Ottawa pushed to prosecute Purdue Pharma over 'deceptive' marketing of OxyContin

OxyContin

A decade ago, OxyContin's drugmaker Purdue Pharma settled civil and criminal suits in the U.S. for more than $600 million US. After a recently proposed $20 million settlement in Canada, doctors and lawyers here are calling for criminal prosecution.



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Jurors in fraud trial of 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli begin deliberations

Shkreli

Jurors in New York began deliberating Monday in the federal securities fraud trial of former pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli, who is accused with looting his own drug company to pay back disgruntled investors in two failed hedge funds he ran.



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National park in Newfoundland first to adapt cabin for people with autism

rustic-cabin-Gros-Morne-National-Park

Parks Canada has retrofitted one of its rustic cabins at the Berry Hill Campground to make it friendly for people with autism who want to get close to nature.



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Spate of drug overdoses in Toronto wakeup call, experts say

Fentanyl pills

A rash of drug overdose deaths in Toronto was called unusual by police on the weekend and it generated the kind of publicity all too familiar to residents in Vancouver, which has been grappling with a crisis for years.



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Pursuing the MD dream: How Caribbean-trained Canadian doctors struggle to come home

Lucy Martinek Caribbean medical school

For Canadians wanting to be doctors who left home to chase their dreams, studying abroad offers a second chance but often means not getting to come home.



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'OK doc, I'm rolling': Physicians told to expect patients recording them

Recording doctors

Canadian doctors say they're being recorded by their patients - with or without permission. A physician legal body advises doctor to develop a policy surrounding recordings.



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A new reason to worry about teenage drinking

Teen binge drinking21571951

A look at how teen drinking could contribute to obesity, and a scientist's battle against the marketing unproven stem cell therapies. Read our weekly roundup of eclectic and under-the-radar health and medical science news.



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Breast milk in, cow's milk out: Vegan diet can be healthy for children

Alyx Millham and Xavier

A Regina mother decided to raise her child without eating animal products. A pediatrician agrees it can be a healthy way of eating.



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Charlie Gard, British baby who was focus of legal health battle, has died

Charlie Gard

Critically ill baby Charlie Gard, whose medical and legal story in Britain sparked compassion and controversy around the world, has died just days before his first birthday.



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$65M at stake in fraud trial for 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli

USA-CRIME/SHKRELI

The defence lawyer for Martin Shkreli says the former pharmaceutical CEO would lose a $65-million US stake in a drug company he founded if he's convicted at his securities fraud trial.



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U.S. FDA announces goal to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes

GLOBAL-SMOKING/

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced its goal to make cigarettes less addictive. Analysts argue that the announcements means that FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has sided with e-cigarettes.



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No evidence that finishing your antibiotics reduces resistance, researchers say

still shot antibiotics

By telling their patients to finish their antibiotics, doctors are not only providing advice without any scientific basis — they could also be worsening antibiotic resistance, British experts say.



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Charlie Gard to be sent to hospice after parents, hospital fail to reach agreement

Charlie Gard

A British judge has ordered that critically ill infant Charlie Gard should be moved from a hospital to a hospice, where he will "inevitably" die within a short time.



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'No woman should be treated the way you were': Apology in Saskatoon for women pressured into sterilizations

Jackie Mann

Aboriginal women in Saskatoon who were coerced into having tubal ligation surgery after giving birth often experienced racism and degradation during their hospital visits and have mistrusted the medical system ever since, according to a new report.



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First editing of human embryos carried out in United States

DNA

U.S. scientists have for the first time altered the genes of human embryos — a controversial step toward someday helping babies avoid inherited diseases.



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Travellers to Mexico warned about tainted alcohol after woman dies

Mvd6658341

The U.S. State Department is warning tourists going to Mexico about reports of tainted or substandard alcohol causing drinkers to become sick or pass out.



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Charlie Gard's parents concede he can't die at home

BRITAIN-BABY/

The parents of critically ill infant Charlie Gard concede that he will die in a hospice and not at home as they had previously wished.



