Latest health news from The Canadian Press - Health and Fitness - Lifestyle - MSN CA

This year's flu shot offered little to elderly

2013-02-21T13:19:34-05:00

TORONTO - This year's flu vaccine provided little protection to people 65 and older who got a shot, new data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reveal.

Hockey shock: Harper offers heart help in arenas

2013-02-21T12:06:26-05:00

SASKATOON - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is going ahead with a plan to put heart defibrillators in recreational hockey arenas across the country.

Natural health product recalled due to bacteria

2013-02-21T13:19:37-05:00

OTTAWA - The maker of Vega One French Vanilla is recalling three lots of the natural health product after testing revealed evidence of bacteria that could pose a risk to consumers with weakened immune systems.

Wasting disease not expected to spread in moose

2013-02-20T18:39:50-05:00

EDMONTON - Alberta officials say the discovery of one moose with chronic wasting disease doesn't mean the infection could spread through the province's entire population of the animals.

UK coronavirus cluster may have had 4th case

2013-02-21T04:00:12-05:00

TORONTO - The current cluster of novel coronavirus cases in Britain may have included another infection, a World Health Organization official says.

Doc groups issue list of overused tests, therapies

2013-02-21T00:38:22-05:00

WASHINGTON - Don't be afraid to question your doctor and ask, "Do I really need that?"

Health CEO to tackle overcrowding problems

2013-02-20T22:39:32-05:00

REGINA - The CEO of the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region says too many people are staying too long in hospital.

Public clinic allowed private queue-jumping

2013-02-20T19:23:02-05:00

CALGARY - The head of the publicly funded Colon Cancer Screening Centre conceded Wednesday that patients from one private clinic were allowed to jump the queue.

Conservatives muzzled scientists: law group

2013-02-20T17:55:58-05:00

OTTAWA - The Conservative government is being accused of suppressing the release of scientific information in what an environmental law group describes as a threat to democracy and a breach of the federal Access to Information Act.

Scientists use 3-D printing to help grow an ear

2013-02-20T17:06:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Printing out body parts? Cornell University researchers showed it's possible by creating a replacement ear using a 3-D printer and injections of living cells.

E. coli triggers new widespread beef recall

2013-02-20T14:32:09-05:00

OTTAWA - Health officials are investigating another massive cross-country beef recall after frozen burgers sold by Canada Safeway Ltd. tested positive for E. coli bacteria.

Ex-smokers regain health status, but takes years

2013-02-20T12:31:46-05:00

TORONTO - People who quit smoking can acquire the same health status as people of their age who never smoked. But the process takes time, two new studies suggest.

Loblaw recalls salsa due to plastic bits

2013-02-20T01:46:37-05:00

BRAMPTON, Ont. - Loblaw Companies Ltd. is advising the public not to eat certain salsa products because they may contain pieces of plastic.

B.C. doctors on notice for fee cuts

2013-02-19T19:40:08-05:00

VICTORIA - The British Columbia government is girded for tough negotiations with its doctors, telling physicians it's time for them to do their part after other public servants suffered through wage freezes in recent years.

Clinic's staff refutes queue-jumping allegations

2013-02-19T21:09:00-05:00

CALGARY - Two operators of a private Calgary health centre concede they tried to end-run the booking procedures at a publicly funded cancer-screening clinic, but not to get their patients pushed to the front of the line.

New coronavirus easily infects lung cells

2013-02-19T18:09:17-05:00

TORONTO - British authorities announced Tuesday that another person has died from infection with the new coronavirus as European scientists revealed the new virus easily infects the cells of the airways of the human lung.

Baby wrongly declared dead likely hypothermic

2013-02-19T18:02:52-05:00

TORONTO - A drop in core temperature due to exposure to severe cold can slow the metabolism so much that a person can appear to be dead, say doctors, who believe that was likely the case with a newborn girl who had been declared dead on the weekend but "came back" to life.

Drug overdose deaths up for 11th consecutive year

2013-02-19T17:57:29-05:00

CHICAGO - Drug overdose deaths rose for the 11th straight year, federal data show, and most of them were accidents involving addictive painkillers despite growing attention to risks from these medicines.

Seals could help research into human sleep

2013-02-19T17:06:22-05:00

TORONTO - Some new insight into the sleeping patterns of seals could help shed light on the chemicals that lull humans to slumber, researchers said Tuesday.

Costlier robotic surgery soars for hysterectomies

2013-02-19T16:07:25-05:00

CHICAGO - Robotic surgery is increasingly being used for women's hysterectomies, adding at least $2,000 to the cost without offering much benefit over less high-tech methods, a study found.

