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CT angiography efficacy in chest pain assessment
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in Canada. When a person presents to the emergency room with chest pain a battery of tests and monitoring are done to determine if the patient is experiencing a heart attack. For some patients, these tests are not conclusive but doctors are reluctant to let them…
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Pharmacists gain right to prescribe in Alberta
Under the new Alberta Government Pharmacy and Drug Act that came into force April 2, 2007, patients running low on prescription drugs will be able to get an emergency refill from their local pharmacy. The Alberta Government’s intention is to help improve access to drug treatment by expanding the role of the province’s pharmacists and…
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Improving cardiovascular disease risk assessment for women
One of the challenges has been to accurately predict a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Various risk calculators have been developed based on 50 years of research. With each revision of the tools used to calculate heart disease and stroke risk, new evidenced-based information is added to improve its accuracy and prevent disease.…
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A new non-surgical treatment for leg blood clots
Deep vein thrombosis or DVT occurs when a large clot forms in the larger veins of the leg or thigh. It can have potentially life threatening consequences if a piece of the clot breaks away and travels to the lung. Early intervention and treatment can reduce this risk. Treatment can last for months using blood…
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Access Delayed, Access Denied 2007 report
A caller to Sunday House Call recently enquired about the drug approval process and why there seems to be certain medications available in other countries but not in Canada? According to a report entitled Access Delayed, Access Denied published by The Fraser Institute, Brett Skinner, Director, Health, Pharmaceutical and Insurance Policy Research states that “the…
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Vitamin D and risk of falls in the elderly
There has been a plethora of medical stories about Vitamin D research recently and a growing body of evidence linking its deficiency to diseases such as colon and breast cancer. Other studies have suggested that it can reduce the risk of MS and stress fractures in young athletic women. A study published in the Journal…
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Our very human risk perception process
Why is our society so risk-adverse when evidence suggests we are safer and healthier than ever before? How we form judgments about risk and the fact that we have both a conscious/rational mind and an unconscious mind that uses certain rules of thumb that can go very wrong? How do special interest groups and “health-fear…
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Protein intakes relationship with cancer risk
A great deal of research connects nutrition with cancer risk. Overweight people are at higher risk of developing post-menopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer and a certain type of esophageal cancer. Now preliminary findings from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest that eating less protein may help…
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Blood thinner medications and risk of brain hemmorhages
The use of anticoagulant medications (warfarin (coumadin)) commonly referred to as blood thinners is an important therapeutic choice in preventing strokes and blood clots. A study, published in the January 9, 2007, issue of the journal Neurology looked at the outcomes of its use especially in the older population. It showed that the rate of…
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