Don't get egged: Experts offer tricks for keeping Halloween a treat without depriving the kids

CHICAGO - Offer apples to trick-or-treaters and risk having your house get egged — maybe even by your own kids....More

Commonwealth report urges repeal of anti-gay laws in effort to fight AIDS

PERTH, Australia - A report to Commonwealth leaders says there is "overwhelming support" for its core recommendations, including a human rights commissioner and the repeal of laws against homosexuality still found in 41 of the 54 member states....More

Arthritis forgotten disease that costs Canada billions a year, report suggests

TORONTO - Arthritis has been called the invisible disease, but there's nothing imperceptible about its painful impact on patients' lives or the economic fallout for Canadian society. A new report by the Arthritis Alliance of Canada says more than 4....More

Alberta health minister says new bylaws will help doctors speak up without fear

EDMONTON - Changes underway in Alberta's Health Department will go a long way to getting doctors to speak up about patient care without fear of retribution, the province's health minister said Friday....More

Commonwealth summit told it faces 'failure' if rights reforms not adopted

PERTH, Australia - Commonwealth leaders are being flatly warned that their 2011 summit will be "a failure" if it can't find consensus on meaningful reforms....More

Commonwealth leaders still haggling over how to 'stream' key reform proposals

PERTH, Australia - Commonwealth leaders talked through the day at a summit Saturday without nailing down how to deal with urgent human rights reforms deemed critical to the organization's survival....More

Will Halloween play a trick on your health? Dental hygiene is key concern

TORONTO - Elaborate costumes and sugary treats are the primary focus on Halloween, but health and safety — including the need for dental hygiene — are also considerations for parents....More

Poisoned soldier plans hunger strike at minister's office in exchange for care

MONTREAL - An ex-soldier who says he was poisoned while serving overseas is planning to go on a hunger strike outside the office of Canada's veterans affairs minister until he gets medical treatment. Or until he dies....More

Thousands of ingredients go into U.S. food with no government oversight of safety

SAN FRANCISCO - Thousands of ingredients that go into food have been classified as safe by private industry alone, without any government oversight, according to a new report published Wednesday....More

Pythons' hearts balloon when they swallow prey: holds clues for human heart health

WASHINGTON - You don't think of pythons as big-hearted toward their fellow creatures. They're better known for the bulge in their bodies after swallowing one of those critters whole....More

People with genetic risk of cancer reduce chances with aspirin, study suggests

LONDON - People with a genetic condition that puts them at increased risk of colon cancer may lower their chance of developing the disease by taking daily aspirin, a study suggests....More

N.L. health authority investigating case of hepatitis A in elementary student

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - An elementary school student in St. John's, N.L., has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The region's health authority says it is following up with people who have been in close contact with the child and offering immunizations....More

Many Ontario seniors don't see a dentist regularly; could impair health: study

TORONTO - A new study finds that 45 per cent of Ontario seniors did not visit a dentist last year, which could increase their chances of chronic diseases. Principal investigator Dr....More

Commonwealth report urges repeal of anti-gay laws in effort to fight AIDS

PERTH, Australia - A report to Commonwealth leaders says there is "overwhelming support" for its core recommendations, including the repeal of laws against homosexuality still found in 41 of the 54 member states....More

Commonwealth report urges repeal of anti-gay laws in effort to fight AIDS

PERTH, Australia - A report to Commonwealth leaders says there is "overwhelming support" for its core recommendations, including a human rights commissioner and the repeal of laws against homosexuality still found in 41 of the 54 member states....More

Arthritis forgotten disease that costs Canada billions a year, report suggests

TORONTO - Arthritis has been called the invisible disease, but there's nothing imperceptible about its painful impact on patients' lives or the economic fallout for Canadian society. A new report by the Arthritis Alliance of Canada says more than 4....More

Tuberculosis testing ordered at UNB campus after student tests positive

SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Testing for tuberculosis starts Friday for hundreds of students at the Saint John campus of the University of New Brunswick. A student at the university has tested positive for an active case of the bacterial infection....More

Toronto public health to open free flu clinics beginning Thursday

TORONTO - Free flu shots will be available starting Thursday at Toronto Public Health clinics. A total of 46 clinics will operate at 16 locations between Thursday and mid-January....More

Regaining weight? Australia study says changes in hunger hormones may be to blame

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Any dieter knows that it's hard to keep off weight you've lost. Now a study finds that even a year after dieters shed a good chunk of weight quickly, their hormones were still insisting, "Eat! Eat! Eat!" The findings suggest that dieters who...More

Panel: Boys should get HPV vaccine along with girls to help stop spread of virus through sex

ATLANTA - A vaccine against cervical cancer hasn't been all that popular for girls. It may be even a harder sell for boys now that it's been recommended for them too....More

