More

Off-label Avastin use linked to blindness in U.S., Health Canada warns

TORONTO - Health Canada is warning the public and doctors about cases of blindness in the U.S. that have been linked to off-label use of the drug Avastin....More

Nova Scotia looks deeper for savings in administrative costs in health system

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's district health authorities and the IWK Health Centre have selected six areas where they will try to cut administrative costs....More

New Democrats call for military to aid northern Ontario reserve in crisis

OTTAWA - The federal New Democrats are calling on the Harper government to send the military into a northern Ontario reserve facing a housing crisis....More

Message about reducing sodium intake still unclear for many Canadians

OTTAWA - A report for the federal government suggests Canadians are confused about salt. The report says many Canadians are in the dark about how much sodium they should consume, and how to go about effectively lowering their intake....More

Feds prepared to evacuate Attawapiskat residents until better housing arrives

OTTAWA - The government is prepared to evacuate some residents of a Northern Ontario reserve until better housing can be brought in, the aboriginal affairs minister says....More

FDA overruled: No to younger teens getting morning-after contraception without prescription

WASHINGTON - In a surprise move with election-year implications, the Obama administration's top health official overruled her own drug regulators and stopped the Plan B morning-after pill from moving onto drugstore shelves next to the condoms....More

Online concussion library a one-stop resource for information, research

TORONTO - A Canadian doctor has developed a one-stop online resource aimed at educating the public about concussion and providing a comprehensive catalogue of research about the sports-related brain injury. Sports medicine specialist Dr....More

C. difficile outbreak in Niagara Falls hospital; 3 patients have bug: officials

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - After six weeks of being outbreak free, the Niagara Health System has called a new outbreak of C. difficile in Niagara Falls, Ont. Officials say three patients with hospital-associated C....More

Help's available for the late-life downsize: paring possessions and relocating

Carol Gilbert remembers well the heartache and hassle of watching her aging parents struggle to remain in their house of 45 years; the desperate, last-minute calls for help and her dad's isolation as her mom's health declined....More

Despite grey hair, U.S. presidents tend to live longer than their peers: study

CHICAGO - White House wannabes take note: Contrary to the idea that being president speeds up aging, a study shows that many U.S. commanders in chief have actually lived longer than their peers....More

Boogaard's diseased brain should raise alarm bells about NHL enforcer role: doctor

TORONTO - The discovery that former NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard's brain shows signs of a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma is further evidence that a major cultural shift in the game is needed to protect players' health, a brain injury expert says....More

B.C. care home group makes recommendations to improve seniors' care

VANCOUVER - A group representing seniors' care homes in B.C. is recommending several measures to improve care, including cutting wait times and reducing elder abuse....More

B.C. anesthesiologists offer $3m to recruit staff for maternity wards

VANCOUVER - B.C. anesthesiologists are offering $3 million dollars of their own funding to help recruit extra staff to help high risk pregnant mothers and their babies. Dr. Jeff Rains, the newly-elected president of the B.C....More

Attawapiskat chief orders Ottawa's man out of her reserve: Ottawa fights back

OTTAWA - The housing crisis in Attawapiskat has now turned into a full-blown political crisis....More

Alberta pharmacist fined $15K for snooping through health files

EDMONTON - A former Edmonton pharmacist has been fined $15,000 after admitting she snooped through the health files of several people....More

Researchers say inbred bedbugs can thrive, that single female can lead to infestation

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Bedbugs aren't just sleeping with you. They're sleeping with each other. Researchers now say that the creepy bugs have a special genetic gift: withstanding incest....More

Liver drug may cause serious adverse events in some patients, study has found

OTTAWA - A drug used to treat some types of liver disease has been found to cause serious side-effects in certain patients, manufacturers of the medication said Monday in a joint advisory with Health Canada. Ursodiol is also called ursodeoxycholic acid....More

Japan's stricken nuclear plant leaks radioactive water, some may have reached ocean

TOKYO - Japan's crippled nuclear power plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from a purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean....More

Harper, chiefs can't let education agenda eclipse housing crisis: chiefs

OTTAWA - The housing crisis in Attawapiskat is glaring proof why Stephen Harper's winter summit with First Nations leaders can't just be about education, say chiefs meeting in the capital this week....More

Extra cash for doctors may not be giving patients better access: auditor

TORONTO - Many Ontario doctors are collecting more money, but the government doesn't know whether the extra cash has actually translated into better access for patients, a provincial watchdog revealed Monday....More

