Carl Djerassi, chemist behind the birth control pill, dead at 91

Obit Carl Djerassi

Carl Djerassi, the chemist widely considered the father of the pill, has died in his San Francisco home - 64 years after he and a research team in Mexico developed a molecule that became the key component for the birth-control method.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1zmJih2

Medical marijuana easily 'dispensed' in Vancouver

First Nations medical marijuana

Marijuana is being openly sold in specialty stores in Vancouver under the guise of a government-approved system meant to limit sales for medical use only, a documentary by the CBC's fifth estate shows.






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Rabies: What to know about the virus in Canada

Hkg8838186

Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are on alert after two families had a frightening brush with a rabid wolf, but how common is the virus across Canada? Here are some things you should know.






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'Precision medicine' project to analyze DNA from 1 million in U.S.

Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday called on Congress to approve spending in medical research that tailors treatment to an individual's genes, moving away from one-size-fits-all care.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1tG6jL6

H7N9 bird flu case confirmed in 2nd B.C. patient

China Bird Flu

A British Columbia man has been confirmed as Canada's second case of H7N9 bird flu.






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Truck-stop health care fills a void for drivers, farmers in U.S.

Marsh-Day-exam

Dr. Rob Marsh practises in a more tranquil setting compared to his days with the U.S. military's elite Delta Force unit - a job that took him to Somalia and other health-care hot spots. Now he has a clinic at a truck stop in Virginia that serves truckers and farmers, who don't always have easy access to care.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1uIf0jk

Doctor won't see you now: Few drop patients with anti-vaccine views in U.S.

Measles Outbreak

With California gripped by a measles outbreak, Dr. Charles Goodman posted a clear notice in his waiting room and on Facebook: His practice will no longer see children whose parents won't get them vaccinated.






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Almost 3,000 Ontario health workers go on strike

Medical patient

The Ontario Nurses' Association says almost 3,000 community health workers are on strike today.






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Canadian seniors satisfied with health-care quality, study finds

hi-doctor-senior-852-cp-isj

Canadian seniors wait longer to see a doctor or nurse but are generally pleased with the quality of care when they do, compared with their counterparts in 10 industrialized countries, according to a new report.






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Flu vaccine effectiveness study signals 'no protection' this year in Canada

Flu vaccine

This year's flu vaccine offers little or no protection in Canada against becoming sick enough to require medical care, a study published Thursday suggests.






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Caution raised over Gordie Howe's Mexican stem cell treatment

Gordie Howe

A McMaster stem cell expert warns that hockey great Gordie Howe may not be experiencing a miracle cure. Gordie Howe's son says the hockey legend's stroke symptoms have improved since his treatment with stem cells at a Mexican clinic in early December and he wants him to repeat the procedure.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1z8EcoK

Man regains use of injured hand using 3D printer

3d printing hand

Cornelius Quiring designs the glove on his computer, and then goes to non-profit Toronto Tool Library to print the exoskeleton of his hand.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1yaSl0r

New B.C. study shows Type 2 diabetes increasing among 30 and under

Diabetes blood sugar test

It's been typically thought of as a disease that affects older populations, but researchers at the Providence Health Care in Vancouver have found that the rate of Type 2 diabetes has surpassed Type 1 diabetes under the age of 30.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1tvcfqb

New Ebola cases per week fall under 100, just, for 1st time since June

Disco Hill/Liberia/Ebola

The number of new confirmed Ebola cases totalled 99 in the week to Jan. 25, the first time the weekly total has fallen below 100 since June 2014, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.






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Psychopathic criminals learn differently from punishment cues

Life in Prison 20150127

The brains of criminal psychopaths learn to respond differently to punishment cues than others in jail and may need more reward-focused treatments, new research from Britain and Montreal suggests.






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Catherine MacLellan hopes to make depression 'kind of normal'

Catherine MacLellan

It was a simple text message, but it hit P.E.I. singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan hard.






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Liver transplant ethics: Should alcoholics be sober first?

