November 2011 - Posts

• ANALYSIS | Health Canada drug approval policy lacks key power

  Health Canada's inability to demand drug safety updates has drawn concern from the auditor general - and is particularly important for the growing list of drugs with only conditional approval. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 02:00 PM by CBC | Health News

• New hip implants may not be better

  Newer hip implants seem no better than traditional types of implants, a new review of research concludes. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 10:30 AM by CBC | Health News

• Patient urges boycott of hospital parking meters

  A cancer patient whose parking tickets have been thrown out of court is urging others to not pay for parking when they go for hospital treatments. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 09:51 AM by CBC | Health News

• Movember Canada fundraising tops $32M

  It's shaving day for tens of thousands of mustachioed Canadians who have raised more money to battle prostate cancer than any other country during the Movember campaign. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 09:28 AM by CBC | Health News

• Is medicine feminized but sexist?

  Is medicine a woman's world, asks a British medical journal that questions whether the rising number of women in medicine is leading to overfeminization of the profession. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 08:25 AM by CBC | Health News

• Canadian babies need checkup at 18 months

  The Canadian Pediatric Society is calling on all provinces and territories to implement a publicly-funded enhanced well-baby visit for all Canadian babies. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 05:40 AM by CBC | Health News

• Pregnancy centre papered with abortion flyers

  The Island Pregnancy Centre in Charlottetown had its two outdoor signs covered with pro-choice flyers in late September. Read More... Posted Nov 30 2011, 01:42 AM by CBC | Health News

• Harper vows 'action' on Attawapiskat

  Federal government and Canadian Red Cross officials descended on the remote James Bay community of Attawapiskat Tuesday as Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed to look into the community's housing situation, a response the interim Liberal party leader... Posted Nov 29 2011, 12:39 PM by CBC | Health News

• Desperate alcoholics are drinking hand sanitizer

  Health officials in Metro Vancouver say there's a dangerous new trend – desperate alcoholics stealing hand sanitizer for consumption. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 12:14 PM by CBC | Health News

• Binge drinking 'important concern' for Ont. teens

  Binge drinking by students in Ontario remains elevated, a new survey suggests. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 12:06 PM by CBC | Health News

• U.S. radiologists back mammograms for women in 40s

  Women in their 40s could benefit from annual breast screenings, say U.S. radiologists in a finding that adds to the confusion on the best use of mammography. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 11:10 AM by CBC | Health News

• Kidney donors need long-term monitoring

  A move is on to make sure kidney donors really fare as well as they're promised. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 09:16 AM by CBC | Health News

• Progressive MS study gains $3.8M grant

  Canadian researchers investigating the role of inflammation in multiple sclerosis will receive a $3.8 million grant towards their efforts. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 08:47 AM by CBC | Health News

• Canadians have no time for healthy living

  Canadians believe they don't have enough time to live healthy lives, the Heart and Stroke Foundation says. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 03:03 AM by CBC | Health News

• Eastern Health defends hospital parking fees

  Eastern Health is defending the practice of charging patients parking fees at hospitals after an editorial in a Canadian medical journal called for the abolishment of the fees and argued they contravene the Canada Health Act. Read More... Posted Nov 29 2011, 01:41 AM by CBC | Health News

• Avastin approval for breast cancer pulled

  Health Canada has revoked approval of Avastin as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer, following closely in the footsteps of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read More... Posted Nov 28 2011, 05:56 PM by CBC | Health News

• CMAJ urges end to hospital parking fees

  Canadian hospitals should follow Scotland and Wales and abolish hospital parking fees because they burden patients, a medical journal editorial argues. Read More... Posted Nov 28 2011, 04:43 PM by CBC | Health News

• Big Pharma funds group's push for cancer drugs

  An organization that successfully lobbied the Quebec government this month to pay for new cancer drugs is defending its ties to pharmaceutical companies. Read More... Posted Nov 28 2011, 02:49 PM by CBC | Health News

• Spoof Health Canada email offers shovelling credit

  A fake news release spoofing Health Canada promised a tax credit for seniors who shovel snow. Read More... Posted Nov 28 2011, 11:39 AM by CBC | Health News

• Mental health research gains $30M

  A $30 million gift aims to support mental health researchers in Toronto. Read More... Posted Nov 28 2011, 09:36 AM by CBC | Health News

• Movember kid draws moustache to fight cancer

  Jackson McLean doesn't even have peach fuzz on his face, but the 11-year-old Ottawa student proudly sports a moustache every day — drawing it with a makeup pencil to participate in the Movember campaign to raise funds to battle prostate cancer. Read... Posted Nov 25 2011, 01:16 PM by CBC | Health News

• Ontario raw milk farmer fined $9K

  An Ontario dairy farmer guilty of selling and distributing raw milk has been fined $9,150 and placed on probation for a year. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 12:48 PM by CBC | Health News

• Alcohol drinking guide stresses moderation

  Canada's new alcohol drinking recommendations aim to help guide people in how much to consume and they encourage moderation. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 12:08 PM by CBC | Health News

• Yasmin birth control lawsuit launches

  The relatives of a Canadian woman who died after taking Yasmin birth control pills have launched a civil suit. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 11:40 AM by CBC | Health News

