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New blood thinner to prevent clots
One of the complications immediately after hip and knee surgery is an increased risk of blood clots called venous thrombosis. Indeed, many people have to take blood thinners by injection daily for about ten days after their surgery. A McMaster University researcher, after four extensive clinical studies, the latest published in the June 26 edition…
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Paying More, Getting Less 2008
Each year the Fraser Institute updates its report on the sustainability of medicare based on the most recent five-year trends. We invite Brett Skinner, Director, Health and Pharmaceutical Policy Research and Insurance Policy at The Fraser Institute to join us every year to review the findings in his report Paying More, Getting Less 2008. Brett…
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E. coli vacine for cattle reduces risk to population
In light of recent reports of E. coli contamination in a Northern Ontario restaurant and now in Southern Ontario communities, the news of the full licensing approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of the world’s first vaccine designed to reduce the shedding by cattle of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a welcome…
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Office testing: Is it a cold or a flu virus?
One of the problems for physicians and patients alike is trying to determine whether a viral respiratory infection is due to a cold virus of the flu among others. This has specific therapeutic and public health implications that would allow accurate advice and prevention measures on a more immediate basis. Dr. James Mahony, Director of…
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Interview with 2008-2009 CMA President Dr. Robert Ouellet
With the future sustainability of our health care system in question, CMA President Dr. Robert Ouellet presented a series of blunt questions in a presentation to the Club Canadien de Toronto on October 21, 2008. These questions were directed at what we are getting for the money we are spending each year, whether people should…
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Link between bacteria and Crohn's disease hypothesized
The investigation and research into the pathophysiology of Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune condition wherein the body’s own immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract, has produced some hypotheses with respect to a possible mechanism that triggers the disease. An article published in the journal Medical Hypotheses, looked at the link between a specific bacterial strain and…
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How some bacteria protect themselves from our immune system
Ever since Dr. Barry Marshall from the University of Western Australia ingested the bacterium H. Pylori to prove that they were the cause of gastric ulcers for which was awarded the Nobel prize for Medicine in 2005, it seems that not all these bacteria are created equal in terms of their cancer–causing potential. Researchers from…
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New insight into how the brain rewires itself after injury
Scientists say they are gaining insight into how the brain rewires itself as it learns new things, potentially helping them move toward better treatments for mental illness and brain injuries. Researchers report in a new study, published in the August 8, 2008 issue of Cell, that a protein appears to tell the brain that it’s…
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endMS campaign
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada announced the launch of endMS, a three-year national campaign with a goal of raising $60 million to fund research activities and establish the endMS Research and Training Network. The Network is a first in the MS community and represents an immediate, dedicated investment to advance Canada’s leadership position in…
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