Lung cancer screening with chest X-rays doesn't save lives, not even in smokers, research says

CHICAGO - Routine chest X-rays do not prevent lung cancer deaths, not even in smokers or former smokers, according to a big U.S. government study challenging a once common type of screening....More

Alberta Liberals say premier backtracking on promise to hold inquiry into health

EDMONTON - The Alberta Liberals are accusing Premier Alison Redford of backtracking on a promise to call a full judicial inquiry into allegations that politicians have allowed their buddies to jump the health-care queue....More

Many Ontario seniors don't see a dentist regularly; could impair health: study

TORONTO - A new study finds that 45 per cent of Ontario seniors did not visit a dentist last year, which could increase their chances of chronic diseases. Principal investigator Dr....More

Arthritis forgotten disease that costs Canada billions a year, report suggests

TORONTO - Arthritis has been called the invisible disease, but there's nothing imperceptible about its painful impact on patients' lives or the economic fallout for Canadian society. A new report by the Arthritis Alliance of Canada says more than 4....More

Committee on assisted suicide likely to recommend more palliative care

QUEBEC - Quebec's committee examining physician-assisted suicide is running behind schedule and wants more time to reach a consensus on its recommendations to the provincial government....More

Alberta NDP says former health minister misled house on privatization

EDMONTON - Alberta's New Democrats say they has evidence that former health minister Gene Zwozdesky (zwahz-DEHS'-key) misled the legislature....More

Advocates take complaints about aboriginal children to United Nations

OTTAWA - Child rights advocates say they believe shaming Ottawa before the world will lead to concrete improvements for aboriginal children on reserves....More

Slave Lake losing several of its doctors; recruitment underway for replacements

SLAVE LAKE, Alta. - An Alberta town busy rebuilding itself after a devastating wildfire this spring is now losing five of its 13 doctors, but Mayor Karina Pillay-Kinnee says there are reasons to be optimistic about Slave Lake's future....More

Eli Lilly pulls drug used in intensive care for treating sepsis: no benefit

OTTAWA - The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is withdrawing a drug that's used in hospital intensive-care units around the world....More

Brewer's yeast tablets being recalled due to milk allergen: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Health Canada is advising Canadians of the voluntary recall by Puresource Inc. of three lots of NOW Brewer's Yeast Tablets because they contain an undeclared milk allergen....More

UK scientists grow super broccoli that could improve health, studies preliminary but promising

LONDON - Popeye might want to consider switching to broccoli. British scientists recently unveiled a new breed of the vegetable that experts say packs a big nutritional punch....More

Panel: Boys should get HPV vaccine along with girls to help stop spread of virus through sex

ATLANTA - A vaccine against cervical cancer hasn't been all that popular for girls. It may be even a harder sell for boys now that it's been recommended for them too....More

Illicit silicone injections to reshape body risky, even deadly: doctors

TORONTO - Doctors are warning consumers about the dangers of a backstreet cosmetic practice known as "pumping" or "plumping," in which liquid silicone is injected into the buttocks or other body parts to enhance their size and shape....More

Heart transplant survival rates are improving: long-term Ottawa study

TORONTO - Heart transplants are still anything but ordinary, but doctors these days have a much better handle on the outcomes for this extraordinary type of surgery....More

HEALTHBEAT: Know your cholesterol numbers, but some doctors add extra test that confuses some

WASHINGTON - For heart health, you are supposed to know your numbers: total cholesterol, the bad LDL kind and the good HDL kind. But your next checkup might add a new number to the mix....More

Groups aim to alter attitudes on workplace disability: fit notes, not sick notes?

TORONTO - Small organizations in Ontario and British Columbia are trying to change the mindset about health concerns in the workplace, and they've been looking to the United States and the United Kingdom for inspiration....More

Fewer drugs green-lighted by provincial plans after drug review begun: study

TORONTO - The number of new prescription medications covered by provincial and territorial insurance plans dropped substantially after a national review body began assessing the cost-effectiveness of drugs in 2003, a study has found....More

Committee on assisted suicide likely to recommend more palliative care

QUEBEC - Quebec's committee examining physician-assisted suicide is running behind schedule and wants more time to reach a consensus on its recommendations to the provincial government....More

Alberta NDP says former health minister misled house on privatization

EDMONTON - Alberta's New Democrats say they has evidence that former health minister Gene Zwozdesky (zwahz-DEHS'-key) misled the legislature....More

Advocates take complaints about aboriginal children to United Nations

OTTAWA - Child rights advocates say they believe shaming Ottawa before the world will lead to concrete improvements for aboriginal children on reserves....More

CFIA: undeclared sunflower seeds in Handi bagels

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with allergies to sunflower seeds not to consume Handi brand 100 calories Multigrain Bagels. The product contains sunflower seeds which are not declared on the label in French....More