Flu shot did poor job against worst bug in seniors

2013-02-21T12:18:16-05:00

ATLANTA - For those 65 and older, this season's flu shot is only 9 per cent effective against the most common and dangerous flu bug, according to a startling new government report.

CDC app lets you solve disease outbreaks at home

2013-02-19T14:34:55-05:00

ATLANTA - You may not be a disease detective, but now you can play one at home.

Study seeks to explain aboriginal stillbirths

2013-02-19T12:54:00-05:00

MONTREAL - A new study has detected significantly higher stillbirth rates in aboriginal populations than in non-aboriginal ones in Quebec, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.

Throne speech first test for new premier

2013-02-19T04:01:00-05:00

TORONTO - Premier Kathleen Wynne will reach out to the opposition parties in Tuesday's throne speech, meeting some key elements on the Conservative and New Democrat agendas as the legislature gets back to business, The Canadian Press has learned.

Public likes docs in white coats: survey

2013-02-18T20:28:26-05:00

TORONTO - Appearances count, it seems, even when a loved one's life may be hanging in the balance.

Hospital mistakenly declared baby dead

2013-02-18T18:27:07-05:00

TORONTO - A Toronto hospital says it's launching an investigation after a newborn baby was mistakenly declared dead.

Hip implants a bit more likely to fail in women

2013-02-18T16:29:53-05:00

CHICAGO - Hip replacements are slightly more likely to fail in women than in men, according to one of the largest studies of its kind in U.S. patients. The risk of the implants failing is low, but women were 29 per cent more likely than men to need a repeat surgery within the first three years.

Wasting disease won't spread in moose: Alberta

2013-02-20T16:59:55-05:00

EDMONTON - Alberta government officials say the discovery of one moose with chronic wasting disease doesn't mean the infection could spread through province's entire population of the animals.

Law group launches muzzled science complaint

2013-02-20T16:35:01-05:00

OTTAWA - The federal information commissioner is being asked to investigate the suppression of scientific information by the Harper government.

Plant-based eating good for health: dietitian

2013-02-18T14:31:31-05:00

TORONTO - Leslie Beck has long been a proponent of the health benefits of a plant-based diet. But what really resonated with her when researching her latest book was the treatment of animals and the strain that is put on the environment by large industrial-style agricultural and fish-farming operations.

Program teaches smokers to run from addiction

2013-02-18T13:53:28-05:00

HALIFAX - The unseasonably hot May sun was beating down on a panting Kim Smith as she willed her legs up Citadel Hill — a climb in the annual Halifax Blue Nose marathon that even avid runners loathe.

Possible E. coli prompts burger recall

2013-02-20T02:36:02-05:00

OTTAWA - Some frozen beef burgers sold by Canada Safeway Ltd. are being recalled because they may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria

Clinic doctor denies donors jumped queue

2013-02-19T14:43:38-05:00

CALGARY - A physician from a private health clinic at the centre of a queue-jumping scandal denies saying the clinic was set up to reward deep-pocket donors from the University of Calgary.

Private Calgary clinic denies queue-jumping

2013-02-19T13:43:00-05:00

CALGARY - The manager of a private Calgary health clinic admits it tried to end-run the queue at a public cancer screening centre, but not to get patients first in line.

Health care spending growth slowing: report

2012-10-30T15:10:00-04:00

OTTAWA - Growth in health-care spending is forecast to continue to slow this year, largely because of a sluggish economy and budgetary deficits, says a newly released report.

Novartis working round the clock on flu shot issue

2012-10-30T15:09:22-04:00

TORONTO - A senior executive with the pharmaceutical giant Novartis says the company is working around the clock to provide countries with the information they need to release flu vaccines currently being withheld from distribution.

Meningitis outbreak toll: 363 cases, 28 deaths

2012-10-30T15:02:21-04:00

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. The medication, made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, has been recalled.

Hospitals should make flu shots mandatory: Journal

2012-10-29T15:34:06-04:00

TORONTO - The Canadian Medical Association Journal has added its voice to calls for mandatory flu shots for health-care workers.

US meningitis outbreak not affecting Canada

2012-10-30T13:08:29-04:00

OTTAWA - Health Canada says the meningitis outbreak that has claimed at least 25 lives in the United States is not affecting Canada.