Auditor says Ontario drivers pay most for car insurance; fraud a big problem

TORONTO - Ontario drivers are paying more for auto insurance than other Canadians motorists, in part because the average cost of accident injury claims is five times greater than in other provinces....More

Alberta yet to reach 6 patients in case of botched biopsies for prostate cancer

EDMONTON - Alberta's health minister rejected opposition suggestions Monday that the recent case of 29 botched Edmonton prostate cancer biopsies is the tip of the iceberg of a troubled system....More

Radiation found in Japan baby formula, company recalling product

TOKYO - Traces of radiation spilled from Japan's hobbled nuclear plant were detected in baby formula Tuesday in the latest in a string of contaminated food turning up in the nation. Major food and candy maker Meiji Co....More

Attawapiskat chief orders Ottawa's man out of her reserve: Ottawa fights back

OTTAWA - The housing crisis in Attawapiskat has now turned into a full-blown political crisis....More

Woman who wrote her own obit loses weight after bariatric surgery

SASKATOON - Lillian Coakley thought she was going to die while on a waiting list for bariatric surgery. The Fall River, N.S., woman was so sure she wouldn’t make it the estimated 10 years that she wrote her obituary....More

Snakes and antlers: Health Canada bans Asian herbal sex aids, no penalties

OTTAWA - Health Canada has ordered shops to stop selling some Asian sex aids, but authorities appear to have stopped short of imposing penalties on sellers....More

Nova Scotia to replace aging hospital with new collaborative emergency facility

PUGWASH, N.S. - The Nova Scotia government says North Cumberland Memorial Hospital in Pugwash is going to be replaced. The government has announced that a new health-care facility will house one of its new collaborative emergency centre teams....More

Manitoba government still working to fulfil year-old health care promises

WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is still working to fulfil a couple of health-care promises it made more than a year ago. In November of last year, the province announced it would set up five quick-care clinics sometime in 2011....More

B.C. women among the healthiest in Canada, but some diseases rising: doctor

VICTORIA - Women in B.C. are among the healthiest in Canada, according to a new report by provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall, who says some problems still persist....More

Amid political clamour over conditions, Attawapiskat say they're being silenced

OTTAWA - Amid the political clamour over a housing shortage on a northern Ontario reserve, the chief of Attawapiskat says her community's voice has been silenced. Chief Theresa Spence is questioning the way the federal government has handled the situation....More

Newfoundland health officials urge HIV testing after finding 12 new cases

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are urging people to get tested for HIV following a number of new cases in the province....More

Teen sexting of photos may be less common than thought, depending on definition: study

CHICAGO - Teen sexting of nude photos online or via cellphone may be far less common than people think, new research suggests....More

Canadian Movember moustaches raise $36.6M for Prostate Cancer Canada

TORONTO - What's a moustache worth? Movember, the global charity that encourages growing a moustache to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer, says 246,060 Canadians participated in this year's campaign....More

Calgary teen dies, eight others fall ill, from adverse reaction to ecstasy

CALGARY - Police suspect an ecstasy pill overdose contributed to the death of teenager following a weekend party in Calgary. The 16-year-old boy and eight other teens were taken to hospital Saturday afternoon after suffering an adverse reaction to the drug....More

Big Saskatchewan health region to outsource thousands of elective surgeries

SASKATOON - The board of the Saskatoon Health Region has voted to have thousands of elective surgeries performed at a new private clinic in the city. The board says that by 2014, more than 7,000 surgeries will be done at Surgery Centres Inc....More

Arsenic fears aside, apple juice can pose health threat - from calories: nutritionists

It's true — apple juice can pose a risk to your health. But not necessarily from the trace amounts of arsenic that people are arguing about. Despite the U.S....More

Amid political clamour over conditions, Attawapiskat say they're being silenced

OTTAWA - Amid the political clamour over a housing shortage on a northern Ontario reserve, the chief of Attawapiskat says her community's voice has been silenced. Chief Theresa Spence is questioning the way the federal government has handled the situation....More

Alberta health minister says some doctors turning the intimidation tables

EDMONTON - Alberta's health minister says he is outraged by the conduct of some physicians he says are exploiting the sensitive issue of doctors being intimidated by doing some intimidating of their own....More