B.C. Liberals scramble to mend wounded aid agency

VICTORIA - The self-described family-friendly B.C. Liberal government is facing mounting political and social challenges to offer better care to vulnerable people and their families....More

B.C. kicks in extra $1.5 million to help build children's hospice in Abbotsford

VANCOUVER - A new children's hospice that will be built in British Columbia's Fraser Valley will get another $1.5 million in funding from the provincial government. The contribution means the B.C....More

Scorecard helps predict heart failure patients in emergency at risk of dying

TORONTO - Two new studies turn a lens on the role of emergency departments in treating patients with heart failure, a condition that's associated with billions of dollars in health-care costs....More

Psychosocial and sexual well-being improves after breast reconstruction: study

TORONTO - Women who lose a breast to cancer report improvements in their state of mind and well-being three weeks after breast reconstruction surgery, a new survey indicates....More

Moms' pregnancy BPA levels might affect daughters' behaviour, but chemical's risks are unknown

CHICAGO - Exposure to the chemical bisphenol-A before birth could affect girls' behaviour at age 3, according to the latest study on potential health effects of the compound used in the manufacturing of some plastic drink bottles and food can linings....More

Illicit silicone injections to reshape body risky, even deadly: doctors

TORONTO - Doctors are warning consumers about the dangers of a backstreet cosmetic practice known as "pumping" or "plumping," in which liquid silicone is injected into the buttocks or other body parts to enhance their size and shape....More

Heart transplant survival rates are improving: long-term Ottawa study

TORONTO - Heart transplants are still anything but ordinary, but doctors these days have a much better handle on the outcomes for this extraordinary type of surgery....More

Outrage after woman told to call ambulance after falling at hospital

TORONTO - A troubled southern Ontario hospital was in damage-control mode Wednesday after an elderly woman who broke her hip falling in the entrance area of the facility was told to call an ambulance for help....More

Measles cases among vaccinated Que. kids raises questions about vaccine schedule

TORONTO - Measles cases have surged in parts of Canada and the United States this year, with cases among unvaccinated children and teens driving the high numbers, public health officials from both countries will tell a major infectious diseases conference this weekend....More

Docs facing questions, concerns from patients about anesthetic dubbed 'Michael Jackson drug'

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Doctors sometimes call the anesthesia drug by its nickname — milk of amnesia. Patients are calling it the "Michael Jackson drug....More

Danish researchers on cellphones and cancer: Don't worry; your device is probably safe

LONDON - Danish researchers can offer some reassurance if you're concerned about your cellphone: Don't worry. Your device is probably safe....More

CDC: Data shows Midwest and West highest in US in contemplating suicide

ATLANTA - More adults in the U.S. Midwest and West have suicidal thoughts than people in the rest of the country, but Rhode Island leads in suicide attempts, according to the first government study of its kind....More

Biting report on polio eradication effort calls for personnel, attitude changes

The obstacles standing in the way of polio eradication now rest within the global eradication program itself and are not scientific challenges posed by the poliovirus, a bitingly candid new assessment of the program declares....More

Alberta butts out of tobacco stocks in preparation for lawsuit against industry

EDMONTON - Alberta is being lauded by anti-smoking and social investment groups for being the first province to dump its investments in the tobacco industry. The Alberta Investment Management Corp. has sold $17....More

As countries negotiate mercury treaty, scientists say suggested ban could threaten vaccines

LONDON - Scientists are warning officials negotiating a global treaty on mercury that banning the deadly chemical completely would be dangerous for public health because of the chemical's use in vaccines....More

Manitoba health authority says man who died in wait room no longer has rights

WINNIPEG - A Manitoba health authority is asking a judge to dismiss the bulk of a lawsuit filed by relatives of a homeless man who died during a 34-hour wait in a Winnipeg emergency room on the grounds that he lost his Charter rights when he died....More

Hudak fuming after woman told to call ambulance after falling at hospital

TORONTO - Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says it's "outrageous" that an elderly woman who fell in the entrance area of a Niagara Falls hospital was told to call an ambulance....More

Fewer groups back annual screening tests for cancer; cervical cancer is latest example

Annual cancer tests are becoming a thing of the past. New guidelines out Wednesday for cervical cancer screening have experts at odds over some things, but they are united in the view that the common practice of getting a Pap test every year is too often and probably doing more...More

Experiment finds evidence living in poor neighbourhood can hurt overall health

ATLANTA - Back in the 1990s, the federal government tried an unusual social experiment: It offered thousands of poor women in big-city public housing a chance to live in more affluent neighbourhoods....More

Canadian researchers decode Cannabis genome, find reason hemp differs from pot

TORONTO - It's the same plant, but one type provides fibres for rope, while the other can make you high....More

About 1 in 25 adolescents take antidepressants, says first CDC study to track use