Mammograms: For 1 life saved, 3 women overtreated

2012-10-29T20:12:20-04:00

LONDON - Breast cancer screening for women over 50 saves lives, an independent panel in Britain has concluded, confirming findings in U.S. and other studies.

Sheep cheese recalled in Listeria scare

2012-10-30T00:32:44-04:00

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced the recall of the Krinos brand of Mini Kashkaval Cheese because of possible Listeria contamination.

New advice helps spot deadly illness in kids

2012-10-30T00:04:11-04:00

TORONTO - A group of concerned pediatric cardiologists are trying their best to ensure that other children don't die the way Dan Miller did.

Wall urges Ghiz to pay up for Movember

2012-10-29T19:15:06-04:00

REGINA - Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is throwing down the gauntlet — or perhaps the razor — to Prince Edward Island Premier Robert Ghiz.

Saskatchewan flu clinics remain closed

2012-10-29T18:43:45-04:00

REGINA - Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan says the province expects to know in a day or so when flu shot clinics can reopen.

Humour in podcasts helps the medicine go down

2012-10-29T16:51:48-04:00

Medicine can be a pretty serious business, but one would never know that listening to the banter — much of it self-deprecating — between B.C. clinical pharmacist James McCormack and Alberta family doctor Mike Allan.

Meningitis outbreak toll: 354 cases in 19 states

2012-10-29T15:27:29-04:00

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. The medication, made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, has been recalled.

Sudden death not caused by exercise

2012-10-29T00:01:16-04:00

TORONTO - The stories are always shocking: A young, often super fit teenager or young adult drops like a stone during an athletic event, dead before they hit the ground.

B.C. halts use of questioned flu vaccine

2012-10-28T15:03:24-04:00

VICTORIA - British Columbia's supply of flu vaccine has been reduced by 30 per cent just as the seasonal campaign to get a shot kicks off, but the province's top health officer doesn't expect flu clinics to be affected.

Flu shots continue across much of Prairies

2012-10-27T18:52:15-04:00

EDMONTON - Clinics for influenza shots are continuing across much of the Prairies, even though they've been suspended in Saskatchewan due to a concern about vaccines made by Novartis.

Nova Scotia government says flu shots safe

2012-10-27T15:38:10-04:00

HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government says the province's influenza vaccine is not affected by Ottawa's stop-use order of flu shots made by Novartis.

US: Pharmacy tied to outbreak knew of bacteria

2012-10-27T09:14:18-04:00

WASHINGTON - Staffers at a pharmacy linked to the deadly meningitis outbreak documented dozens of cases of mould and bacteria growing in rooms that were supposed to be sterile, according to federal health inspectors.

Crown chocolate coated raisins allergy alert

2012-10-27T00:54:53-04:00

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning that Crown brand Bitter Chocolate Coated Raisins may contain milk that is not declared on the label.

Canada suspends dispersal of Novartis flu shots

2012-10-26T23:38:47-04:00

TORONTO - Canada is following the lead of several European countries and suspending distribution of flu vaccine made by the pharmaceutical firm Novartis.

Death confirmed in Manitoba from hantavirus

2012-10-26T18:23:24-04:00

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Health says a person has died from complications due to hantavirus.

Wall wants 'stache over objections of staff

2012-10-26T16:39:17-04:00

REGINA - Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall wants to grow a moustache for Movember despite the disappointment of his staff and — more importantly — his wife.

Meningitis outbreak toll: 338 cases, 25 deaths

2012-10-26T14:22:09-04:00

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. The medication, made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, has been recalled.

Five kids sick at AGO, taken to hospital

2012-10-26T14:08:40-04:00

TORONTO - The Art Gallery of Ontario says Toronto fire officials have determined air in the building wasn't responsible for making a number of schoolchildren ill this morning.

Cancer workers find cure for no contract

2012-10-26T11:01:15-04:00

SASKATOON - Unionized workers at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency have voted in favour of a four-year contract.

Clef Des Champs products recalled

2012-10-26T09:25:22-04:00

OTTAWA - A number of Clef Des Champs brand products have been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.

Students urge peers to 'stick it' to fast food

2012-10-26T08:45:49-04:00

TORONTO - Student leaders in Ontario say it's time their peers took a stand against the food they face in cafeterias and in the fast food restaurants that often ring schools.

Premier says health spending a priority

2012-10-25T22:59:01-04:00

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. - Plans have been finalized for a new hospital in Grande Prairie, Alta.

Allowing assisted suicide too risky: Ottawa

2012-10-25T18:01:21-04:00

VANCOUVER - Legalizing doctor-assisted suicide would demean the value of life and could lead vulnerable people to take drastic steps in "moments of weakness," the federal government argues in its appeal of a court decision that struck down the ban on the practice.

