Ontario hospitals warned to quit gouging patients they want to force into homes

BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Ontario hospitals should not add to the stress of elderly patients by threatening them with fees of hundreds of dollars a day to try to force them into a nursing home, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Friday....More

McGuinty tells hospitals to end fees that try to force patients into nursing homes

BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Premier Dalton McGuinty is telling Ontario hospitals to stop charging patients hundreds of dollars a day to try to force them to move to a nursing home....More

Health agency finds 24 Lyme disease tests at lab gave incorrect negative results

OTTAWA - The Public Health Agency of Canada says a review of its Lyme disease testing methods has turned up 24 patients in five provinces who received false-negative test results....More

Father of terminally ill baby Joseph Maraachli meets with Toronto lawyer

TORONTO - A southwestern Ontario man who's been fighting for months to bring his terminally ill baby home to die met with his Toronto lawyer on Friday....More

Family lawyer, London hospital to negotiate fate of baby Joseph Maraachli

LONDON, Ont. - A southwestern Ontario couple fighting to bring their terminally ill baby home to die could have a resolution in their case as early as Monday....More

Environment Canada issues extreme windchill warning for parts of Prairies

EDMONTON - Baby, it's cold outside. Environment Canada has issued extreme wind chill warnings for much of the Prairies....More

Alberta Wildrose delivers alternative budget, would nip blooming capital costs

EDMONTON - Alberta's Wildrose Alliance revealed a plan Friday it says will keep capital spending going while balancing the province's books....More

Fever in children not an illness, say doctors; urge parents to stop fretting and overtreating

CHICAGO - Fever phobia is rampant among parents of young children, according to a myth-busting American Academy of Pediatrics report that advises against treatment every time a kid's temperature inches up. "There's a lot of parental anxiety about fever....More

Teens need special drug prevention approach, not scare tactics: U.S scientist

TORONTO - Nathaniel Koutsostavros had a rough adolescence. An absent father and a bipolar grandmother created a tough life at home, while weight issues and depression made high school painful....More

McGuinty accuses Tories of hiding use of Agent Orange as probe widens

TORONTO - Premier Dalton McGuinty is pointing the finger at previous Conservative governments for failing to warn workers for decades about the dangers of being exposed to Agent Orange....More

Family lawyer, London hospital to negotiate fate of baby Joseph Maraachli

LONDON, Ont. - A southwestern Ontario couple fighting to bring their terminally ill baby home to die could have a resolution in their case as early as Monday....More

Bothersome hot flashes may have benefits, depending on when they begin: study

CHICAGO - Hot flashes that bedevil many women in menopause might actually be a good thing, depending on when they strike, according to new data from a long-running government study....More

Alberta brings down budget: more red ink, big-ticket capital spending expected

EDMONTON - It's budget day in Alberta, and more red ink is expected to pay for roads, schools and hospitals....More

$76.5M to build advanced education in Saskatchewan

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government is providing nearly $76.5 million to expand and repair post-secondary education facilities....More

Where's the beef? UK says to cut red meat to 3 strips of bacon a day

LONDON - Bringing home the bacon might not be such a great idea, according to stricter new dietary advice from the British government issued Friday....More

Family lawyer, London hospital to negotiate fate of baby Joseph Maraachli

LONDON, Ont. - A southwestern Ontario couple fighting to bring their terminally ill baby home to die could have a resolution in their case as early as Monday....More

Michigan won't take dying Windsor baby; may go to appeal court, lawyer says

LONDON, Ont. - The parents of a dying 13-month-old boy from Windsor, Ont., are said to be devastated after suffering yet another setback....More

Mich. hospital won't take dying Windsor baby; may go to appeal court, lawyer says

LONDON, Ont. - The parents of a dying 13-month-old boy from Windsor, Ont., have suffered yet another setback. Joseph Maraachli's family received word late Wednesday afternoon that a request to transfer Joseph from a London, Ont....More

Doctors accused of sex assault get bail; allegedly spiked woman's drink

TORONTO - Two Toronto-area doctors accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman have been released on bail....More

CFL star Bobby Kuntz's brain donated for study of concussions, dementia

KITCHENER, Ont. - The legacy of CFL star Bobby Kuntz will live on and hopefully help the lives of future athletes....More

Alberta budget to keep province rolling through rocky times

EDMONTON - Alberta is expected to deliver a budget that reaffirms unrivalled spending on roads, hospitals and schools despite a bottom line stuck in red ink....More