ATLANTA - Roughly one in 25 adolescents in the United States are taking antidepressants, according to a new government study billed as the first to offer such statistics on that age group....More

Wildrose leader focuses on perils of excessive government bureaucracy

CALGARY - Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith says less is more when it comes to government. She spent much of an address to her annual leader's dinner in Calgary on Wednesday focusing on the perils of excessive government bureaucracy....More

Measles cases among vaccinated Que. kids raises questions about vaccine schedule

TORONTO - Measles cases have surged in parts of Canada and the United States this year, with cases among unvaccinated children and teens driving the high numbers, public health officials from both countries will tell a major infectious diseases conference this weekend....More

Elderly woman who breaks leg at Niagara hospital told by staff to call ambulance

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - A review is underway at a Niagara Falls hospital after an elderly patient fell at the facility and was told to call an ambulance for help....More

Depression ups women's risk of dementia, early treatment may pay off in old age

TORONTO - While depression isn't an inevitable part of aging, women are twice as likely as men to develop the mood disorder, and that can have significant health repercussions later in life, doctors say....More

Cape Breton home for disabled beset by 'climate of mistrust,' review says

HALIFAX - A Cape Breton special care home where an autistic man was confined to a room for two weeks last year is beset by a "climate of mistrust and suspicion" where staff and management have an adversarial relationship, concludes an independent review released Tuesday....More

African study marks big step for world's first malaria vaccine; still at least 3 years away

ATLANTA - The quest for the world's first malaria vaccine appears to have taken a big step: A study in Africa shows experimental shots cut the risk of disease in young children by half....More

Abuse survivors clap and cry as crews flatten notorious historic mental hospital

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - Richard McDonald never had his teeth yanked without anaesthetic or got electroshock therapy like some of his playmates suffered when they were growing up. His worst memory of the New Westminster, B.C....More

200 ride for cyclist killed on Ottawa street, urge drivers to watch out

OTTAWA - Scores of cyclists took to local streets Tuesday to memorialize one of their own killed in a tragic accident last week. Danielle Nacu, 33, died Oct....More

Terry Fox and discoverer of CF gene among inductees to Medical Hall of Fame

TORONTO - Terry Fox, a vaccine pioneer and the scientist who led the team that discovered the gene for cystic fibrosis are being inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame....More

Fewer groups back annual screening tests for cancer; cervical cancer is the latest example

Annual cancer tests are becoming a thing of the past. New guidelines out Wednesday for cervical cancer screening have experts at odds over some things, but they are united in the view that the common practice of getting a Pap test every year is too often and probably doing more...More

Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein moving to continuing care

CALGARY - Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein will be moving into a continuing care facility once he is released from a Calgary hospital....More

Family of homeless man who died waiting in ER blames Manitoba government

WINNIPEG - The family of a homeless man who died waiting in a hospital ER says the Manitoba government is partly to blame because it allowed the emergency department to operate knowing it was dangerous....More

Excessive drinking: societal costs are nearly $2 per beverage, U.S. study says

ATLANTA - The toll of excessive drinking works out to about $2 per drink, in terms of medical expenses and other costs to society, according to federal research in the United States....More

Do infections trigger colon cancer? Idea worth pursuing, two new studies find

TORONTO - Two new studies are raising a new possible culprit in the development of colon cancer. The research teams behind the work independently found high levels of a germ called fusobacterium in the tumours of people with colon cancer....More

Confused by the wall of pain relief meds? Choosing by need, not price a good idea

TORONTO - Go into any pharmacy looking for something to cure a headache or get rid of a backache and the options are overwhelming....More

Canadian study to track MS patients after vein-opening treatments abroad

TORONTO - A Canadian doctor is beginning his own before-and-after study of MS patients who are opting for the so-called liberation treatment. Dr. Sandy McDonald, a cardiovascular surgeon in Barrie, Ont....More

Thousands of Ottawa residents may get public health warning letters today

OTTAWA - Thousands of Ottawa residents were expected to start getting letters as early as today from public health officials, warning them they may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV....More

Europe's top court bans scientists from stem cell patents, experts say research will suffer

LONDON - Europe's top court says patents cannot be filed on stem-cell research using cells from human embryos, a move many scientists say will harm future advances in medicine....More

Some cellphones harbour E. coli bacteria, U.K. handwashing study finds

A new handwashing study has found cellphones teeming with bacteria — and some even harbour the sort of germs that should give people an incentive to scrub better after visiting the loo....More

Nova Scotia health cuts worrisome for patients and workers, say opponents

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia has asked its nine district health authorities and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax to cut spending in the next fiscal year by three per cent, a move that opponents said would add stress to the province's health care system....More