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'It's just been so painful': Woman warns against lip-filler house parties after medical crisis

After-mouth-2

A young woman is warning others about the dangers of home lip augmentation and lip-filler parties after a complication left her temporarily disfigured, in excruciating pain and at risk for even more serious side-effects.



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Mom and baby spared traumatic birth after heart surgery performed inside the womb

Baby Sebastian

In what they believe is a world first, a team of Toronto doctors inserted a balloon into a baby's heart wall — while he was still in the womb — to save him from potentially devastating complications after birth.



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Brain study of deceased NFL players shows 99% had signs of CTE

NFL Helmets

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that the brains of 110 out of 111 surveyed NFL players showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease linked to repeated hits to the head. The study's authors are unsure how many current players or living former players suffer from CTE.



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'Very worrisome': Sperm counts have declined by more than half for Western men

Dr. Keith Jarvi looking at sperm sample

Sperm counts for men in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have declined by more than 50 per cent in the last four decades, according to a new study. The researchers, however, found no significant decline among men in South America, Asia and Africa.



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Want to be happier? Hire a housekeeper, researchers suggest

housekeeping

For people who wish there were more hours in the day, spending a bit of money to get rid of onerous tasks would make them much happier, but researchers say very few actually make the investment.



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Aggressive tick whose bite makes people allergic to red meat is arriving in Canada

Les Waters

A tick species from the southeastern U.S, known to cause meat allergies, is hitching rides north.



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Government, Indigenous leaders herald health agreement that will dismantle 'colonial' system

Nishnawbe Aski Nation 20170310

Canada's health minister, the province of Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation have signed a deal on health care, a "landmark" agreement they say will begin the process of decolonizing the provision of care in the province's north.



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Ontario announces new mental health workers for troubled Pikangikum First Nation

Eric Hoskins April 28, 2017

Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins is announcing funding for 20 full-time mental health workers for Pikangikum First Nation — a remote community struggling with a suicide crisis and pressing mental health needs from about 380 people seeking counselling.



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South African child surprises researchers by showing no signs of AIDS years after treatment

HEALTH-AIDS/SAFRICA

The "rare phenomenon" presented at the International AIDS Society conference on Monday is an exception, experts say, as the majority of people infected with HIV require ongoing treatment to control the virus.



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Parents of critically ill infant Charlie Gard end legal battle to save his life

Britain Sick Baby

Chris Gard publicly apologized to his critically ill baby Charlie for not being able to save his life, as he and his wife dropped their legal bid Monday to send him to the United States for an experimental treatment after new medical tests showed the window of opportunity to help him had closed.



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Stroke survivors face complication risks for years longer than commonly thought

Ron LaCombe

When someone survives a stroke or mini-stroke, they're at substantial risk of another stroke or admission to a long-term care facility for at least five years afterward, Canadian neurologists say.



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Protesters rally to support baby Charlie Gard's parents as hospital reports threats

Britain Sick Baby

Protesters in London backing the fight of British parents of a critically ill baby to get him an experimental medical treatment in the U.S. plan a rally and prayer vigil Sunday, as hospital officials say they have received death threats.



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SECOND OPINION | It's war! Debunkers take on actress Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP and celebrity pseudoscience

Gwyneth Paltrow

War on GOOP breaks out into the open and a second look at sweetener scare. Read our weekly roundup of eclectic and under-the-radar health and medical science news.



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The lost art of play: No resilience without risk, says researcher

Playground

Parents might want to shield their children from unpleasant experiences but experts say that playing it too safe is actually harmful.



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'It's an epidemic': Sexual abuse and suicide rate among Indigenous youth

Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux

Sexual abuse is being understood as the continuation of a shared legacy that dates back to residential schools.



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Yemen cholera outbreak to spread with monsoon rains, 600,000 cases expected

YEMEN-SECURITY/CHOLERA

As Yemen's rainy season begins, the World Health Organization and Oxfam are worried that the country's citizens will be affected by the worst outbreak of cholera in recorded history.



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'This case touched us very deeply:' CDC reports contaminated breast pump tied to preterm infant's infection

Breast milk bag and bottles

There are concrete steps women can take to keep breast milk safe, officials say after a preterm infant developed severe meningitis when her mother's breast pump became contaminated.