21,000 whooping cough cases last year, among highest levels since 1950s: CDC

ATLANTA - More than 21,000 Americans got whooping cough last year, many of them children and teens. That's the highest number since 2005 and among the worst years in more than half a century, U.S. health officials said Wednesday....More

2,500 CT scans to be checked in 3rd B.C. case of questionable credentials

VICTORIA - Thousands of patients whose CT scans conducted at a hospital in Comox, B.C. have been declared questionable can expect results of a triple-review in the mail by the end of the month....More

Alberta brings down budget: more red ink, big-ticket capital spending expected

EDMONTON - It's budget day in Alberta, and more red ink is expected to pay for roads, schools and hospitals....More

Nitroglycerin ointment improves bone density, decreases bone loss: study

TORONTO - Nitroglycerin is often prescribed for patients with a heart condition, but it's being looked at closely now as a possible treatment for osteoporosis....More

New mothers can find breast-feeding a challenge; key to success is finding help

ATHENS, Ohio - After a week of pain, sleepless nights and dread at the thought of the next feeding, new mother Paula Linscott was on the brink of giving up her attempts to nurse....More

Mobile lab takes to Ontario streets to study addictions and mental health

TORONTO - Help is on the way for people in rural Ontario who have to endure long wait times for psychiatric care. Canada's largest mental health and addiction hospital is launching a mobile research lab devoted to studying addictions and psychiatric care....More

Medical virologists plan international clearinghouse of data on dangerous viruses

A new international organization is being formed to investigate and try to eradicate viral diseases that could threaten the world's population....More

London, Ont., doctors push again to remove baby Joseph from life support

LONDON, Ont. - A London, Ont., hospital has asked Ontario's public guardian's office for consent to remove a Windsor baby from life support as the infant's family waits to learn if he can be transferred to a U.S. hospital....More

Draft retirement home rules don't provide enough oversight: critics

TORONTO - Draft regulations aimed at improving conditions in hundreds of Ontario retirement homes are actually creating a false sense of security for seniors and their families, critics warned Tuesday....More

Cellphones linked to increased brain glucose metabolism; health effects unknown

Cellphone use is associated with a change in glucose metabolism in part of the brain, but it's not known if this has health consequences, a new study says....More

CFL star Bobby Kuntz's brain donated for study of concussions, dementia

KITCHENER, Ont. - The legacy of CFL star Bobby Kuntz will live on and hopefully help the lives of future athletes....More

White bests blue by 80 goals in world's longest hockey game near Edmonton

SHERWOOD PARK, Alta. - In the end, it was a rout. White bested blue 2,090 to 2,010 in the world's longest hockey game that wrapped up Monday east of Edmonton....More

Self-injury YouTube videos may reinforce behaviour among viewers, study suggests

TORONTO - YouTube videos illustrating cutting, burning and other methods of self-injury may have an impact beyond the online world in normalizing and possibly even reinforcing the behaviour among viewers, a new Canadian study suggests....More

Of mice and men: researchers want humans to slow aging like exercising rodents

TORONTO - Exercising on a treadmill for 45 minutes, three times a week, warded off the effects of premature aging in lab mice, a Canadian study shows....More

NYC debates wisdom of planned ban on smoking at parks, beaches

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The smokers of New York huddle in phone booths, hurry down cold streets and hover at office-building doorways during breaks, puffs of smoke giving them away. They are an endangered breed....More

N.S. children's hospital pitches out deep fryers in favour of healthier foods

HALIFAX - All of the deep-fat fryers have been removed from the kitchen at the Maritimes' largest children's hospital. The IWK Health Centre in Halifax says it has replaced them all with two new cooking centres....More

More work needed to test promise of brain pacemakers against psychiatric diseases

WASHINGTON - Call them brain pacemakers, tiny implants that hold promise for fighting tough psychiatric diseases — if scientists can figure out just where in all that grey matter to put them....More

German beer-maker markets no-alcohol brew as regenerative sport drink for athletes

PORTLAND, Maine - Beer. It's not just for couch potatoes anymore. A Bavarian brewmeister is touting its no-alcohol beer as the latest sport drink for athletes, handing it out at the finish line of sporting events and touting its regenerative benefits....More

Family refuses to remove baby's breathing tube, hopes he'll go to Detroit hospital

LONDON, Ont. - A father who has been battling to stop a London, Ont., hospital from removing his terminally ill son from a ventilator stood his ground Monday and defied a court order requiring him to give consent....More

