TORONTO, July 17, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - Wearing sunglasses on a sunny day is second nature for most Canadians, but few realize that their eyes are susceptible to UV damage even in cloudy weather.
"The sun's UV rays are still present on cloudy and overcast days thereby increasing your risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and other serious eye conditions," says Dr. Keith Gordon, CNIB's vice president of research. "The best line of defense is prevention - and wearing quality, UV-protective sunglasses is vital in safeguarding your eyes from future damage."
To protect your eyes from the dangers of UV radiation, CNIB recommends all Canadians:
...wear sunglasses with at least 99 per cent protection from UVA and UVB rays year-round, even on cloudy days;
...if you require vision correction, wear contact lenses that provide UV protection and pair them with quality sunglasses for an added layer of defense;
...wear a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap when outside; and
...stay out of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are the strongest.
Practicing proactive vision care and wearing UV-protective sunglasses is especially important for children.
Annually, children are exposed to three times more UV rays than adults because they tend to spend more time outdoors. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that up to 80 per cent of UV damage occurs before age 18.
"The lenses in young people's eyes are less capable of filtering UV compared to adult eyes, which is why it's so important for parents to instill in their children the habit of diligently wearing sunglasses from a very early age," says Dr. Gordon.
This summer, CNIB and its partners The Weather Network, Sundog Eyewear and ACUVUE® brand contact lenses are calling upon Canadians of all ages to wear UV-protective sunglasses whenever outside. If you're a contact lens wearer, consider pairing your shades with UV protective contact lenses for an added layer of defense. For more information on how you can protect your eyes and participate in the movement, visit cnib.ca/wearapair.
About CNIB
CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. To learn more, visit cnib.ca or call the toll-free CNIB Helpline at 1-800-563-2642.
Of all age groups, boomer couples (45-64 years of age) are the most compatible with each other's spending behaviour (81 per cent) according to Investors Group poll.
WINNIPEG, July 9, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - Financial worries impact three-of-ten Canadian couples (32 per cent) who admit to sometimes, often or always having disagreements about money, the latest Investors Group poll reveals. Additionally, half (50 per cent) admit to knowing other couples who argue about personal finances.
"Apprehensions about essential personal finance matters can be difficult for couples to address openly, sometimes leading to friction," said Christine Van Cauwenberghe, Assistant Vice President, Tax & Estate Planning, Investors Group. "The key to success is to talk frankly and regularly about personal finance issues to find common ground and make solid financial decisions together to plan for the future."
The Investors Group survey included 1,192 Canadians who are married or living common-law who were asked about the spending behaviours of their partners and their approach to personal finance matters.
Spending and saving
Investors Group's survey found that one-in-seven (14 per cent) Canadians try to convince their partners to spend less. However, 26 per cent say they are encouraged to save because their partner is a saver.
Eighteen per cent of Canadians have kept a secret from their partner about how much money they have spent, saved or have hidden. Thirteen per cent of females admit to secret spending, compared to only six per cent of males.
When faced with the uncomfortable news of finding out your partner has spent too much on an item, nearly one-in-five couples (18 per cent) choose to ignore it. Another six per cent confront their partner and suggest they return the item. Six-in-ten couples (59 per cent) bring it to their spouse's attention and express their genuine concern.
"No matter your financial situation, keeping track of spending habits is easiest when you develop a budget together and both agree to abide by it," said Van Cauwenberghe. "That way there are no surprises down the road and this sort of exercise helps develop a comfortable space in which you both can discuss money more often."
Tough love
So what happens if you need to regulate your partner's spending? One-in-five (21 per cent) Canadians say they have used an 'allowance' system to control the spending habits of their partner. Ninety-per cent of Canadians who use this approach are satisfied with the outcome.
Top of mind worries
While every worry does not turn into a disagreement, a majority (60 per cent) of Canadian couples identified saving for retirement as their number one concern. This tops paying off debt (52 per cent) and having enough for day-to-day living expenses (49 per cent).
Despite these top-of-mind concerns, the survey shows a majority of Canadian couples seem to agree on most issues including financial matters such as budgets, major purchases, spending and saving (67 per cent), as well as non-financial issues like extended family (66 per cent), relationship (65 per cent), household tasks (61 per cent) and raising and caring for the children (59 per cent).