Charitable group's report card on physical activity gives Ontario kids D-minus

TORONTO - A charitable group is giving Ontario's kids a D-minus in physical activity. Active Healthy Kids Canada says it's issuing its first-ever Ontario supplement to its national report card for this year....More

Water advisory issued for Montreal’s West Island

MONTREAL - A water advisory is in effect for about 100,000 households on Montreal’s West Island. It was prompted by low chlorine levels in a water treatment plant in Pointe Claire....More

Ottawa woman live streams home birth of third child, a boy, on Internet

OTTAWA - An Ottawa-area woman live streamed the birth of her third child early Sunday. Nancy Salgueiro, a chiropractor and childbirth educator, gave birth to a six pound, 10 ounce boy at 3:18 a.m....More

Drug shortages: companies pitch action plan, dodge a Health Canada bullet

OTTAWA - Pharmaceutical companies in Canada have dodged a bullet by coming up with a plan to deal with shortages of prescription drugs....More

CFIA alert: certain B.C. mussels may contain paralytic shellfish toxin

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is alerting the public about raw mussels harvested in British Columbia that may contain paralytic shellfish toxins. The mussels were harvested between Oct. 2 and Otc 14 in B.C....More

Letters in the mail warning thousands of Ottawa residents of disease exposure

OTTAWA - Letters go out today to thousands of Ottawa area residents, warning of a slim chance they could have been exposed to HIV or hepatitis....More

Nova Scotia mom creates drama club to raise curtain on teen mental health

TRURO, N.S. - Belinda McIntyre-Meers saw something change in her daughter when the normally self-conscious teenager from Debert, N.S., was cast last year in her first play....More

Health Canada reviewing antidepressant Celexa after study raises heart concerns

TORONTO - Health Canada says it is reviewing the antidepressant citalopram after a new study suggested high doses — 60 milligrams a day — can affect the electrical activity of the heart....More

Fewer fish and chips: UK says Britons need to cut 5 billion calories from country's daily diet

LONDON - British health officials say the country needs to slash 5 billion calories from its collective daily diet to slow the obesity epidemic....More

ER docs call for CPR training in schools

Doctors say it's unacceptable most cardiac arrest sufferers aren't given CPR right away and are calling for mandatory CPR training in high schools. Dr....More

Eat less meat to help double world's food supply, says study to be featured in Nature

MONTREAL - A newly published blueprint for doubling the global food supply includes a key suggestion about how everyone can contribute to this increasingly pressing ambition: eat less meat....More

Do you even need vitamins? New studies show possible risks; experts offer some safety tips

Two studies this week raised gnawing worries about the safety of vitamin supplements and a host of questions....More

Brain scans indicate that being bilingual can delay Alzheimer's symptoms

TORONTO - A small study has found that people who speak more than one language have twice as much brain damage as those who are unilingual before they begin exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's disease....More

80 per cent of teenage boys in U.S. use condoms the first time: study

CHICAGO - A surprising 80 per cent of teenage boys say they are using condoms the first time they have sex, a U.S. government survey found in a powerful sign that decades of efforts to change young people's sexual behaviour are taking hold....More

N.S. funds methadone treatment program for Annapolis Valley addicts

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia will spend $370,000 a year to widen a methadone treatment program for drug addicts in the Annapolis Valley. Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald says the move addresses a significant waiting list in the area for methadone....More

Lost in prostate screening debate: Men harmed by PSA tests, treatments that follow

Terry Dyroff's PSA blood test led to a prostate biopsy that didn't find cancer but gave him a life-threatening infection....More

Health professionals underestimate pain in patients they don't like: research

VANCOUVER - A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, but patients feeling aches and pains can wind up with a remedy more like cod liver oil if they're not on good terms with their doctor. A University of Northern B.C....More

Darker skin linked to poorer health: Study

Sheena Goodyear QMI Agency Black Canadians with darker skin are more likely to report poor health than lighter-skinned black Canadians, suggests a new study that blames the problem on "colourism....More

Black Death genetic code cracked in work led by Canadian scientists

TORONTO - A team of Canadian, German and American scientists has cracked the genetic code of the bacteria that is believed to have caused the Black Death....More

Alberta Premier Alison Redford's new cabinet ministers to be announced

EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Alison Redford will announce her cabinet today. She has already named her Tory leadership rival Doug Horner as her deputy premier and said that Education Minister Dave Hancock will remain government house leader....More

80 per cent of teenage boys in U.S. use condoms the first time: study

CHICAGO - A surprising 80 per cent of teenage boys say they are using condoms the first time they have sex, a U.S. government survey found in a powerful sign that decades of efforts to change young people's sexual behaviour are taking hold....More

Eat less meat to help double world's food supply, says study to be featured in Nature

MONTREAL - A newly published blueprint for doubling the global food supply includes a key suggestion about how everyone can contribute to this increasingly pressing ambition: eat less meat....More