Unprecedented 'black mould' meningitis a challenge

2012-10-25T17:20:48-04:00

WASHINGTON - The black mould creeping into the spines of hundreds of people who got tainted shots for back pain marks uncharted medical territory.

Hockey Canada unveils new concussion app

2012-10-25T16:16:17-04:00

TORONTO - Hockey Canada has launched a new smartphone app aimed at reducing brain injuries in the sport.

Nova Scotia Health Department hiring auditors

2012-10-25T16:03:08-04:00

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's Health Department says it will hire seven internal auditors in an effort to ensure funds are well spent.

Calgary Catholic schools revisit HPV vaccine

2012-10-25T15:52:46-04:00

CALGARY - Calgary's Catholic school district will review its policy against allowing students to be vaccinated for the virus that causes cervical and other types of cancers.

Arsenic prompts 'Pollen Allergy' recall

2012-10-25T14:39:50-04:00

OTTAWA - Health Canada says a natural health product formerly named "Pollen Allergy" is being recalled because it contains unsafe arsenic levels.

B.C. halts use of flu vaccine as precaution

2012-10-27T19:14:27-04:00

Meningitis outbreak toll: 328 cases, 24 deaths

2012-10-25T14:20:14-04:00

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. The medication, made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, has been recalled.

Addiction counsellors laid off in Cape Breton

2012-10-25T12:17:53-04:00

SYDNEY, N.S. - The Cape Breton District Health Authority says it is laying off six counsellor attendants who work in addiction and recovery programs.

Manitoba to test power stretchers

2012-10-25T12:01:29-04:00

WINNIPEG - Manitoba paramedics are trying out new power-assisted stretchers aimed at reducing back injuries.

US pharmacy dodged reprimand after protest

2012-10-24T22:46:48-04:00

BOSTON - Regulators in 2004 proposed a formal reprimand for a company now linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak, but they never delivered it after the company protested the reprimand could be "fatal to the business."

Mass. pharmacy dodged reprimand after protest

2012-10-24T21:56:57-04:00

BOSTON - Massachusetts regulators in 2004 proposed a formal reprimand for a company now linked to deadly meningitis outbreak, but they never delivered it after the company protested the reprimand could be "fatal to the business."

CPR less likely for minorities on street or home

2012-10-24T19:49:16-04:00

CHICAGO - People who collapse from cardiac arrest in poor black neighbourhoods are half as likely to get CPR from family members at home or bystanders on the street as those in better-off white neighbourhoods, according to a study that found the reasons go beyond race.

Mexico declares end to bird flu outbreak

2012-10-24T19:38:48-04:00

MEXICO CITY - Mexico says an outbreak of the H7N3 bird flu virus in western Mexico has been "totally controlled" after 68 days without any reports of new cases.

Brain health topic of e-cookbook 'Mindfull'

2012-10-24T19:05:38-04:00

TORONTO - A team of experts has cooked up a new book that interweaves scientific facts about brain health with some tips on lifestyle choices in an effort to reduce users' likelihood of developing dementia.

Study: Cancer patients overestimate chemo

2012-10-24T17:29:21-04:00

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Most patients getting chemotherapy for incurable lung or colon cancers mistakenly believe that the treatment can cure them rather than just buy them some more time or ease their symptoms, a major study suggests. Researchers say doctors either are not being honest enough with patients or people are in denial that they have a terminal disease.

Ontario failing to help cops with PTSD:report

2012-10-24T17:24:31-04:00

TORONTO - Badly needed changes that would help traumatized provincial police officers cope with operational stress injuries are getting the "bureaucratic brush-off" from the Ontario Provincial Police and the government, Ontario's ombudsman charged Wednesday.

Study: Aspirin may help treat some colon cancers

2012-10-24T17:17:38-04:00

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Aspirin, one of the world's oldest and cheapest drugs, has shown remarkable promise in treating colon cancer in people with mutations in a gene that's thought to play a role in the disease.

News Summary: Meningitis pharmacy investigated

2012-10-24T16:23:36-04:00

DISTRESSING DISCOVERY: An investigation into a Massachusetts pharmacy at the centre of a deadly meningitis outbreak has found conditions including leaky boilers, dirty floor mats and drugs shipped out without sterility tests.