Gov't of Canada fights 'tourista': Feds spend $55k to study traveller's diarrhea

The Government of Canada plans to spend $55,000 to combat Montezuma's revenge. The Public Health Agency of Canada has published details of its intention to fight food-borne, gastrointestinal illness in eight Caribbean countries....More

Federal hearings on health-care future will tackle private funding: senators

OTTAWA - The senators in charge of a thorough review of health-care funding say they won't shy away from the touchy issue of private-sector involvement....More

Drinking alcohol might kill quarter million Britons in next 2 decades: experts

LONDON - Tens of thousands of people could drink themselves to death in the next two decades unless the British government tightens its control over the use of alcohol, experts said Monday. In the 1980s, the U.K....More

Bitter pill: B.C. pharmacists say new regulation of technicians hard to swallow

VANCOUVER - For seven busy years, Katy Lee was behind the pharmacy counter at a Vancouver Shoppers Drug Mart, carefully doling out medication and advising customers how many pills to take, how many times a day....More

Bitter pill: B.C. pharmacists say new regulation of technicians hard to swallow

VANCOUVER - For seven busy years, Katy Lee was behind the pharmacy counter at a Vancouver Shoppers Drug Mart, carefully doling out medication and advising customers how many pills to take, how many times a day....More

Winnipeg landlord turns old trailer into cooker to rid furniture of bedbugs

WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg landlord who had bedbugs in his suites has designed and built his own solution for ridding the pests, he literally bakes them to death....More

Self-injury YouTube videos may reinforce behaviour among viewers, study suggests

TORONTO - YouTube videos illustrating cutting, burning and other methods of self-injury may have an impact beyond the online world in normalizing and possibly even reinforcing the behaviour among viewers, a new Canadian study suggests....More

NYC debates wisdom of planned ban on smoking at parks, beaches

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The smokers of New York huddle in phone booths, hurry down cold streets and hover at office-building doorways during breaks, puffs of smoke giving them away. They are an endangered breed....More

N.S. hiring four more nurse practitioners to work with nursing homes

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is hiring four nurse practitioners to work in nursing homes in the Cape Breton, South Shore, South West and Cumberland health districts....More

McGuinty urges former forestry workers exposed to Agent Orange to come forward

THUNDER BAY, Ont. - Premier Dalton McGuinty is urging forestry workers who were sprayed with cancer-causing toxins — including Agent Orange — decades ago to come forward....More

Lubricating jelly products recalled over possible lack of sterilization

OTTAWA - A company that makes sterile jelly used to lubricate medical devices like catheters for insertion into body orifices has announced a voluntarily recall. Last month Bowers Medical Ltd....More

Harm reduction groups to intervene in court fight over safe-injection site

VANCOUVER - The operators of Vancouver's safe drug-injection site will have some allies in a Supreme Court of Canada case that will decide the future of the facility....More

Gratitude journals can inspire new outlook on life, though experts disagree

VANCOUVER - "If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." This quote by children's author Mary Engelbreit summarizes the past few years of Faisal Sethi's life....More

Finger laceration hazard: Ariens Sno-Tek Snow Blowers subject of recall notice

TORONTO - Regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States, together with the manufacturer, are recalling a snowblower because the product's engine is missing a safety shield....More

Crib-related injuries harm nearly 10,000 infants yearly: U.S. study

CHICAGO - Almost 10,000 infants and toddlers are hurt in crib and playpen accidents each year in the United States, according to the first nationwide analysis of emergency room treatment for these injuries....More

Behaviour and exercise therapy best for treating chronic fatigue syndrome: study

LONDON - The biggest ever study of chronic fatigue syndrome treatments has challenged the strategy championed by patient groups — taking it easy is not the best treatment, exercise and behaviour therapy are....More

Growing proportion of TB cases in Toronto homeless shelters are among immigrants

TORONTO - Almost one in five homeless people with tuberculosis in Canada's largest city died within 12 months of being diagnosed, a 10-year study has found....More

Grey Bruce health unit concerned by flu outbreaks; 9 flu-related deaths reported

OWEN SOUND, Ont. - The Grey Bruce Health Unit says it's concerned about influenza outbreaks in the region....More

Evald Collection Sauce Marinade recalled due to hazelnuts undeclared on label

TORONTO - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers with an allergy to hazelnuts to stay away from a marinade that contains hazelnut that's not declared on the label....More

Elephant tied to worker tuberculosis outbreak in Tennessee sanctuary

ATLANTA - A tuberculosis outbreak among workers at a Tennessee elephant sanctuary in 2009 is being blamed on one of the pachyderms, even though some of the employees didn't have close contact with the animal....More

