Madely Health Headlines Commentary for May 20, 2013

Old antipsychotic medication helps kill Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Now We Know Why Old Scizophrenia Medicine Works On Antibiotics-Resistant Bacteria

Reference:

Thioridazine Induces Major Changes in Global Gene Expression and Cell Wall Composition in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 30, 2013

Caffeine to be added to "adult" gum products Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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FDA will investigate added caffeine in foods

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 26, 2013

HPV vaccine for boys recommended as universal program for Canada Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Gynecologists group calls for HPV vaccine for boys

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 23, 2013

Cinnamon games not so much fun Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Don’t take the cinnamon challenge: Doctors warn teens after surge in calls to poison centres

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The ‘Cinnamon Challenge’: A Popular Dare That Just Isn’t Worth Taking

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 11, 2013

Birth control pill Alysena 28 recalled because of too little active drug Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Women who took faulty ‘Pill’ urged to use backup contraception

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 27, 2013

CIHI report on adverse drug reactions in Seniors Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Drug reactions send 26,000 seniors to hospital

Reference:

Downlaod CIHI report here

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March , 2013

MS drug study: Beware drug company press releases that are used to report drug trial results, and of course it has favourable results Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Excellent Results For MS Drug “Plegridy”

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The results were presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting. It is not published.

Further it compares the drug to placebo, a useless marker for clinicians. We want to know how it fares against other medication of a similar class at least and how it compares to other medication in use today.  It also refers to relative and not absolute risk reduction.

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 11, 2013

British chief medical officer warns of increasing antibiotic-resistant bacteria Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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New wave of ‘superbugs’ poses dire threat, says chief medical officer

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 21, 2013

Study finds that antioxidants do not prevent stroke and dementia Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Antioxidants may not help prevent stroke and dementia

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Total antioxidant capacity of the diet and major neurologic outcomes in older adults

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 18, 2013

New research and development on needleless vaccine delivery systems shows promise but human trials required Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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A ‘Needleless’ Vaccination Even Mothers Will Love!

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February , 2013

Bad Pharma with Dr. Ben Goldacre coming up on this week's Sunday House Call Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 11, 2013

Steve has questions about Shingles Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 4, 2013

Study uncovers errors in chemotherapy preparation and delivery to hospital patients Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Study finds potential errors in chemo use

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Intravenous chemotherapy preparation errors: Patient safety risks identified in a pan-Canadian exploratory study

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 29, 2013

No new antibiotics on the horizon to combat increasing bacterial resistance from indiscriminate use in humans and farm animals Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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New antibiotics are a matter of life or death

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 18, 2013

Lance Armstrong's too-little-too-late confession and the risks of EPO doping Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 16, 2013

The need to be aware of the caffeine content in energy drinks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Emergency room visits tied to energy drinks double since 2007

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 10, 2013

Government digging into Tamiflu stockpile to combat flu; unfortunately evidence that the drug works as purported by drug company is being questioned Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Scandal of the poison pen-pushers: How doctors and patients are kept in the dark about potentially dangerous everyday drugs

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 7, 2013

Google flu and the spread of flu in Ottawa Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Google’s one sick search engine

Ottawa hit by influenza bug

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 24, 2012

Virus used in mouse model study to destroy prostate cancer tumours Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 21, 2012

Incidence of flu beginning to spike in the Ottawa area Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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One dies as influenza season arrives quickly in Ottawa

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 19, 2012

Little evidence to suggest long-term ASA use increases risk of macular degeneration Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Long-Term Aspirin Use Linked With Vision Loss: Study

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Long-term Use of Aspirin and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 18, 2012

No evidence that stimulant use in healthy people increases level of concentration Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Dangers Of Prescribing ADD Medication To Healthy Patients

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Cynthia Forlini, Serge Gauthier, and Eric Racine
Should physicians prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals?
CMAJ cmaj.121508; published ahead of print December 17, 2012

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 29, 2012

New immunization-tracking app available in Ontario Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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A yellow immunization card on your smartphone

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Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 28, 2012

Food-drug interactions can catch you unaware Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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4 foods to avoid while taking medication

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 20, 2012

Will kids be jacked-up on Cracker Jacks? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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New caffeinated Cracker Jacks variety sparks controversy

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 19, 2012

Multivitamins do little to reduce cancer risk in male physicians over 50:study Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Study: Multivitamins may slightly lower cancer risk in men but not their odds of heart disease

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Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cancer in Men: The Physicians’ Health Study II Randomized Controlled Trial

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 15, 2012

Fentanyl abuse in Ottawa teens reported Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Community shocked after Fentanyl abuse blamed in death of Manotick teen

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 13, 2012

Confounding factors make this asthma-acetaminophen study difficult to interpret Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 7, 2012

Osteoporosis treatment study in men shows reduction in vertebral fractures Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Men May Benefit From Osteoporosis Drug, Too: Study

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Fracture Risk and Zoledronic Acid Therapy in Men with Osteoporosis