Talk it out
When it comes to having important discussions, Canadians vary depending on the subject. Almost half of Canadians couples (48 per cent) feel it is important to have regular discussions about managing their children's activities. Seventy per cent of couples say it's vital to have conversations about general household operations such as daycare, cleaning, maintenance and repairs and 75 per cent say they regularly touch base on their personal saving and spending. Lastly, when discussing family outings and entertainment costs, half of Canadians agree it is important to speak about it while another 49 per cent say it isn't.
Additional highlights
...68 per cent of couples share financial duties and make decisions jointly, whereas 19 per cent like their independence and hold separate bank accounts with defined responsibility for specific expenses.
...Concerns about paying off debt among Canadians peaks at 67 per cent for young couples (age 25-34 years) and at 64 per cent for couples age 35-44 years.
...Paying down the mortgage is a concern for 36 per cent of Canadian couples. Of all age groups, younger Canadians between the ages of 18-24 years are most concerned (64 per cent).
...Gen Y Canadians (age 35-44 years) and younger Boomers (age 45-54 years) are equally worried about saving for retirement (75 per cent) and the most likely to be concerned about this issue.
...Concern about saving for retirement is less worrisome for older Boomers (age 54-64 years) but more than half (54 per cent) are still concerned.
About Investors Group
Investors Group, founded in 1926, is a national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians through a network of approximately 4,500 Consultants located throughout Canada. In addition to an exclusive family of mutual funds and other investment vehicles, Investors Group offers a wide range of insurance, securities, mortgage and other financial services. Investors Group is a member of the IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM) group of companies. IGM Financial is one of Canada's premier financial services companies with approximately $125 billion in total assets under management as of June 30, 2013.
MONDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- All adults born between 1945 and 1965 -- the baby boom generation -- should be screened for the hepatitis C virus along with injection-drug users and anyone transfused before 1992, according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
The guidelines, released Monday, mirror recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provide a long-awaited policy from the task force, an independent panel of experts.
"For everyone born between 1945 and 1965 we recommend a one-time screening," said task force member Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor in residence at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.
People in this age group account for three-quarters of all hepatitis C cases in the United States, Bibbins-Domingo said. Many contracted the disease decades ago but don't know it.
Hepatitis C -- a leading cause of liver damage and liver disease in the United States -- is considered a silent killer because it progresses without any indications of illness. More than 30 percent of U.S. patients needing liver transplants have end-stage liver disease related to hepatitis C.
"The challenge is that many people have hepatitis C and don't have signs and symptoms of the disease," Bibbins-Domingo said. "Those people should be identified and consider treatment."
An estimated 3.9 million people are infected with hepatitis C in the United States, the task force said. Unlike other types of hepatitis, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
In its 2004 statement, the task force advised against routine screening of adults without symptoms and high risk of infection. It also said it had too little evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for adults with high risk of infection.
It became apparent, however, that two-thirds of infected people weren't getting screened, while treatment was becoming more successful.
"Many people appear to benefit from treatment," Bibbins-Domingo said. "That is what led the task force to conclude that it is beneficial for people to find out they have hepatitis C in order to seek treatment."
Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said he welcomes the new guidelines, which were published June 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"I am absolutely thrilled that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which has had a head-in-the-sand approach toward screening, has come out for a one-time screening for hepatitis C," Siegel said.
Siegel encourages everyone at risk to get tested.
Screening for hepatitis C involves a simple, inexpensive blood test. Those who test positive usually receive a course of antiviral medication over several months. Most people have no detectable virus following treatment, Bibbins-Domingo said.
"Treatment is effective in preventing the complications of hepatitis C," Bibbins-Domingo said. "Treatments have gotten better, and I suspect treatments will continue to get better."
Many people who test positive for the virus have no signs of active infection. Whether they should be treated should be discussed with their doctor, she said.
Although baby boomers should have a one-time screening, those who continue to be at risk for the infection should be screened more often, Bibbins-Domingo said.
