Colon cancer is a common and often deadly cancer that claims many Canadians annually.
Chronic back pain, commonly defined as that lasting more than three months, is a debilitating condition that poses a major health problem in developed countries. From a societal perspective, it exacts a huge burden as a result of lost productivity and significant healthcare costs through disability payments.
Influenza, or flu, is an infectious respiratory disease that is contracted by millions of North Americans every year. While a nuisance for most of those who catch it, influenza can also lead to serious and even deadly complications.
Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease, and is the No. 1 killer of Canadian men and women. Coronary arteries are blood vessels found on the outside of the heart
that deliver oxygen-rich blood to heart muscle. CAD occurs when these
vessels develop narrowings caused by fatty plaques that build up on the
Can a treatment for diabetes damage your heart? A recent study has raised this possibility. One of the fastest growing global epidemics is Type 2 diabetes. According to statistics from the Canadian Diabetes Association, more than 2 million Canadians have diabetes, and this is anticipated to rise to 3 million by the end of the decade. What’s more – and this is quite alarming – the condition is being diagnosed in a growing number of children.
The recently approved vaccine for the virus linked to cervical cancer has generated enormous media attention – as well as heated debate among some health professionals. Many parents of young girls are wondering whether they should have their daughters vaccinated. First, let’s consider some important background information and then take a closer look at the study that summarizes the landscape of cervical cancer prevention.
A cheap and simple device may be able to reap enormous benefits through an important lifestyle change. This instalment of HealthWatch looks at the evidence for pedometers as a way of promoting physical activity as well as the specifics of how to make them work.
It’s no secret that the holidays and transition into a new year spell depression for many people experiencing loneliness, difficult life events or loss.
Can smokers beat lung cancer with a CT scan?
Most vitamins have proven disappointing in the area of cancer prevention when subjected to rigorous scientific evaluation.
Strokes can be devastating, but can some of them be prevented?
Medical journals are the primary means through which physicians and, to some degree, patients, get information for healthcare decisions.
How do you avoid getting sicker while admitted to hospital? Most people might think that cleanliness and avoiding superbugs are the keys to surviving a hospital stay but a more important and largely preventable condition relates to the development of blood clots. The trouble is that some hospitals may be failing the grade in this regard. This week’s HealthWatch examines research that sheds light on the problem and looks at what patients and their families can do to help.
What if one of the most widely used medical therapies was being called into question by some of the world’s leading specialists?
In the world of medicine, many diseases and conditions are clear-cut and relatively easy to diagnose and treat.
Being overweight is bad for your health, but does it matter where that excess weight resides?
“He was only 45 years old, perfectly healthy, and died of a cardiac
arrest.” Many of us have heard this sad lament and wonder how this
Millions of people around the world are taking, or at one time took, supplements of vitamins C, E or beta-carotene as a means of improving their health. Many would even swear by their perceived benefits. Can all those people be wrong?: Can consuming supplements actually increase your risk of death? This edition of Healthwatch takes a close look at the latest controversy about vitamins and longevity.
MONTREAL – Do nicotine replacement therapies really work? Some smokers seem to have been able to quit with the help of these products, while others have failed to break the habit despite their use.
HealthWatch runs every other week as a regular Gazette feature where medical journalist Evra Taylor Levy and emergency physician Eddy Lang help make sense of sometimes contradictory medical research.