A Facebook comment, a dead girl, and an anti-bullying bill

MONTREAL - A flip comment made on Facebook several weeks ago cut chillingly to the heart of a debate on bullying raging Wednesday in Canada....More

Amid political clamour over conditions, Attawapiskat say they're being silenced

OTTAWA - Amid the political clamour over a housing shortage on a northern Ontario reserve, the chief of Attawapiskat says her community's voice has been silenced. Chief Theresa Spence is questioning the way the federal government has handled the situation....More

Pediatricians say all Canadian babies need a booster at 18 months

OTTAWA - The Canadian Paediatric Society is calling on all provinces and territories to implement a publicly-funded enhanced well-baby visit for all Canadian babies....More

New Brunswick Liberals say Tories need to detail cuts planned for health care

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's Liberal health critic says the provincial government needs to unveil future cuts planned for the health-care system....More

Movember raises more than $281,000 for prostate health in New Brunswick

FREDERICTON - More than $281,000 has been raised in New Brunswick by the Movember event in support of prostate health and awareness....More

Human remains found in landfill as RCMP search for missing baby in Alberta

LLOYDMINSTER, Alta. - Alberta Mounties have found human remains in a landfill after a five-day search for a newborn baby. RCMP Sgt....More

Physicians' financial ties may lead to needless MRI scans for lower back pain: study

CHICAGO - There may be good reason to ask about financial ties if your doctor orders an expensive imaging test for your aching back: Patients whose physicians own the equipment are more likely to get scans they might not need than those whose doctors have no financial interest, a...More

Indian drugmaker gets US approval to sell generic Lipitor, after delay over quality problems

TRENTON, N.J. - India's largest maker of generic drugs won approval late Wednesday to sell a generic version of cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor. The world's top-selling drug ever lost U.S. patent protection earlier in the day. The U.S....More

Canadian Movember moustaches raise $36.6M for Prostate Cancer Canada

TORONTO - What's a moustache worth? Movember, the global charity that encourages growing a moustache to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer, says 246,060 Canadians participated in this year's campaign....More

A Facebook comment, a dead girl, and an anti-bullying bill

MONTREAL - A flip comment made on Facebook several weeks ago cut chillingly to the heart of a debate on bullying raging Wednesday in Canada....More

Native leaders call for health care inquiry after baby girl dies of pneumonia

WINNIPEG - Paul Ross and Erna Hastings were young, new parents but they knew something was wrong with their little Drianna. The two-month-old girl was having trouble breathing. She cried every time her little body was wracked with coughs....More

Native leaders call for health care inquiry after baby dies of pneumonia

WINNIPEG - Native leaders are calling on Ottawa to hold a public inquiry into health care in northern aboriginal communities following the death of a two-month-old girl....More

Just 1 in 4 Americans with HIV have infection under control with medication: CDC

ATLANTA - Only about one in four Americans with the AIDS virus have the infection under control with medications, federal health officials said Tuesday. Part of the reason is that about 20 per cent of those infected with HIV don't know it....More

Heads up: Excessive heading in soccer may lead to concussion-like injury: study

TORONTO - Soccer players who have a high rate of heading the ball during games and practices can have brain abnormalities and cognitive problems similar to those experienced by patients with concussions, researchers suggest....More

Fewer teens smoking but binge drinking, driving while high, a concern:survey

TORONTO - Students in Ontario are smoking fewer cigarettes, but binge drinking and driving while high are growing health concerns, according to a new report by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health....More

Aboriginal communities in northern Canada no strangers to health crises

If the news of squalid housing conditions in the northwestern Ontario First Nations community of Attawapaskat sounds familiar, it should....More

Physicians' financial ties may lead to needless MRI scans for lower back pain: study

CHICAGO - There may be good reason to ask about financial ties if your doctor orders an expensive imaging test for your aching back: Patients whose physicians own the equipment are more likely to get scans they might not need than those whose doctors have no financial interest, a...More

Pediatricians say all Canadian babies need a booster at 18 months

OTTAWA - The Canadian Paediatric Society is calling on all provinces and territories to implement a publicly-funded enhanced well-baby visit for all Canadian babies....More

From mumps to polio: School vaccines target range of diseases, some serious

ATLANTA - Most people don't think about polio and diphtheria these days because those diseases have been stamped out in the United States, largely because of vaccines....More

Former male nurse pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 4 female patients

ST. ALBERT, Alta. - A former male nurse at a hospital north of Edmonton has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four patients....More