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National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg gets $5M to expand Ebola containment lab

The Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health located in Winnipeg

The federal government is putting millions more into Canada's National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg to help detect high-risk infectious diseases such as Ebola and other types of Avian influenza faster.



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'I was actually offended': Man on Indigenous cancer therapies initially told oncologist wouldn't monitor him

Ric Richardson

A terminal cancer patient in Saskatchewan believes his choice to be treated using traditional Indigenous medicines rather than chemotherapy was initially disrespected by a specialist in the province, which has since taken action.



from CBC | Health News http://ift.tt/2ub7jtr

Hamilton doc sits in sweltering car to show parents the risks to their kids

Anthony Crocco

Crocco's skin is getting clammy. The sweat trickles down his back. For 15 grueling minutes, he sits in the stifling 40 C heat. But he's in there to make a point – when parents leave kids in hot cars, they're gambling with their lives.



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Manufacturer urges standards for wire bristle barbecue brushes

food on BBQ

A Canadian manufacturer says safety standards need to be imposed on wire bristle barbecue brushes sold in this country.



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For 1st time, over half of people with HIV taking AIDS drugs

world aids day kathmandu

For the first time in the global AIDS epidemic that has spanned four decades and killed 35 million people, more than half of all those infected with HIV are on drugs to treat the virus, the United Nations said in a report released Thursday.



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1 in 3 dementia cases are potentially preventable: report

Crossword puzzle dementia

Dementia may be viewed as unavoidable, but one in three cases could be prevented through lifestyle and social changes, a new review suggests.



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Small pool of doctors treat majority of Ontarians with opioid addiction: study

Opioid Treatment Georgia

A small proportion of Ontario doctors who treat people battling opioid addictions prescribe the majority of the medications used to treat the disorder, a study has found, raising concerns about the quality of patient care and access to therapy.



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Parasite worms its way into Alberta, infecting humans through dogs, coyotes

hi-grey-wolf-852-00501078

University of Alberta scientists are alerting the public to a potentially lethal tapeworm, which infects humans through the feces of coyotes and dogs.



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'Inadequate and insulting': Sask. family unhappy doctor not disciplined after boy burned during cast removal

Burns from cast removal Elias McWalter

A Saskatoon area couple whose son received second-degree burns while having a fibreglass cast removed is disappointed that the College of Physicians and Surgeons is not recommending mandatory training for doctors who perform the procedure.



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'Remarkable' boy with double hand transplant surpasses his goals — and doctor's

Double Hand Transplant Child

The first child in the world to receive a double hand transplant is able to write, feed and dress himself on his own, just 18 months after surgery.



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9/11 survivors face higher risk of heart and lung problems

hi-911-firefighter-cp-rtrmk

Intense exposure on the first day of the September 11, 2001 disaster could increase the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart and lung disease, a new study suggests.



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British surgeons find mass of contact lenses in patient's eye

Mass of contact lenses

Doctors at a hospital in England were surprised to find a mass of contact lenses in a 67-year-old patient's eye, during what should have been routine cataract surgery.



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U.S. doctor meets specialists treating Charlie Gard in U.K.

Britain Sick Baby

A U.S. doctor specializing in treating rare genetic conditions is meeting with other specialists treating Charlie Gard, assessing the critically ill 11-month-old for the first time.



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This woman wanted to show what mental illness is really like, so she created a videogame

Alana Zablocki

Zablocki, a 28-year-old transgender woman, has been in and out of hospital psychiatric wards eight or nine times in the last three years, and found it difficult to convey her experiences to her family and friends. She started writing the online "choose-your-own-adventure" novel just a few days after her last stay.



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Anorexia film To the Bone triggers tears, painful memories at special screening

to-the-bone-screening-crying

Alison Rogers has been struggling to keep her eating disorder under control for years, but she says she's particularly vulnerable these days. Still, she attended a special screening of the Netflix film To the Bone organized by a Toronto centre that helps people with eating disorders.



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Vancouver drug users' group was once called militant. Now it's leading the prevention charge

VANDU

Ann Livingston, a founding member of VANDU, says the group's first meeting was at a park 20 years ago.



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