Digital thermometer can ensure food safely cooked to prevent food-borne illness

OTTAWA - Digital food thermometers are the most accurate way to check that your meat, poultry and seafood have reached a safe internal temperature before serving, Health Canada says....More

Crisis declared at crowded Windsor-Essex hospitals to free up space

WINDSOR, Ont. - Officials say hospitals in the Windsor-Essex region of southwestern Ontario are so crowded a crisis has been declared so they can free up space. A crisis has been declared by the Erie-St....More

About a half-million baby bassinets being recalled because they could collapse

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of thousands of baby bassinets made by Burlington Basket Co. were recalled in the United States and Canada on Wednesday amid concerns that they could collapse if not assembled properly....More

Crib-related injuries harm nearly 10,000 infants yearly: U.S. study

CHICAGO - Almost 10,000 infants and toddlers are hurt in crib and playpen accidents each year in the United States, according to the first nationwide analysis of emergency room treatment for these injuries....More

UK court mulls mother's request to sterilize mentally disabled daughter to prevent pregnancies

LONDON - A British judge ruled Tuesday that more evidence is needed before deciding whether to grant a mother's wish to have her mentally disabled daughter sterilized — a case that is troubling medical ethicists....More

Senate to launch major review of health-care funding arrangements

OTTAWA - The Senate is launching a major review of how well health-care funding works in Canada, which could open the door to big changes for the next federal funding deal....More

New sedentary behaviour guidelines aim to get idle children moving

TORONTO - New sedentary behaviour guidelines take aim at the couch potato culture of many Canadian youngsters by suggesting limits for sitting idle and spending time glued to TV, computer and game screens....More

Mental health worker dead; suspect described as having limited mental capacity

CAMROSE, Alta. - Police say a woman who was a caregiver for Canadian Mental Health Association was found dead in a home southeast of Edmonton. Valerie Diane Wolski, who was 41, was found dead in a home in Camrose on Sunday....More

Drug may slow growth of early prostate cancer; could make 'watchful waiting' appealing

A new study suggests a way to help men with early, low-risk prostate cancer avoid being overtreated for a disease that in most cases will never threaten their lives....More

Doctors turn to YouTube to protest condition of Quebec hospital emergency room

MONTREAL - Doctors at a Montreal-area hospital have turned to YouTube to highlight another kind of emergency in their ER....More

Canadian project announced to map genetic structure of prostate cancer

TORONTO - Learning more about prostate cancer is the goal of a new research project announced Tuesday that aims to map the genetic structure of the disease....More

Montreal doctor suspended, fined after filming naked patients with hidden camera

MONTREAL - A Montreal doctor has been suspended and fined for filming female patients with a hidden camera while they were naked. Quebec's College of Physicians says it has suspended Dr. Barry Rabinovitch for four months and fined him $3,000....More

New heart pump being tested in Canada, considered bridge to transplant

MONTREAL - Lauza Legere's heart is beating strong this Valentine's Day but not because she's been poked with Cupid's arrow....More

New Health Canada rules expand food labels to specify allergens, gluten

OTTAWA - New labelling rules will give consumers more detailed information about the presence of allergens, gluten and sulphites in food and drink, Health Canada said Monday....More

High-fibre diet may lower risk of death from many diseases, large study finds

CHICAGO - Eat more fibre and you just may live longer. That's the message from the largest study of its kind to find a link between high-fibre diets and lower risks of death not only from heart disease, but from infectious and respiratory illnesses as well....More

Doctors applaud Ontario for considering footing bill for smoking cessation drugs

TORONTO - Ontario's doctors are welcoming word the province is considering covering the costs of some drugs that help smokers kick the habit....More

Discredited study on vaccine-autism link caused suffering: reporter

TORONTO - The British journalist who spent seven years investigating a study that triggered fears about autism being linked to the MMR vaccine says parents of children with autism have suffered because of the widely discredited research....More

Association aims to give patients voice in how health care delivered

TORONTO - The Patients’ Association of Canada, which officially launches this week, has been established to provide a national voice for patients in public discussions about the country's health-care system and how it can be improved....More

Artificial retina helps some blind people discern objects, large print

LONDON - For two decades, Eric Selby had been completely blind and dependent on a guide dog to get around. But after having an artificial retina put into his right eye, he can detect ordinary things like the curb and pavement when he's walking outside....More