Fears of disease outbreak? Half of states see rise in kids skipping school shots

ATLANTA - More parents are opting out of school shots for their kids. In eight states now, more than one in 20 public school kindergartners aren't getting all the vaccines required for attendance, an Associated Press analysis found....More

Campbell family donates $30M to mental health research at Toronto centre

TORONTO - A "monumental" $30-million gift to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will attract leading scientists from around the world to a new research institute in Toronto, the centre announced Monday....More

As more Americans donate a kidney, a push to better track how donors fare long-term

WASHINGTON - More and more Americans are donating one of their kidneys to a loved one, a friend, even a stranger, and now a move is on to make sure those donors really fare as well as they're promised....More

A month after Attawapiskat cries out for help, outsiders flood in

OTTAWA - A month after the First Nation community of Attawapiskat issued a cry for emergency help, outsiders are now flooding into the small James Bay reserve....More

Study says many Canadians don't have enough time to spend on heart health

TORONTO - The Heart and Stroke Foundation says Canadians are so focused on the here and now that they are losing out on living a full and healthy life....More

Heads up: Excessive heading in soccer may lead to concussion-like injury: study

TORONTO - Soccer players who have a high rate of heading the ball during games and practices can have brain abnormalities and cognitive problems similar to those experienced by patients with concussions, researchers suggest....More

Advocates call for higher taxes to pay for health ahead of ministers' meeting

HALIFAX - Ottawa should expand health care programs by increasing taxes, medicare advocates said Thursday ahead of discussions in Halifax between federal, provincial and territorial health ministers on the next health care accord....More

A quiet milestone: Canada's once-mighty asbestos industry suspends work for first time in 130 years

MONTREAL - Canada's once-mighty asbestos sector has ground to a halt for the first time in 130 years, as production of the controversial fibre has stalled in both of the country's mines....More

Ottawa calls for research proposals for safety study of experimental MS therapy

HALIFAX - The federal government is ready to accept research proposals for an early-phase patient trial of an experimental procedure that's been touted as a potential therapy for people with multiple sclerosis....More

Health accord talks to continue at premiers' meeting next year, ministers say

HALIFAX - Provincial and territorial health ministers said they laid the groundwork for further talks on a new health accord, but offered no details on what that might look like when the current deal expires in 2014....More

Canada's health ministers meet to discuss long-term funding for health care

HALIFAX - Provincial and territorial health ministers will meet in Halifax today with federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq to discuss how to reform and pay for health care after the current accord expires in 2014....More

As barbs fly over breast screening divide, women left to decide what's best for them

TORONTO - The release this week of revamped Canadian breast cancer screening guidelines has set off a war of words between those who support the recommendations and those who predict that following them will lead to more women dying of the disease....More

WHO trying to hit the sweet spot in responding to puzzling new flu virus

The spread of an odd new flu virus that has been jumping from pigs to people in parts of the United States has the World Health Organization gearing up its response planning, a senior official of the agency says....More

Campbell family donates $30M to mental health research at Toronto centre

TORONTO - A "monumental" $30-million gift to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will attract leading scientists from around the world to a new research institute in Toronto, the centre announced Monday....More

Rare fungal infection caused by bat droppings surfaces in Alberta

RED DEER, - A rare fungal disease for Canada, contracted by inhaling spores from bird or bat droppings, was confirmed in Central Alberta this summer....More

Radioactive cobalt used to attack tumours: 60th anniversary marked in Saskatoon

SASKATOON - Sylvia Fedoruk considers herself a lucky person to have participated in one of Saskatchewan’s historic triumphs in the treatment of cancer....More

NDP, Tories accuse deputy premier Duncan of playing games with kids' health

TORONTO - The Liberal government was "callous and uncaring" in its response to a question about lengthy delays in surgeries for children at a Hamilton hospital, the opposition parties said Thursday....More

England study: Women with low-risk pregnancies can give birth outside hospitals

LONDON - A new study in England shows little difference in complications among the babies of women with low-risk pregnancies who delivered in hospitals versus those who gave birth with midwives at home or in birthing centres....More

As barbs fly over breast screening divide, women left to decide what's best for them

TORONTO - The release this week of revamped Canadian breast cancer screening guidelines has set off a war of words between those who support the recommendations and those who predict that following them will lead to more women dying of the disease....More

