Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Health & Wellness

’Giant colon’ aimed at promoting prevention of colorectal cancer, screening

TORONTO — Um ... OK ... it’s an embarrassing topic for many people. You know, butts and intestines and bowel movements and all that. But when it comes to saving lives by preventing colon cancer, let’s face it, there’s no such thing as too much information.

Motor function of stroke patients improves using Wii games, small study finds

TORONTO — A Wii bit of therapy using virtual reality game technology provided measurable benefits to stroke patients taking part in a small pilot study, researchers reported Thursday.

Doping in sport more covert, small scale than in Ben Johnson’s day: IOC official

VANCOUVER — Doping in Olympic sport is more covert and small scale today than in Ben Johnson’s era of the 1980s and 1990s, the head of the International Olympic Committee’s medical commission says.

Canadians live longer than ever; highest life expectancy in B.C., StatsCan says

OTTAWA — A new study says Canadians are living longer than ever.
The Statistics Canada study says life expectancy at birth reached 80.7 years for the three-year period between 2005 and 2007.
That’s up from the average of 80.5 between 2004 and 2006, and 78.4 a decade earlier.
Gains during the past decade were strongest among men, although women still live the longest.

Bilodeau’s esteem for brother sparks greater awareness of cerebral palsy

TORONTO — Alexandre Bilodeau’s Olympic gold medal will forever be enshrined as Canada’s first on home turf. But for people with cerebral palsy, it is the freestyle skier’s tender — and very public — esteem for his brother Frederic that will long glitter in memory.

Cheese wraps? Urine poultices? Injured athletes take a flyer on alternative meds

VANCOUVER — Cheese wraps, urine poultices, cell cures — when it comes to injuries, elite athletes can be game for some pretty out-there therapies.

Scientists find genes that lead to stuttering; finding could ease parents’ guilt

NEW YORK — Why people stutter has long been a medical mystery, with the condition blamed over the years on emotional problems, overbearing parents and browbeating teachers. Now, for the first time, scientists have found genes that could explain some cases of stuttering.

Rising obesity rates put more pressure to fund surgeries

WINNIPEG—After having four children and putting on a lot of middle-age weight, Tracey Wurch tried to work off the excess pounds but couldn’t seem to get far.
The 46-year-old from Beausejour, Man. decided surgery was necessary and hoped medicare would cover the cost of a relatively new stomach-reducing procedure called laparoscopic gastric banding—commonly called lap banding.

Genetic cause for bleeding disorder found

TORONTO—Canadian scientists have discovered the genetic cause for a particular bleeding disorder that traces back to one family in Quebec, and they’ve developed a genetic test to help diagnose the condition.
Known as Quebec Platelet Disorder, the condition transforms platelets—blood cells that control bleeding—from clot formers into clot busters.

Cdn researchers discover genetic cause for bleeding disorder, develop test

TORONTO — Canadian scientists have discovered the genetic cause for a particular bleeding disorder that traces back to one family in Quebec, and they’ve developed a genetic test to help diagnose the condition.
Known as Quebec Platelet Disorder, the condition transforms platelets — blood cells that control bleeding — from clot formers into clot busters.

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