What’s Lurking in Your Countertop? SHORTLY before Lynn Sugarman of Teaneck, N.J., bought her summer home in Lake George, N.Y., two years ago, a routine inspection revealed it had elevated levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. So she called a radon technician. 7/25/2008 7:57:58 AM

Anti-HIV drug cocktail boosts survival by 13 years Anti-HIV drugs have slashed death rates among people with the AIDS virus by nearly 40 percent since combination therapy was introduced in 1996, boosting their life expectancy by some 13 years, a study says. 7/25/2008 5:42:54 AM

Mammography screening van rolling into Penticton A quick and simple method for detecting many types of breast cancer is wheeling into the Peach City this fall and local women are encouraged to make an appointment. 7/25/2008 5:36:31 AM

First Nations call for independent health care system Saying Canada's public health-care system is "not working" for native peoples, chiefs representing Treaty Six First Nations took the first steps Thursday afternoon towards creating their own, separate health system. 7/25/2008 5:16:02 AM

Billionaires back drive to cut smoking Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop people around the world from smoking. The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco will kill up to a billion people in the 21st century. 7/24/2008 7:24:33 PM

'A nation of lab rats' as devices untested Health Canada routinely approves surgical devices after limited -- or no -- study on humans, far less evidence than is required for the certification of prescription drugs. And now some experts are raising serious concerns about the process. 7/24/2008 7:09:15 PM

Room fresheners, scented laundry products emit chemicals Some of the products that freshen your rooms and perfume your laundry may not be so great for your health. A U.S. study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products gave off dozens of chemicals. 7/24/2008 6:44:28 PM

Staffing shortage shuts northern drug treatment program The 10-bed, 30-day residential treatment program for drugs and alcohol at the Nechako Treatment Centre in Prince George was shut down on July 4 without any public announcement. 7/24/2008 12:24:29 PM

What women want: 'Better sex' After reading through 7,000 pages detailing the sexual frustrations and joys of women who answered an anonymous survey, Joan Sauers has a message for her gender: Men aren't psychic. "How are they going to know that we're not getting off if we don't tell them?" asks the author. 7/24/2008 11:05:17 AM

B.C. gives itself right to deny services based on IQ The B.C. government has reversed course and quietly given themselves the right to deny services to developmentally disabled adults with IQs over 70. 7/24/2008 6:22:14 AM

US cancer boss in mobiles warning The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use. Dr Ronald Herberman, of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said his warning was based on early findings from unpublished data. 7/24/2008 5:57:56 AM

Soy foods 'reduce sperm numbers' A regular diet of even modest amounts of food containing soy may halve sperm concentrations, suggest scientists. The authors said plant oestrogens in foods such as tofu, soy mince or milk may interfere with hormonal signals. 7/24/2008 5:53:20 AM

Armed Forces report poorer mental health than civilians Full-time members of the Canadian Forces are more likely to perceive their mental health as poor than those in the civilian workforce, according to a new Statistics Canada analysis released Wednesday. 7/23/2008 8:41:44 AM

The dangers of too much detox A woman was left disabled after following a "detox" diet which involved drinking large quantities of water. Although doctors stress the need to avoid dehydration by drinking enough fluids, drinking more than enough is a different matter. 7/23/2008 6:11:34 AM

Birth weight 'sets future health' Blood vessel changes linked to poor health later in life can be spotted within a few years in boys born small, say scientists. However, no such problem was seen in low birth weight girls. 7/23/2008 6:10:00 AM

Health Canada's food import safety check 'incoherent' There are big gaps in Canada's safety checks for imported foods because the government's investigation program use an incoherent system to track goods, according to an internal review. 7/22/2008 5:15:10 PM

Some damaged hearts rejuvenate with pump implant When it comes to hearts, Taneal Wilson won the lottery. A small pump implanted to keep the 31-year-old alive long enough for a heart transplant somehow helped Wilson's ravaged heart completely recover instead. 7/22/2008 5:10:09 PM

Alberta government to introduce mandatory helmet law for ATVs, snowmobiles Albertans who drive all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles may be forced by law to wear helmets by this time next year. Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette said Monday he hopes to introduce legislation by this fall or next spring. 7/22/2008 1:49:49 PM

Radio host angers parents of autistic children Radio talk show host Michael Savage, who described 99 per cent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed. 7/22/2008 11:20:37 AM

Go ahead, kids, eat your cake first No dessert until you clean your plate. Just five bites — then you can leave the table. C'mon, it's good for you!All are classic exhortations in the struggle to persuade convince children to eat well. And all are backwards, according to Montreal-based dietitians Marie Breton and Isabelle Emond. 7/22/2008 7:13:08 AM

Tobacco 'could help treat cancer' The tobacco plant - responsible for millions of cancer cases - may actually offer the means to treat one form of the disease, a study suggests. US scientists used the plant to "grow" key components of a cancer vaccine. 7/22/2008 6:37:12 AM

Drug for deadly prostate cancer Scientists are hailing a new drug to treat aggressive prostate cancer as potentially the most significant advance in the field for 70 years. The drug works by blocking the hormones which fuel the The drug works by blocking the hormones which fuel the cancer.. 7/22/2008 5:58:42 AM

Deep brain stimulation helps people with severe depression Testing on severely depressed patients shows that brain implants can successfully "re-set" the brain's mood switch from sad to normal, with results that last for at least a year, Canadian researchers are reporting. 7/22/2008 5:17:25 AM

Dispute over cancer logo 'ridiculous' Orrin Clayton was disappointed when a patch of enormous steel yellow daffodils planned for an Ottawa cancer survivors' memorial was scrapped in favour of a more generic bouquet of red, blue and fuchsia flowers. 7/22/2008 5:03:13 AM

Viagra helps depressed women: study The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra has proven effective at combating sexual dysfunction in depressed women. Sexual dysfunction is a common side effect of antidepressants and a major reason why people stop taking medication for their depression. 7/21/2008 6:40:33 PM

Drug restores speech in Alzheimer's Alzheimer's patients given a popular rheumatoid arthritis drug showed seemingly dramatic improvements in a small study, but some doctors worried that the early findings will raise premature hopes in patients and their families. 7/21/2008 6:02:04 PM

What you risk by using debit card at the pump QUESTION: When I use my debit card to buy gas at the pump, I've noticed that a hold gets put on funds in my account for a few days -- sometimes for more than what I purchased. What gives? Is there any way to avoid this? 7/21/2008 4:06:38 PM

That cream won't make you look younger - and you know it When an over-the-counter skin cream promises to reduce the appearance of fine facial lines and wrinkles, Canadian women may buy the product - but they don't buy the hype. 7/21/2008 11:25:43 AM

Marrow recipient meets 'hero' donor "What do you say to the person who saved your life?" That question has been haunting Belle River's Chris LoDuca for almost three years -- ever since he received a life-saving stem cell transplant from an unknown donor. 7/21/2008 8:42:22 AM

Margarine, pastry producers slow to reduce trans-fat levels Margarines, doughnuts and pastries still contain high levels of trans fat, according to a Health Canada task force. Trans fats, initially believed to be a cheaper and healthier alternative to butter and lard, are created when liquid oils are turned into solids. 7/21/2008 8:22:16 AM