New sedentary behaviour guidelines aim to get idle children moving

TORONTO - New sedentary behaviour guidelines take aim at the couch potato culture of many Canadian youngsters by suggesting limits for sitting idle and spending time glued to TV, computer and game screens....More

Kids with sickle cell, other anemias at risk of 'silent' strokes: study

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Doctors may be missing "silent strokes" in a small but significant number of children with severe anemia, who may be unfairly labelled as slow learners when in fact they have a medical problem, troubling new research suggests....More

Home physical therapy, high-tech rehab equally good in helping stroke patients walk

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The largest study ever on stroke rehabilitation found that doing physical therapy at home improved walking just as well as a high-tech treadmill program....More

Family of Winnipeg man who died waiting in emergency room refused documents

WINNIPEG - The family of a homeless, double-amputee who died in a Winnipeg emergency room is upset about being refused access to documents relating to his day-and-a-half wait for care that never came....More

B.C. launches probe into health scans involving two doctors and 3,400 patients

VANCOUVER - More than 3,400 patients in British Columbia who thought they were being properly diagnosed are now being informed their radiologists were unqualified to do the job....More

Alberta eyes more cataract surgeries to reduce wait lists

CALGARY - Alberta's health minister says 3,200 more surgeries to remove cataracts will be done between now and the end of March. Gene Zwozdesky (zwahz-DESK'-ee) says the goal is to reduce wait lists....More

Local dry cleaners are top target for Environment Canada inspections

MONTREAL - The federal government's No. 1 hunting ground for environmental offenders isn't deep in the mists of the boreal forest — it's in the back rooms of Canada's neighbourhood dry cleaners....More

Pediatrics report details risks from energy drinks, says docs should warn kids against them

CHICAGO - Energy drinks are under-studied, overused and can be dangerous for children and teens, warns a report by doctors who say kids shouldn't use the popular products....More

New heart pump being tested in Canada, considered bridge to transplant

MONTREAL - Lauza Legere's heart is beating strong this Valentine's Day but not because she's been poked with Cupid's arrow....More

People on east and west coasts in poorer health than other Canadians: study

HALIFAX - Canadians in low-income areas on the east and west coasts are up to three times more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses and mental health problems than less affluent people in other regions, a new study suggests....More

Ontario's public sector wage freeze creating problems for hospitals

TORONTO - Attempting to impose a two-year wage freeze on one million Ontario public sector workers is creating real pay inequities among front-line health care workers, the Ontario Hospital Association said Thursday....More

Nearly 1 in 5 syphilis cases detected by newer, cheaper test may be negative: CDC

ATLANTA - Hundreds of people may have been told they tested positive for syphilis when they didn't actually have the disease, health officials say. A study of five U.S....More

National conference seeks solutions to improve medication safety in Canada

TORONTO - A national conference on medication safety is seeking ways to help improve communication and reduce preventable errors that can happen during transitions in patient care....More

Fame doesn't keep movie stars from suffering strokes, heart attacks, study finds

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Hollywood trivia quiz: What do Sharon Stone, Dudley Moore, James Garner and Elizabeth Taylor have in common besides an Oscar nomination? All have suffered strokes, a reminder that money and fame can't insulate you from a health risk that much can be done to...More

Doctors say DNA tests in disabled kids could reveal unknown evidence of incest

LONDON - Scientists conducting DNA tests on disabled children may inadvertently make startling discoveries of incest, sparking a range of ethical dilemmas that require guidance, doctors say....More

Bacteria buildup on a doctor's lab coat is same as short-sleeved uniform: study

At the end of a hospital shift, a doctor's white lab coat that hasn't been washed recently doesn't harbour any more bacteria than a short-sleeved uniform that began the day freshly laundered, a new study suggests....More

WHO urges governments to clamp down on alcohol abuse that is causing 2.5 million deaths a year

GENEVA - Alcohol abuse is killing 2.5 million people each year and governments must do more to prevent it, the World Health Organization said Friday. Some 4 per cent of all deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol, the U.N. body said....More

Religion, not polygamy, may explain teen pregnancies in Bountiful: lawyer

VANCOUVER - The high number of teenage pregnancies in Bountiful, B.C., may be linked to the community's fundamentalist Mormon religion and its isolation rather than polygamy itself, a lawyer suggested in court Wednesday....More

Opposition to shipment of radioactive material through Great Lakes growing

TORONTO - More voices have been added to those opposing a plan to ship radioactive steam generators through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River....More

London, Ont., issues 4th cold alert of 2011; people warned to limit time outside

LONDON, Ont. - The Middlesex-London health unit issued the alert for Wednesday night as the windchill will make temps feel more like -25 C....More