Debra.Selkirk

A Toronto woman whose husband died of liver failure in 2010 plans to challenge an Ontario policy that requires alcoholics to be sober six months before they are considered as candidates for a liver transplant.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/15PEF33

Lac-Mégantic residents have high rates of depression, anxiety after 2013 rail disaster

Mélissa Généreux

A report into the health effects of the Lac-Mégantic, Que., train derailment and explosion and oil spill indicates people living there are four times more likely to drink to excess following the disaster.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1BoQWUN

Organ transplants show 'remarkable record of achievement'

hi-helene-campbell-red-flag

Organ transplants saved recipients more than two million years of life, according to a 25-year study.






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Winnipeg's 1st citywide boil-water advisory not a 'no-water event'

water

Winnipeg's first-ever boil-water advisory doesn't mean it should turn into a "no-water event," a city official said a day after the advisory took effect due to an E. coli finding, adding that hand washing is OK.






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Complacency now a concern as Ebola numbers decline

Guinea West Africa Ebola

Complacency looms as a big risk now in the fight against Ebola, those leading the fight against the virus say.






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Streptococcus: What it is and why chickenpox raises risk

hi-strep.jpg

Following the death of a three-year-old Toronto boy, immunologists and microbiology experts explain how the bacterial infection blamed in the tragedy spreads, who’s most at risk, and how chickenpox may be a danger factor.






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Latest videos show 'rough' treatment at Kipnes care home, daughter says

Kipnes

A hidden camera inside a long-term care room at the Kipnes Centre for Veterans has captured more disturbing footage.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1Les1vk

New support program launched for visually impaired teens

CNIB launches new program for teen girls

A new peer support program was launched today by the CNIB in the Maritimes to provide support for visually impaired teenage girls.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1z70XYt

'World cannot walk away' from West Africa's Ebola recovery

Guinea Ebola

Rich countries must act swiftly to repair battered health systems and get cash to millions of families in the three countries hit hardest by the world's worst Ebola outbreak, the international development agency Oxfam






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Young boy dies of infection caused by common bacteria

Ambulance

Health officials are advising parents that a child who attended an east-end daycare centre has died of a bacteria-related infection.






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Thalidomide survivors still hope for funding after Ottawa misses deadline

Thalidomide survivors

The federal government has missed a deadline to provide funding to 95 thalidomide victims. The Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada had given the government until today to announce a funding package.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/18ltpgF

H7N9 bird flu confirmed in B.C. patient

Breaking news

A human case of H7N9 bird flu has been confirmed in B.C., federal health officials confirm.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1C847yU

Medical marijuana reserved for sickest kids by U.S. pediatric academy

Medical Marijuana

With virtually no hard proof that medical marijuana benefits sick children, and evidence that it may harm developing brains, the drug should only be used for severely ill kids who have no other treatment option, the U.S.'s most influential pediatricians group says in a new policy.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1LbzET8

Obesity health strategy in Canada shifts to prevention

Karen Ward

Prevention of even a slight weight gain is key to avert heart disease, cancer and other chronic health problems from setting in at middle age, according to new Canadian guidelines.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1uSeK6S

Clinicians told to rethink prescribing morphine for kids after trials halted

Girl sleeping with her teddy

Clinicians are being asked to rethink post-operative care for children with sleep apnea, and avoid prescribing morphine, following Canadian clinical trials that revealed the drug can cause life-threatening breathing problems.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1CrUvh4

Ontario family makes public plea for twins' liver donor

Liver Transplant 20150123

An Ontario couple are making a public plea for a suitable liver transplant donor to come forward so that both of their ailing twin daughters can have a chance at surviving.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1uOG99G

Ottawa 'bubble boy' needs gene therapy treatment in US

Etienne Blais, bubble boy from Ottawa

The parents of an infant boy from Ottawa say they need to travel to California for permanent treatment for their son's condition, commonly known as the "bubble boy" disorder.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1tdcaXX

Louise Penny speaks out about life after her husband's dementia diagnosis

Louise Penny Alzheimer's disease

The bestselling author and former CBC Radio Noon host explains the highs and lows of "the long goodbye" and coming to terms with a dementia diagnosis.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1CvUqJv

