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Cooling the body may reduce extent of traumatic brain injuries
A review published in this week’s The Lancet claims that induced hypothermia is underused in the UK and in the USA. This practice of deliberately cooling the body is capable of preventing or limiting permanent injuries if it is employed within the first couple of hours of a clinical event. Dr. Klees Polderman, Department of…
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Regenerating retinal cells in the eye
Eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration result in the loss of vision in a slow and unrelenting fashion due to the deteriorating and damaged retina. A team of scientists at the Schepens Eye Research Institute and Harvard Medical School has published a study in the March issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual…
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Lung Association calls for universally accessible smoking cessation supports for all smokers
The Lung Association is calling for universally accessible smoking cessation supports for all smokers living in Canada. This recommendation is based on the results of its new report entitled “Making Quit Happen: Canada’s Challenges to Smoking Cessation”. Dr. Anthony D’Urzo, MD, MSc, BPHE, CCFP, FCFP, Family Physician and Director of Primary Care Lung Clinic, Toronto…
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Health Council of Canada's report on health care
Health Council of Canada’s latest report to Canadians, Rekindling Reform: Health Care Renewal in Canada, 2003 to 2008 released this week reviews governments’ efforts to fulfill promises and intentions for health reform that began in 2003 with the 2003 Accord on Health Care Renewal. What are the results of the billions of dollars committed to…
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The effects of anti-psychotic drug use in older people with dementia
An ICES study recently reported that older adults with dementia who receive short-term courses of antipsychotic medications are more likely to experience a serious adverse event requiring hospitalization than those who do not take the drugs. Dr. Paula Rochon, MD, MPH, FRCPC Senior Scientist and Assistant Director at the Kunin Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit –…
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Breast cancer cell signals blocked with new approach
Research into breast cancer treatments continues apace and a new study to be presented at the end of May at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago introduces us to a new treatment that blocks signals within the cancer cell that cause it to grow and spread. Dr. Kathy Pritchard, Senior scientist…
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France's health care system
While politicians are reluctant to discuss changes to improve our health care system that include private services, other countries have implemented systems that would be considered heresy in Canada. One such country is France. The Montreal Economic Institute has published an Economic Note on France’s health care system following the Castonguay report on Quebec’s system…
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People with schizophrenia have increased risk of hospital readmissions from relapses
Schizophrenia affects 1 in 100 Canadians. For some, the disease is a series of admissions and readmissions to hospital to treat relapses and comorbidities associated with the disease. According to a new analysis from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, many schizophrenic patients discharged from a general hospital found themselves back on the hospital doorstep…
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