Death of boy in foster care prompts changes for Saskatchewan Social Services

REGINA - Workers who deal with kids in care in Saskatchewan are being told to talk to each other more after the death of a three-year-old boy at a foster home....More

Children with spine defect fare better with surgery in womb instead of after birth

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Pregnant women were afraid to have it. Doctors were afraid to do it. Hospitals stopped performing the surgery because the government wanted evidence it was safe and worth doing....More

Autopsy shows that 13-year-old endangered zebra died from combination of heart and thyroid disease

CALGARY - A combination of heart and thyroid disease caused the death of an endangered zebra at the Calgary Zoo's breeding ranch just before Christmas....More

100 students, staff at Edmonton high school being tested for tuberculosis

EDMONTON - More than 100 students and staff members at an Edmonton high school will be screened for tuberculosis. That's because a classmate tested positive for the potentially deadly disease last month....More

Bacteria buildup on a doctor's lab coat is same as short-sleeved uniform: study

At the end of a hospital shift, a doctor's white lab coat that hasn't been washed recently doesn't harbour any more bacteria than a short-sleeved uniform that began the day freshly laundered, a new study suggests....More

Select lots of over-the-counter drugs are subject of recall: Health Canada

OTTAWA - A company that makes over-the-counter drugs is voluntarily recalling selected lots of six health products sold as store brands by various retailers....More

Saskatchewan Cancer Agency apologizes for snafu that led to 3-month chemo wait

REGINA - Saskatchewan's Cancer Agency has agreed to apologize to a woman who had to wait three months for chemotherapy. The agency agreed to make amends after it was criticized in a report by the provincial ombudsman....More

NDP bill would create data bank to track sports injuries

OTTAWA - The New Democrats have introduced a private member's bill to tackle growing concerns about injuries — especially head injuries — in sports....More

N.L. seeks to recover health care costs; launches suit against tobacco companies

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has filed a lawsuit against tobacco manufacturers to recover the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses, 10 years after it introduced legislation allowing it to sue tobacco companies....More

Lung cancer deaths increase in European women everywhere except U.K.

LONDON - Lung cancer deaths in women are rising almost everywhere in Europe, a new study says. Researchers used data on cancer deaths from the World Health Organization and the European Union from 1970 to 2007 to predict cancer deaths for 2011....More

FDA unveils plan to speed approval of new medical technology in the U.S.

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials in the United States are proposing a plan that would speed up the approval of innovative medical devices that have the potential to dramatically improve patients' lives....More

Charest defends fundraiser hosted by man seeking to revive asbestos industry

QUEBEC - Premier Jean Charest says there's nothing wrong with his provincial Liberals having a fundraiser hosted by a businessman seeking government money to reopen one of Canada's last asbestos mines....More

Calgary councillors vote 10-3 to remove fluoride from city drinking water

CALGARY - Calgary's drinking water will soon be fluoride-free. City councillors have voted by a margin of 10 to 3 to eliminate the controversial additive....More

Promises, Promises: Evaluating First Lady's anti-obesity campaign

WASHINGTON - Michelle Obama had doubts about making a campaign against childhood obesity one of her signature issues....More

N.S. expands ban on unplanned spending at end of fiscal year to fight deficit

HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government says it's expanding a prohibition on unplanned spending at the end of the fiscal year. The ban on so-called March Madness spending was brought in last year for government departments....More

Lower milk intake, higher BMI linked to low vitamin D levels in toddlers: study

TORONTO - A study of toddlers in Canada's largest city found those who consume less milk and have higher body-mass indexes are more likely to have lower vitamin D levels. While there's quite a bit of data from Canada and the U.S....More

Keep track of cumulative ionizing radiation from medical scans, experts urge

TORONTO - Higher cancer rates are found in heart attack patients exposed to greater amounts of low-dose radiation from X-rays, scans and nuclear medicine than those with less exposure, a study suggests....More

Hudak flips on future of Ontario health tax four days after saying he'd keep it

TORONTO - Eliminating Ontario's health-care tax is under consideration for the Progressive Conservative campaign platform, leader Tim Hudak said Monday, just days after he vowed not to cut the premium....More

Formula-fed babies on solids before 4 months have higher obesity risk: study

Parents who think they're doing their formula-fed babies a favour by getting them started extra early on solid foods might want to think again....More

Doctors urged to be frank with cancer patients, to help them plan end-of-life care