Renowned oncologist Dr. Robert Buckman dies on flight to Toronto

TORONTO - Colleagues are remembering Toronto oncologist, author and media personality Dr. Robert Buckman as a caring individual with "an exquisite sense of humour." Buckman died on the weekend at age 63 on a flight from his native England to Toronto....More

Quebec opens door to safe injection sites following Supreme Court ruling

QUEBEC - The Quebec government is giving the green light to new safe injection sites for addicts to shoot up under supervision....More

High fruit-and-vegetable diet can overcome genetic risk for heart disease: study

TORONTO - It may be true that we're pretty well stuck with the genes we were born with. But for people carrying a common genetic signature that predisposes them to cardiovascular disease, it appears there's a way to get around their DNA....More

Conflicts of interest remain common on expert panels struck to advise doctors

TORONTO - Expert medical panels struck to issue advice on the treatment of patients remain rife with financial conflicts of interest, a new study suggests....More

Commonly used antibiotic has many rare, but serious, side-effects, doctors warn

TORONTO - A commonly used antibiotic can trigger a wide range of rare but potentially serious side-effects and doctors should be aware of those risks when prescribing it, a report published Tuesday warns....More

Battle in the womb causes fatal pregnancy disease: Study

Sheena Goodyear QMI Agency New research out of Yale University suggests a deadly pregnancy disease stems from a battle in the womb between a father's biological goal to make the biggest, healthiest baby possible, and the mother's need...More

Health professionals underestimate pain in patients they don't like: research

VANCOUVER - A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, but patients feeling aches and pains can wind up with a remedy more like cod liver oil if they're not on good terms with their doctor. A University of Northern B.C....More

Alberta Premier Alison Redford's new cabinet ministers to be announced

EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Alison Redford will announce her cabinet today. She has already named her Tory leadership rival Doug Horner as her deputy premier and said that Education Minister Dave Hancock will remain government house leader....More

Canadian rugby 'beardo' to shave for charity with Rick Mercer wielding razor

TORONTO - Canadian flanker Adam Kleeberger, whose bushy beard attracted worldwide attention at the Rugby World Cup, is going to shave for charity. Kleeberger will have his beard removed Oct....More

Brainwave scanner offers cheat-proof concussion test, aimed at sports leagues

TORONTO - With the spotlight on concussion prevention as NHL teams officially take to the ice this week, Canadian researchers are unveiling a prototype brain-injury scanning device they hope will end up rinkside in coming seasons....More

Air pollution a risk for pregnant women: Study

California researchers have linked air pollution to an increase in premature births. The study looked at 100,000 births of those living within five miles of air quality monitoring stations over a 22-month period starting in June 2004....More

CFIA expands alert for certain Kimchi products

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has expanded the warning it issued on Oct. 5 for certain Kimchi products....More

Varied symptoms of concussion may need treatment by many different therapists

Paul Rosen has had a headache for days, the after-effect of his latest concussion, at least the eighth he's sustained in decades of playing hockey and other sports. He now knows the drill: shut everything down, body and brain....More

IAEA team observes Japan's nuclear cleanup as Fukushima begins thyroid survey of children

TOKYO - Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in the Japanese city of Fukushima on Sunday to observe the massive decontamination effort following the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chornobyl....More

Want a free funeral? UK experts say offer could raise organ donor rates

LONDON - Offering free funerals to people who donate kidneys, livers and other organs could help boost donation rates, an influential British medical ethics group says....More

Study suggests $258 million HIV program may have prevented some 100,000 infections in India

An estimated 100,000 people in India may have escaped HIV infection over five years thanks to one of the world's biggest prevention programs, an encouraging sign that targeting high-risk groups remains vital even as more donors focus on treatment, a new study suggests....More

Government panel recommends against routine PSA screening for prostate cancer

WASHINGTON - No major medical group recommends routine PSA blood tests to check men for prostate cancer, and now a government panel is saying they do more harm than good and healthy men should no longer receive the tests as part of routine cancer screening....More

Gene may predict suicidal behaviour: Study

A specific gene is linked to suicidal behaviour, a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found....More

Canadian rugby 'beardo' to shave for charity with Rick Mercer wielding razor

TORONTO - Canadian flanker Adam Kleeberger, whose bushy beard attracted worldwide attention at the Rugby World Cup, is going to shave for charity. Kleeberger will have his beard removed Oct....More

Brainwave scanner offers cheat-proof concussion test, aimed at sports leagues

TORONTO - With the spotlight on concussion prevention as NHL teams officially take to the ice this week, Canadian researchers are unveiling a prototype brain-injury scanning device they hope will end up rinkside in coming seasons....More

Air pollution a risk for pregnant women: Study

California researchers have linked air pollution to an increase in premature births. The study looked at 100,000 births of those living within five miles of air quality monitoring stations over a 22-month period starting in June 2004....More