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 5, 2012

Prescription drugs and herbal remedies follow the same science of drug interactions and can negatively affect health outcomes Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Mixing drugs and herbal remedies may pose a major health risk, researchers warn

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Evaluation of documented drug interactions and contraindications associated with herbs and dietary supplements: a systematic literature review

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 28, 2012

FluAd and Agriflu flu vaccine use suspended by Health Canada for quality control reasons Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Ontario’s flu program safe despite Novartis suspension

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 22, 2012

Drug shortages in Canada continue Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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More than 250 drugs remain in short supply

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 16, 2012

Unpublished pharma data states it has Hep C treatment cure rate of 99 percent Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Abbott Labs rises on hepatitis C drug data

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This press release does not cite published studies. Nor do we know if there were negative outcomes in other clinical trials. THere is no obligation on the part of pharma to release details of stiudies that cast a negative outcome for their product.

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 5, 2012

ASA does not prevent Alzheimer Disease Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Aspirin May Slow Brain Decline In Elderly Women With Heart Risk

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“Does low-dose acetylsalicylic acid prevent cognitive decline in women with high cardiovascular risk? A 5-year follow-up of a non-demented population-based cohort of Swedish elderly women”

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 3, 2012

Targeted chemotherapy for HER2 breast cancer patients shows good results in phase 3 study Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Breast cancer treatment targets tumours with few side effects

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Trastuzumab Emtansine for HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for September 19, 2012

Significant flaws in study looking at BPA association to childhood obesity Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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BPA Associated With Obesity in Children and Teens

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Association Between Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration and Obesity Prevalence in Children and Adolescents

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for September 10, 2012

Hormone replacement therapy revisited after review of data supports use for certain women Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Risk averted — hormone therapy regains support

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for August 2, 2012

Caffeine may help alleviate impaired movement in Parkinson's patients Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Caffeine May Help Treat Parkinson’s Disease

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Caffeine for treatment of Parkinson disease

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for August 1, 2012

Science succeeding in turning HIV into a chronic disease: People living normal and long lives Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Science takes tiny steps toward a cure for AIDS

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for July 26, 2012

Wait times for cancer drug approval in Canada double that of the US and Europe Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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The Fraser Institute: Canadians Wait Almost Twice as Long as Americans for New, Life-Saving Cancer Drugs

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for July 24, 2012

Whooping cough returns to some Canadian regions Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for July 18, 2012

FDA approves weight-loss drug: A band-aid solution that will not address our obesogenic society Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Second Diet Drug Wins FDA Approval

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for July 12, 2012

Law of unintended but predictable consequences with abuse-reducing Oxycontin formulation change Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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OxyContin Remake Sends Abusers to Other Opioids

Reference:

Cicero TJ, et al “Effect of abuse-deterrent formulation of OxyContin” N Engl J Med 2012; 367(2): 187-189.

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for July 6, 2012

If over 65, Vitamin doses of 800 IU and above may prevent fractures Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Vitamin D in high doses may prevent fractures

Reference:

Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Walter C. Willett, Endel J. Orav, Paul Lips, Pierre J. Meunier, Ronan A. Lyons, Leon Flicker, John Wark, Rebecca D. Jackson, Jane A. Cauley, Haakon E. Meyer, Michael Pfeifer, Kerrie M. Sanders, Hannes B. Stähelin, Robert Theiler, Bess Dawson-Hughes. A Pooled Analysis of Vitamin D Dose Requirements for Fracture Prevention. New England Journal of Medicine, 2012; 367 (1): 40 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109617

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for July 4, 2012

Cannabis plant bred to relieve pain but avoid the high Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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 ”Highless” marijuana on a roll in Israel

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for June 8, 2012

Phase one trial of Alzheimer's vaccine study demonstrates safety; efficacy studies to follow Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Alzheimer’s Vaccine Trial a Success

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Safety, tolerability, and antibody response of active Aβ immunotherapy with CAD106 in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-human study. The Lancet Neurology

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for May 14, 2012

Lack of buy-in for infant and toddler flu shots Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Free flu shot program missing kids under two, study finds

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Low Rates of Influenza Immunization in Young Children Under Ontario’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 27, 2012

Data does not support routine vitamins and other supplements to prevent cancer Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Supplements May Increase Cancer Risk

Reference:

Martinez ME, et al “Dietary supplements and cancer prevention: Balancing potential benefits against proven harms” J Natl Cancer Inst 2012; DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djs195.

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 9, 2012

Study indicates drug used for early Alzheimer Disease is helpful in later stages Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Donepezil For Treatment Of Moderate To Severe Alzheimer’s

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“Donepezil and Memantine for Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer’s Disease”
Robert Howard, M.D., Rupert McShane, F.R.C.Psych., James Lindesay, D.M.et.al.,
New England Journal Of Medicine, March 2012, dpi:366:893-903

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 1, 2012

Medications seem to work as well as stents for people with stable heart disease Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Pills as good as stents for some patients: study

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Initial Coronary Stent Implantation With Medical Therapy vs Medical Therapy Alone for Stable Coronary Artery Disease