WASHINGTON - Patients don't want to hear that they're dying and doctors don't want to tell them. But new guidance for cancer specialists in the United States says they should be upfront and do it far sooner....More

Digital health forms preferred over paper-based by patients' parents: study

TORONTO - A new study suggests parents prefer to go the digital route when it comes to filling out health information for their children....More

Bacterial outbreak at Chatham, Ont., hospital; seven MRSA cases identified

CHATHAM, Ont. - The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has put new admissions on hold in its complex continuing care unit in Chatham, Ont. The hospital says it have been dealing with an outbreak of an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection since Jan. 17....More

Saskatchewan low on drug used in treatment of thyroid cancer

REGINA - Thyrogen, a drug used in treating thyroid cancer, could be in short supply in Saskatchewan in the coming months due to a shortage in new shipments....More

Saskatchewan government won't partake in bidding battle for doctors

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government says it will not tell municipalities what they should or shouldn't do to attract doctors — even if bidding battles pit communities against each other....More

Health experts target obesity in fighting breast, colon cancer in developing world

ATLANTA - "Fat cancers" usually associated with wealthy countries are becoming more common in the developing world, too, according to new reports....More

Cilantro sold at Ontario Walmart stores may be contaminated with salmonella: CFIA

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers not to eat Nature's Reward brand fresh cilantro due to concerns it may be contaminated with salmonella. Toronto-based importer Fresh Taste Produce Ltd....More

Skeptics take overdoses of homeopathic remedies at demonstrations across Canada

WINNIPEG - Skeptics of homeopathic medicine have downed entire bottles of the remedies at demonstrations in several Canadian cities in an effort to prove the concoctions don't work. Gem Newman, who consumed a whole bottle of St....More

Ban on university anti-abortion clubs stirs controversy

OTTAWA - Carleton University's student association's decision to join other campuses across the country in banning anti-abortion clubs has stirred legal jousting and prompted a national debate about free speech....More

Formula-fed babies on solids before 4 months have higher obesity risk: study

Parents who think they're doing their formula-fed babies a favour by getting them started extra early on solid foods might want to think again....More

NHLer whose daughter committed suicide is joining mental health fight

OTTAWA - At six-foot-four and 215 pounds, Luke Richardson could never hide on an NHL rink. After a recent profound family tragedy, he's standing just as tall off the ice as well....More

Inquiry at birthing unit prompts Sudbury, Ont., hospital to increase security

SUDBURY, Ont. - An incident this week at the Sudbury Regional Hospital has resulted in increased security. An inquiry was made at the birthing unit on Tuesday with respect to a specific birth....More

Global obesity rates have doubled in the last 3 decades, study says

LONDON - The world is becoming a heavier place, especially in the West. Obesity rates worldwide have doubled in the last three decades even as blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped, according to three new studies....More

Bacterial outbreak at Chatham, Ont., hospital; seven MRSA cases identified

CHATHAM, Ont. - The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has put new admissions on hold in its complex continuing care unit in Chatham, Ont. The hospital says it have been dealing with an outbreak of an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection since Jan. 17....More

Saskatchewan low on drug used in treatment of thyroid cancer

REGINA - Thyrogen, a drug used in treating thyroid cancer, could be in short supply in Saskatchewan in the coming months due to a shortage in new shipments....More

Saskatchewan government won't partake in bidding battle for doctors

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government says it will not tell municipalities what they should or shouldn't do to attract doctors — even if bidding battles pit communities against each other....More

Ontario voters face clear choice on health care in Oct. 6 election: Matthews

TORONTO - The future of health care is shaping up to be a key battleground in the lead up to the Oct. 6 Ontario election....More

Health experts target obesity in fighting breast, colon cancer in developing world

ATLANTA - "Fat cancers" usually associated with wealthy countries are becoming more common in the developing world, too, according to new reports....More

Nova Scotia disabled woman questions discrepancies in care worker wages

HALIFAX - A disabled Nova Scotia woman is questioning why provincial funding for the hourly wage of a home care worker is almost $8 lower when she directly hires the caregiver than when she receives help through an external agency....More

New antibiotic to treat C. difficile shows fewer recurrences: study

TORONTO - Infectious disease specialists are encouraged by the testing of a new antibiotic to combat C. difficile, a nasty infection that causes diarrhea and has been a scourge in hospitals throughout North America in recent years....More

Guide offers meal plans, tips, delicious recipes for gluten-free dining

TORONTO - A gluten-free diet is one of the most challenging diets to adopt and follow, but those with celiac disease who do so often suddenly feel better, says a dietitian who counsels patients with the condition....More