Disney-linked measles outbreak casts light on anti-vaccine movement

Measles California

A major measles outbreak traced to Disneyland has brought criticism down on the small but vocal movement among parents to opt out of vaccinations for their children.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1yCBreT

Let your children out to play so they can learn: Bob McDonald

Youth and Teen Center summer camp, MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif

Childhood obesity, too much screen time, sedentary lifestyles, and cyberbullying are the new threats to the health of young people. One solution is to tear the kids away from their devices and tell them to go outside and play … with other kids.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1yCyaw3

Pharmacists say corporate pressure can lead to prescription mistakes

pharmacy

Some Canadian pharmacists are saying they are under intense pressure to meet business quotas, which causes an assembly-line mentality that increases the likelihood of making mistakes, a Marketplace investigation has revealed.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1E9aC5h

Experimental Ebola vaccine reaches Liberia for trials on health-care workers

HEALTH-EBOLA/LIBERIA

The first batch of GlaxoSmithKline's experimental Ebola vaccine has been shipped to West Africa and is expected to arrive in Liberia later on Friday, the British drugmaker said.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1CIkOO0

Vaping at high temperatures may be dangerous, lab tests suggest

E-cigarette vaping

People who smoke high-voltage e-cigarettes have greater exposure to formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen, than those who keep the voltage low, according to a new study.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1CUI1wV

Watch this legally blind mom's 'overwhelming' moment seeing her baby for 1st time

Kathy Beitz

Despite being legally blind, a Guelph, Ont., woman got to see her son Aksel soon after his birth because of a special device - an experience that allowed her and her husband to bond and fall 'in love' with him.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1ywn7V3

Stress of family caregiving red flagged

taxes-stress

Many people caring for a family member with a long-term health condition, disability or age-related problem say they're very stressed, according to a new report from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1t2anF8

Measles outbreak in California infects 70

SWITZERLAND/

Seventy people have been infected in a measles outbreak that led California public health officials to urge those who haven't been vaccinated against the disease, including children too young to be immunized, should avoid Disney parks where the spread originated.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1CU7CGb

Makayla Sault's death shifts the spotlight to 'J.J's' plight

Hippocrates Health Institute

Tomorrow Makayla Sault's family will lay her to rest. Her death is something many feel could have been prevented. But while it is too late for Makayla, it's not too late for 'J.J.', another young First Nations girl with leukemia who has left chemotherapy.






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4 pharmacy errors that can harm your health

Illegible prescription

How often do serious pharmacy errors happen? Actually, nobody knows. But here are some of the most common reasons for medicine mistakes, and what you can do to avoid them.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/15dPJXj

Refugee health-care advocates criticize government lack of action

refugees 04599471

The federal government hasn't complied with a court ruling that reinstated health care for refugees, advocates are set to argue in court next week, returning to a fight they thought they'd won last July.






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UN Ebola chief calls for final $1 billion US to fight virus

Ebola ambulance

United Nations agencies need a final $1 billion US to fight West Africa's deadly Ebola epidemic as experts move to a new phase involving a massive detective operation to trace remaining cases, the UN Ebola chief says.






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How robot caregivers could improve quality of life for seniors

Goldie Nejat and Casper

Tangy the bingo-playing robot will make its debut as part of pilot study at a long-term care facility in Toronto in the coming weeks.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1yrLd3e

Makayla Sault case reignites debate over a minor's right to refuse treatment

makayla-sault-feature

The death of Makayla Sault, the 11-year-old First Nation girl who was given the right to refuse treatment for leukemia, has again raised the question about when governments should be able to overrule family wishes in life-threatening medical cases.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/158x0wb

Kids free to explore and play are more healthy, study finds

Helicopter.parents

Children permitted to play outdoors on their own or with friends are getting more physical activity than kids who are constantly supervised, a new Canadian study suggests.






from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/1CP0Tx3

Quebec patient tests negative for Ebola

Ebola virus

Quebec public health officials say someone who recently returned from a trip to West Africa with Ebola-like symptoms has tested negative for the deadly virus.






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