• MS treatment clinical trials a step closer

  The federal government says it is ready to accept proposals for clinical trials of a controversial multiple sclerosis treatment known as the Zamboni procedure. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 10:53 AM by CBC | Health News

• Home births safe for low-risk pregnancies

  Healthy pregnant women should be able to choose where to give birth, say British researchers who compared the safety of home births with deliveries at clinics and hospitals. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 09:56 AM by CBC | Health News

• Paralympian walks again, joins cycling team

  Monique van der Vorst of the Netherlands has gone from medal-winning wheelchair and handcycle racer to road racing cyclist with a top professional team after she regained the use of her legs. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 06:33 AM by CBC | Health News

• Older athletes suspended by doping police

  The anti-doping police are sending out a new message to the retiree crowd: We're keeping an eye on you, too. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 05:25 AM by CBC | Health News

• Health care's future on ministers' agenda

  Canada's provincial and territorial health ministers meet with federal counterpart Leona Aglukkaq on Friday in Halifax to discuss the future of health care. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 04:20 AM by CBC | Health News

• Chlamydia cases soar in Halifax

  Capital Heath is launching a new campaign to try to stop the spread of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection on the rise in Halifax. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2011, 01:48 AM by CBC | Health News

• Touch therapy services urged for hospitals

  A group of volunteers wants to start offering a new, free service in P.E.I. hospitals called touch therapy. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2011, 03:52 PM by CBC | Health News

• Health ministers grapple with pressure to cut

  A call for higher taxes to pay for expanded health care was dismissed Thursday by the province hosting a meeting of health ministers under pressure to control spending. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2011, 02:10 PM by CBC | Health News

• Elderly drivers, some drugs a risky mix

  Drivers aged 65 and older who are taking antidepressants combined with another psychotropic medication are at increased risk of being at fault in a motor vehicle accident, a new study has found. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2011, 01:26 PM by CBC | Health News

• Costs of new HIV cases will top $4B, report says

  HIV infections diagnosed in Canada this year will cost more than $4 billion over the patients' lifetimes, the Canadian AIDS Society estimates. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2011, 11:35 AM by CBC | Health News

• Wrong twin fetus aborted in Australia

  An Australian hospital is investigating after staff accidentally terminated a healthy fetus instead of its twin with heart defects a month before a full-term pregnancy. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2011, 11:07 AM by CBC | Health News

• Cheese, dairy products recalled in Ontario, Quebec

  Cheese and dairy products sold under several brand names in Ontario and Quebec may be contaminated with Listeria and are being recalled, the Canadian Food Inspection says. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2011, 05:43 AM by CBC | Health News

• Mothers who kill their babies may have medical reasons

  Experts discuss neonaticide after 30-year-old Meredith Borowiec was charged with the attempted murder of one newborn baby and second-degree murder in the deaths of two others. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 11:36 AM by CBC | Health News

• Acetaminophen overdoses over time risky for liver

  Taking slightly too much acetaminophen over time to relieve pain can cause dangerous and potentially deadly liver failure, British researchers warn. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 11:31 AM by CBC | Health News

• Canada scores low in patient safety

  Canada fares well compared with other OECD countries for quitting smoking, but has some of the worst rates for patient safety such as leaving in foreign bodies during surgery, according to a new report. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 10:22 AM by CBC | Health News

• B.C. child poverty rate continues to climb

  Child advocates have given B.C. another failing grade when it comes to serving children in need. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 09:02 AM by CBC | Health News

• No barrier to abortion on P.E.I.

  It's been 23 years since the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the law that made most abortions illegal in Canada, and nearly 30 years since the last legal abortion was performed on Prince Edward Island. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 08:55 AM by CBC | Health News

• Pelee Island closer to full-time health care

  A 15-member task force will present several health care options to Pelee Island residents Wednesday night at a public meeting. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 06:47 AM by CBC | Health News

• Too little salt in diet might be bad for you

  Severely restricting dietary sodium might have unexpected results, a new study suggests. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 05:57 AM by CBC | Health News

• Merck to pay $950M US to settle Vioxx charges

  The U.S. Department of Justice said that drugmaker Merck will pay $950 million US to resolve investigations into its marketing of the painkiller Vioxx. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2011, 05:10 AM by CBC | Health News

• Wait lists for long-term care growing: report

  Some seniors in Nova Scotia are waiting more than a year to get into a nursing home and the waits are getting longer, CBC News has learned. Read More... Posted Nov 22 2011, 06:02 PM by CBC | Health News

• Players escape chewing tobacco ban during games

  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. Read More... Posted Nov 22 2011, 03:44 PM by CBC | Health News

• Breast cancer screening won't change despite guidelines

  Health P.E.I. says it will not change its breast cancer screening program, despite a new recommendation that women aged 40 to 49 should not be routinely screened for breast cancer. Read More... Posted Nov 22 2011, 02:02 PM by CBC | Health News

• Baseball contract limits tobacco use

  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. Read More... Posted Nov 22 2011, 11:52 AM by CBC | Health News

• BPA levels jump after eating canned soup

  Adults who ate canned soup daily showed a jump in levels of the plasticizer BPA in their urine, according to a small study. Read More... Posted Nov 22 2011, 11:46 AM by CBC | Health News

• Court demands Health Canada re-examine pesticide

  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. Read More... Posted Nov 22 2011, 11:37 AM by CBC | Health News