Gene-based test may help show who needs aggressive treatment for prostate cancer

NEW YORK, N.Y. - A new experimental test may someday help doctors with one of the most vexing problems in cancer therapy: identifying which prostate cancer patients need aggressive treatment....More

Exact Multi Greens powder, capsules recalled due to allergy risk: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Powder and capsule forms of a store-brand herbal supplement are being voluntarily recalled because they pose a risk to people with milk allergies, says Health Canada....More

Beer industry faces off against health advocates over food labels

OTTAWA - Allergy and health groups are asking the Conservative government to press ahead with new food-labelling regulations even as the beer industry asks to pull out of them....More

3,000 Saskatchewan health workers urged to give union strike mandate

REGINA - Hospital pharmacists, respiratory therapists and other health-care workers in Saskatchewan are being urged to give their union a strike mandate....More

NHLer whose daughter committed suicide is joining mental health fight

OTTAWA - At six-foot-four and 215 pounds, Luke Richardson could never hide on an NHL rink. After a recent profound family tragedy, he's standing just as tall off the ice as well....More

Review ordered after autistic N.S. man confined in constantly lit room

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services has ordered an independent review of a special care home where the mother of an autistic man says her son was locked in a constantly lit room over a period of 15 days....More

Rare, but deadly, side effects linked to Avastin for several cancers: study

CHICAGO - A new analysis raises fresh questions about the risks of the blockbuster cancer drug Avastin, suggesting the chance of dying from side effects linked to it is higher than the risk for patients on chemotherapy alone....More

N.L. ambulance operators says problems flagged by auditor general gov't's fault

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Ambulance operators in Newfoundland and Labrador are blaming the government for what the auditor general called an unsafe service....More

Most Canadians know heart health risks, but many in denial: report

TORONTO - Many Canadians are in denial about risk factors for heart disease that are within their means to manage and control, warns the Heart and Stroke Foundation....More

Montreal hospital says woman was treated for cholera shortly after stay in Haiti

MONTREAL - A Montreal hospital says it recently treated a woman for cholera after she spent time in Haiti....More

Don't give honey to kids under age 1 for fear of infant botulism: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Children under one year old should not be fed honey because it has been linked to infant botulism, Health Canada says....More

Defence lawyer worried after questions arise about Calgary pathologist's work

CALGARY - Alberta's legal community weighed in Tuesday following word that justice officials are reviewing a former forensic pathologist's work. The pathologist, identified by local media as Dr....More

CDC: 2 in 3 US adults with high levels of bad cholesterol don't keep it in check

ATLANTA - Only about half of U.S. adults with high levels of bad cholesterol get treatment for it. Worse, not all those treated are managing to control the problem, according to a new government report....More

NDP worried Kuwaitis can jump health care queues to get treatment in Ontario

TORONTO - Toronto's University Health Network insisted Monday it is not giving preferential treatment to patients from Kuwait after the hospital signed a $75-million deal with the Persian Gulf state....More

Moms who had diabetes in pregnancy need checks for disease's return years later

WASHINGTON - A type of diabetes that strikes during pregnancy may disappear at birth, but it remains a big red flag for moms' future health — one that too many seem to be missing....More

Gov't advises less salt for Americans at risk of heart disease and stroke

WASHINGTON - The government is telling half of the U.S. population to drastically cut their daily salt intake....More

Author outlines 'toxic soup' of chemicals in everything from soap to lotion

Gillian Deacon was deep into researching her new book on the chemicals in body care products and their links to various forms of cancer when she had to confront her own dizzying health scare....More

Alberta to immunize teens in Grade 9 against meningitis

EDMONTON - Alberta is offering to immunize all teenagers in Grade 9 against meningitis starting Tuesday. The province says it will cost $2 million to provide the vaccine to up to 40,000 students through school-based clinics....More

Rick Hansen sets many in motion with new cross-Canada relay, 25 years later

VANCOUVER - The first time Robb Dunfield ever met someone who permanently used a wheelchair, the 19-year-old felt overwhelmed at realizing some people live without perfect use of their bodies....More

N.L. ambulance operators says problems flagged by auditor general gov't's fault

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Ambulance operators in Newfoundland and Labrador are blaming the government for what the auditor general called an unsafe service....More

Most Canadians know heart health risks, but many in denial: report

TORONTO - Many Canadians are in denial about risk factors for heart disease that are within their means to manage and control, warns the Heart and Stroke Foundation....More