Advocates call for higher taxes to pay for health ahead of ministers' meeting

HALIFAX - Ottawa should expand health care programs by increasing taxes, medicare advocates said Thursday ahead of discussions in Halifax between federal, provincial and territorial health ministers on the next health care accord....More

A quiet milestone: Canada's once-mighty asbestos industry suspends work for first time in 130 years

MONTREAL - Canada's once-mighty asbestos sector has ground to a halt for the first time in 130 years, as production of the controversial fibre has stalled in both of the country's mines....More

Canada's health ministers meet to discuss long-term funding for health care

HALIFAX - Provincial and territorial health ministers will meet in Halifax today with federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq to discuss how to reform and pay for health care after the current accord expires in 2014....More

Got ink? Nova Scotia tattoo artists would be regulated under new legislation

HALIFAX - Tattoo artists in Nova Scotia would be required to have a permit and meet standards for cleanliness and infection control under legislation introduced Wednesday....More

Debate rages over new bird flu research; some argue it's not safe to publish

TORONTO - New bird flu research that shows that the dangerous virus can mutate to become easily transmissible among ferrets _ and perhaps humans _ has embroiled the scientific community in a difficult debate....More

Canada's health-spending has 'mixed results' compared to other countries: CIHI

TORONTO - Two new reports say Canada's spending on health care produces mixed results when the system's outcomes are compared to those of other countries....More

Auditor general slams Health Canada for failing to monitor drug safety

OTTAWA - The public is waiting far too long to be warned about significant risks in the drugs they take, the federal auditor general said Tuesday....More

Antidepressants plus psychotropic meds add up to higher crash risk for seniors

TORONTO - It's known that taking certain medications and getting behind the wheel can lead to trouble, but a study of older drivers and antidepressants is adding more clarity to the subject....More

Alberta Premier says no plan to bring back Alberta Health premiums

EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Alison Redford says her government won't bring back health-care premiums. Redford says the fees that would cost about $1,000 per family a year are a non-starter....More

Woody's drinks recall expanded to include more products due to glass fragments

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has expanded a recall of certain Woody's alcoholic drinks. The initial recall was issued November 17 on Woody's Mexican Lime Alcoholic Vodka drinks, but now it includes more products....More

Rare fungal infection caused by bat droppingd surfaces in Alberta

RED DEER, - A rare fungal disease for Canada, contracted by inhaling spores from bird or bat droppings, was confirmed in Central Alberta this summer....More

Ottawa and provinces to formally begin talks for post-2014 health deal

OTTAWA - The federal government will officially begin discussions on the next health- care accord this week — talks that will define the fiscal and social-policy relationship between Ottawa and the provinces for years to come....More

New baseball labour contract limits, but doesn't ban, tobacco use

WASHINGTON - Baseball's new labour deal will limit the use of smokeless tobacco by players, but not ban it during games, as some public health groups had sought....More

More patients come forward, allege fake US doctor pumped toxic materials into their buttocks

MIAMI - Several possible victims have come forward alleging a woman posing as a Florida doctor and promising buttocks enhancement pumped their behinds with a toxic concoction of cement, superglue and flat-tire sealant, state health officials said Tuesday....More

Husband of B.C. premier's senior adviser loses government contract

VANCOUVER - The head of the Vancouver Island Health Authority says hiring the husband of a key adviser to Premier Christy Clark without advertising the job was "an honest mistake....More

Highlights of the federal auditor general's fall report to Parliament

OTTAWA - Highlights of the auditor general's fall report to Parliament, delivered Tuesday: — Health Canada is slow to assess potential safety issues when pharmaceutical companies submit new drugs for approval....More

Get kids into school at age 2; study says children and the economy would benefit

TORONTO - An early childhood education study is recommending publicly funded preschool education for all Canadian kids beginning at age two. The report — authored by Margaret McCain, Dr....More

Court orders Ottawa to reconsider health review of popular herbicide Roundup

A court has ordered Health Canada to reconsider its decision not to review the effects of a popular herbicide, a ruling that some say will strengthen the public's hand in forcing the government to answer environmental concerns....More

Auditor general slams Health Canada for failing to monitor drug safety

OTTAWA - The public is waiting far too long to be warned about significant risks in the drugs they take, the federal auditor general said Tuesday....More

Ottawa and provinces to formally begin talks for post-2014 health deal

OTTAWA - The federal government will officially begin discussions on the next health- care accord this week — talks that will define the fiscal and social-policy relationship between Ottawa and the provinces for years to come....More