CFIA expands alert for certain Kimchi products

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has expanded the warning it issued on Oct. 5 for certain Kimchi products....More

Varied symptoms of concussion may need treatment by many different therapists

Paul Rosen has had a headache for days, the after-effect of his latest concussion, at least the eighth he's sustained in decades of playing hockey and other sports. He now knows the drill: shut everything down, body and brain....More

IAEA team observes Japan's nuclear cleanup as Fukushima begins thyroid survey of children

TOKYO - Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in the Japanese city of Fukushima on Sunday to observe the massive decontamination effort following the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chornobyl....More

Contracts for 2,700 health-sector workers in Nova Scotia go to vote

HALIFAX - About 2,700 unionized clerical staff and support services workers at the Capital District Health Authority in Nova Scotia have new tentative contracts....More

CDC: 60 per cent rise in kids' trips to ER for concussions from sports, recreation

ATLANTA - The number of athletic children going to U.S. hospitals with concussions is up 60 per cent in the past decade, a finding that is likely due to parents and coaches being more careful about treating head injuries, according to a new federal study....More

Brainwave scanner offers cheat-proof concussion test, aimed at sports leagues

TORONTO - With the spotlight on concussion prevention as NHL teams officially take to the ice this week, Canadian researchers are unveiling a prototype brain-injury scanning device they hope will end up rinkside in coming seasons....More

B.C. government says almost 3,000 people with disabilities await more help

VICTORIA - B.C. Social Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux says she can't guarantee the province will come up with more funding for the nearly 3,000 British Columbians with developmental disabilities who are seeking more help....More

Alberta doctor convicted of sex assault removed from physicians registry

EDMONTON - A gynecologist convicted of sexual assault has been removed from Alberta's registry of doctors. The College of Physicians and Surgeons says it has permanently taken Carl Nqumayo off the list because there are no appeals left to him....More

Pancreatic cancer cases declining but 4th most deadly; Jobs was secretive about his illness

SAN FRANCISCO - Pancreatic cancer is notoriously lethal — there are almost as many deaths from it each year as there are new cases....More

Ottawa caps caffeine in energy drinks, but won't label them dangerous drugs

OTTAWA - The federal government's new rules limiting the caffeine allowed in so-called energy drinks will affect just a fifth of the market, Health Canada officials say....More

Government panel recommends against routine PSA screening for prostate cancer

WASHINGTON - No major medical group recommends routine PSA blood tests to check men for prostate cancer, and now a government panel is saying they do more harm than good and healthy men should no longer receive the tests as part of routine cancer screening....More

Nursing home says salmonella outbreak may have contributed to man's death

MONCTON, N.B. - Officials at a nursing home in Moncton, N.B., are monitoring patients following a bacterial outbreak. The executive director of the Kenneth E....More

New MS drug shows modest effect on relapses, disability in clinical trial

TORONTO - A new drug for multiple sclerosis cut the number and frequency of relapses and slowed the progression of disease in some patients taking it, a new study shows....More

MS drug may help slow progression of disease: Canadian study

Canadian researchers say an oral drug could be a "safe, effective and convenient" therapy for people with multiple sclerosis. Dr. Paul O'Connor of Toronto's St....More

Holding babies close helps them during immunization: Study

It's a natural instinct, and it works: Cuddling infants will help sooth them when they're getting needles, a new study has found....More

Feds promise to match $70 million raised for Africa

MONTREAL - The federal government says Canadians have donated $70 million to help fight the drought in Africa and that it will keep its promise to match that amount....More

EU prosecutor to visit Albania to investigate organ trafficking allegations

TIRANA, Albania - An EU prosecutor will travel to Albania to investigate allegations that a criminal network sold organs of civilian captives there during the 1998-99 Kosovo war....More

Blood test can predict Alzheimer's progression: Study

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say they've discovered a blood test that can help predict how quickly patients with Alzheimer's disease will lose cognitive function. The test looks at the ratios of two fatty compounds in a person's blood....More

Dangers of energy drinks' high caffeine levels to be cited in new rules

OTTAWA - Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq will be announcing new rules for so-called energy drinks this morning. She is concerned about teenagers and tweens consuming too much caffeine by downing drinks such as Monster and Red Bull....More

Parents should 'encourage' kids to limit cellphone use: Health Canada

TORONTO - Parents should encourage kids under 18 to limit the time they spend talking on cellphones, Health Canada said Tuesday in new advice on mobile phone usage....More

Nova Scotia health minister announces second collaborative care centre

TATAMAGOUCHE, N.S. - Nova Scotia's health minister has announced a collaborative emergency care centre for Tatamagouche, the second such facility in the province....More