Panel: Pregnant women, get whooping cough shot

2012-10-24T13:14:01-04:00

ATLANTA - An expert panel is urging every expecting mother to get a shot preventing whooping cough, preferably in the last three months of her pregnancy to help protect her baby.

Mass. gov.: Fungus seen at meningitis-linked firm

2012-10-23T22:52:52-04:00

BOSTON - State officials investigating a pharmacy linked to a deadly outbreak of meningitis said Tuesday they found shoddy sterilization practices and unclean conditions there, including debris-covered floor mats and standing water from a leaking boiler.

XL Foods plant getting licence back: CFIA

2012-10-23T19:07:58-04:00

OTTAWA - Canada's food-safety watchdog restored the operating licence Tuesday for a southern Alberta meat-packing plant at the centre of a massive recall of tainted beef, and also launched a review of the E. coli crisis that sickened at least 16 people.

Self-harm by prisoners triples in five years

2012-10-23T17:53:37-04:00

OTTAWA - The number of prisoners harming themselves in federal penitentiaries has almost tripled in the last five years, says a new study from the federal correction investigator.

Tories shrug off medal for repeat offender

2012-10-23T17:21:37-04:00

OTTAWA - The tough-on-crime Conservative cabinet is taking a hands-off approach to a Diamond Jubilee medal being awarded to a repeat offender jailed for harassing women over abortion.

Ontario doctors launch anti-obesity drive

2012-10-23T15:39:22-04:00

TORONTO - Ontario doctors have launched an assault on obesity, saying society should aggressively fight the epidemic using the tools that have made major inroads in the battle against smoking.

Roche probed for not reporting side effects

2012-10-23T15:25:31-04:00

LONDON - Europe's top drug regulator announced Tuesday it is taking action against pharmaceutical giant Roche for allegedly failing to properly report the side effects of 19 drugs being used by U.S. patients.

Province expands vision loss treatment

2012-10-23T15:25:17-04:00

SYDNEY, N.S. - The Nova Scotia government is expanding its treatment for a chronic retina disease that leads to vision loss.

Meningitis outbreak toll: 308 cases, 17 states

2012-10-23T14:51:35-04:00

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. The medication, made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, has been recalled.

News Summary: Roche probed over lack of reports

2012-10-23T13:25:40-04:00

SERIOUS CHARGE: Europe's top drug regulator is taking action against pharmaceutical giant Roche for allegedly failing to properly report the side effects of 19 drugs being used by U.S. patients. The regulator added there was no evidence that users of Roche's drugs were at risk.

Recession deals blow to Canadian well-being

2012-10-23T04:30:08-04:00

OTTAWA - Canada's economy may well be muddling through, but on a more personal level, Canadians generally are not, a new study of well-being suggests.

Report: Most women need Paps every 3 or 5 years

2012-10-22T22:35:22-04:00

Most women can wait three to five years between checks for cervical cancer, depending on their age and test choice, say guidelines issued Monday.

State officials find problems at Mass. pharmacy

2012-10-24T03:09:01-04:00

BOSTON - Water from a leaking boiler collected just outside a room that was supposed to be sterile. Floor mats used by technicians were filled with dirt and debris. Drugs were shipped out before the company even confirmed they were sterile.

Ex-vets board member shamed by vets' treatment

2012-10-22T19:05:20-04:00

OTTAWA - A former member of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board began a stinging critique of the agency Monday by laying his service medals on a table in front of members of Parliament and declaring the condescending treatment of ex-soldiers precluded him from wearing the decorations in good conscience.

Overcrowding peaks at Regina General Hospital

2012-10-22T18:13:20-04:00

REGINA - Overcrowding at one Regina hospital has reached a new high for this year.

Ont failing to help cops with PTSD: report

2012-10-24T14:08:10-04:00

TORONTO - An Ontario watchdog says the government and Ontario Provincial Police are failing to help officers suffering from operational stress injuries — leading to tragic results.

Toronto considering expanded smoking ban

2012-10-22T16:48:46-04:00

TORONTO - Toronto's board of health says it will go ahead with public consultations on a proposed expansion of the city's smoking ban.

FDA: 5 reported deaths with Monster drink link

2012-10-22T16:28:34-04:00

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it's investigating reports of five deaths and a non-fatal heart attack linked to highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drinks.

Pediatricians offer first report on organic foods

2012-10-22T16:05:47-04:00

CHICAGO - Parents who want to reduce their kids' exposure to pesticides may seek out organic fruits and vegetables, but they aren't necessarily safer or more nutritious than conventional foods, the nation's leading pediatricians group says in its first advice on organics.