Every year there are 400,000 Canadian women who receive news that their Pap test results are not normal. The voice of women physicians, The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (www.fmwc.ca) wants to change that. This month they are launching an awareness campaign aimed at physicians to urge their female patients to have a PAP…
You’ve finally decided to get into shape, need more motivation or just want another ‘toy’ to add to your growing list of fitness gizmos. So you begin to check out fitness devices. I started on-line and then decided to go to one of the big box stores to take a closer look. There are now…
More Choices Available for Long Acting Birth Control Perhaps you may remember the IUD or the Copper T that was first introduced in the 1980’s. Now there’s a new birth control device called IUS or Intrauterine System. Like the IUD (Intrauterine Device) it’s placed in the uterus and made of soft flexible plastic in the…
Skin Cancer in Canada is on the rise While the rate of new cancer cases and death rates for many types of cancers are going down, Melanoma or –skin cancer- is on the rise. It is the most common cancer in Canada affecting one in five people today. A tan especially among young people is…
Research shows that people are living longer. Today a man who is currently 65 can expect to live another 17.4 years, a woman, 20.8 years*. Whether you are edging towards sixty-five or beyond or have parents that are aging, modifying risks will increase your chances of staying healthy and vital as you age. We know…
Millions of us rely on coffee to wake us up, keep us going and improve concentration and focus. But how much is too much and what is the difference between caffeine and coffee. Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical found in more than 60 plants including coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts and as we…
Travel alerts for polio worldwide & the resurgence of measles outbreaks in Canada, Europe and Africa, highlight the need for Canadians to get vaccinated before traveling to affected areas. Measles is a virus that can affect anyone and is highly contagious for individuals that have not previously had measles, or have not been vaccinated. As…
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in Canada, which makes prevention of heart disease so important. Some risk factors for heart disease unfortunately cannot be changed, including your genes, gender and ethnicity. There are many other factors, however, that you can control. These are called modifiable risk factors, and include high blood…
Since the Human Genome project made it possible to map the entire DNA of a human in the 1990’s, it has become a powerful information tool. Learning an individual’s personal genetic make up can lead to improved diagnosis of certain illnesses. We also can advise you, if you are at higher risk because of a…
As a family physician, I am often asked, what is the best diet to lose weight. The answer is that all of the well known popular diets whether it’s low fat, low-carb or high fiber is all pretty similar. The most important part is not the diet or weight loss plan you choose, but sticking…