New Democrat MP's bill aims to limit concussions in amateur sport

OTTAWA - A New Democrat MP has for the second time tabled a private member's bill aimed at reducing concussions in amateur sport....More

Limit length of cellphone calls, urge kids to too, Health Canada says

TORONTO - Health Canada is reminding Canadians they can take steps to limit the length of time they spend on their cellphones. The department is also encouraging parents to get their kids under the age of 18 to curb their cellphone usage....More

Liberals say Ottawa has responsibility to act on crisis of suicide

OTTAWA - Members of Parliament set aside a focus on Canada's financial health today to debate the nation's mental health....More

Jimmy Carter asks for money to get rid of guinea worm, UK promises millions if others donate

LONDON - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is appealing for other donors to join Britain in a multi-million dollar campaign to wipe out guinea worm, a crippling and painful parasitic disease that now exists only in four African countries....More

Food banks put more emphasis on nutritional needs of poor Canadians

TORONTO - Food banks across the country are always happy to receive donations, but now more than ever, they're aiming to stock their shelves and food hampers with nutritious food....More

EU prosecutor to visit Albania to investigate organ trafficking allegations

TIRANA, Albania - An EU prosecutor will travel to Albania to investigate allegations that a criminal network sold organs of civilian captives there during the 1998-99 Kosovo war....More

Data point to a link between CCSVI and MS, but can't say if condition causes MS

TORONTO - The science available to date supports the idea there may be a link between a condition called CCSVI and multiple sclerosis, says a new study that nevertheless warns it is too soon to draw "definitive conclusions....More

Customers tell restaurants they want to eat healthy, then order the Thickburger

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Americans talk skinny but eat fat. No matter that Michelle Obama, wife of U.S. President Barack Obama, has been on a crusade for a year and a half to slim down the country....More

Care of Ontario stroke patients could use improvement: report

OTTAWA - Ontario's Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN) have been graded on their delivery of stroke care — and the report cards indicate that many could do a better job....More

Canadian-born Nobel winner died last Friday: Rockefeller University

STOCKHOLM - A Canadian-born scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for his discoveries about the immune system but hours later his university said that he had died three days earlier....More

Canada's posthumous Nobel Prize winner always did things his own way

MONTREAL - Nobel Prize winner Ralph Steinman always did things his own way, even as a child: he tried to run away from home at age seven and gave his parents the silent treatment because they sent him to summer camp....More

Calif. farm says lettuce recall covers 19 states, Canada; no illnesses reported

SALINAS, Calif. - A California farm that issued a voluntary lettuce recall over listeria contamination concerns says its notice has gone out to 19 states and Canada....More

Babies who have multiple surgeries more at risk of learning disabilities: Study

Babies and toddlers who undergo multiple surgeries and receive general anesthesia before they turn two are at an increased risk of developing a learning disability, a new study has found. Researhers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn....More

Rural patients treated remotely for stroke have similar outcomes to city folk

Dennis Gordeyko was feeding cattle on his ranch near Camrose, Alta., when he realized he couldn't move his right arm to pull a hydraulic lever. Then his hired hand noticed he wasn't talking properly and his face was drooping....More

CFIA Alert: True Leaf Farms Chopped Romaine May Contain Listeria bacteria

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume the True Leaf Farms brand bagged, Chopped Romaine because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

Parents worry about 15-year-old son's disappearance from Toronto hospital

TORONTO - The parents of a 15-year-old boy who went missing from a Toronto hospital said on Sunday say they were extremely worried about his health and safety....More

Lengthy journey from farm to fork makes food outbreaks more widespread, harder to trace

WASHINGTON - Outbreaks of listeria and other serious illnesses linked to tainted food are becoming more common, partly because much of what we eat takes a long and winding road from farm to fork....More

Canadian-born obesity researcher among possible Nobel contenders

STOCKHOLM - Two scientists who unlocked some of the mysteries linked to obesity or a professor who figured out how to make stem cells without human embryos could be candidates for the medicine award when the first of the 2011 Nobel Prizes are announced Monday....More

Teen found after leaving Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children

TORONTO - Police have found a 15-year-old boy who went missing from Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital. Robert Frydman was found Sunday night and police say he is in good health and is now receiving care....More

Smoking causes stroke to occur a decade earlier, Ottawa study suggests

TORONTO - A new comparison of patients at an Ottawa stroke prevention clinic suggests that those who smoke have strokes or mini-strokes at a younger age than non-smokers....More

Ottawa to announce reinvestment in monitoring plan for toxic chemicals

OTTAWA - The federal government is about to put major new funding into its chemicals management plan — the program that separates safe from toxic chemicals in many consumer and business products....More

Care of Ontario stroke patients could use improvement: report

OTTAWA - Ontario's Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN) have been graded on their delivery of stroke care — and the report cards indicate that many could do a better job....More