Past or current injection-drug use is the greatest risk for hepatitis C infection. Also at high risk are people with a history of blood transfusions before widespread adoption of screening and infection-control measures in 1992; people who have undergone long-term dialysis treatment; and those with exposure to hepatitis C in health care settings. People with HIV/AIDS, a history of intranasal drug use or tattoos from unregulated or unsafe parlors also are at greater risk than the general population.
This expanded screening may identify millions of Americans who were unaware of their infection, the task force said.
GUELPH, Ontario - June 10, 2013 - University of Guelph News Release - Helping to protect newborns and older patients against more severe effects of jaundice is the hope of University of Guelph researchers, who have shown how a liver enzyme protects cells from damage caused by the condition.
Their discovery might ultimately lead to an alternative treatment for jaundice, such as a new drug or supplement, says Daniel Kim, a research technician in Guelph’s Department of Biomedical Sciences.
He is lead author of a paper published recently in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. Co-authors are biomedical sciences professor Gordon Kirby, former research associate Monica Antenos, and Prof. Jim Squires of U of G’s Department of Animal and Poultry Science.
Almost two out of three newborns contract jaundice, with its telltale skin yellowing. Normal treatment involves use of ultraviolet light. UV treatment doesn’t always work.
Although the condition is usually benign, severe cases can cause permanent brain damage and lead to cerebral palsy and hearing loss.
Jaundice can also affect people with liver disease or increased breakdown of red blood cells, as in malaria.
In all cases, a substance called bilirubin collects in the blood. High amounts can be toxic and can cause permanent brain damage, said Kirby.
Other researchers had already found a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down bilirubin. Called cytochrome P450 2A5, the enzyme is known to increase in people with liver ailments.
The Guelph team has shown that more bilirubin in the blood activates the gene to make this enzyme. The enzyme helps remove bilirubin and prevents liver cells from dying, said Kirby.
The U of G researchers used cultured liver cells from mice for their study.
"Scientists need to determine safe and effective levels of the enzyme before developing any treatment, We need to fine-tune our ability to manipulate this enzyme and fully understand its role in bilirubin removal,” he said. Kirby has long studied the enzyme’s role in nicotine addiction in smokers.
Recovery can continue for years, with survivor family and friends playing essential role
OTTAWA, June 10, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - More Canadians are surviving strokes due to advances in awareness and medical services but a new report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation reveals that more than one-third of Canadians mistakenly believe that the recovery period is limited to a few months.
Stroke recovery is a journey that can continue for years or a lifetime, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation 2013 Stroke Report, which outlines the importance of family caregivers in the process. A poll* carried out for the report reveals that half of Canadians are directly touched by stroke and even more striking, that one in five Canadians have been involved in the support and care of a stroke survivor.
"Our poll confirmed what we have long suspected - that stroke touches the lives of many Canadians, and family members and friends play an important role in the recovery journey," says Ian Joiner, Director, Stroke, Heart and Stroke Foundation. "Obviously the best story is when a stroke is prevented, but we need to pay more attention to every aspect of stroke - prevention, recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation and recovery."
315,000 Canadians are currently living with the effects of stroke and this will increase
Fifty thousand strokes occur in Canada each year and 315,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke. As the population continues to age this number will increase - as will the number of Canadians caring for loved ones post-stroke. Now, 60 per cent of people who have a stroke report that they need help afterwards and 80 per cent have restrictions to their daily activities.
The economic cost is also high; stroke costs the Canadian economy $3.6 billion a year in physician services, hospital costs, lost wages, and decreased productivity.
"Combine these factors and a complete story of stroke emerges," says Joiner, adding that advances in awareness and treatment mean deaths from stroke are actually declining. "More Canadians will be living with the effects of stroke. Recovery can continue for years, and many Canadians find themselves supporting stroke survivors through that recovery journey. The urgency and need for action is clear."
Rehabilitation and caregiver support are essential in the stroke recovery journey
Rehabilitation is a key part of the stroke recovery journey and rehabilitation research and enhancements to services and access will be more important than ever.
"We need rehabilitation research to better understand the difficulties someone is having after a stroke and then develop the treatments to help them get better," says Dr. Sean Dukelow, a physiatrist at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute Faculty of Medicine, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary and a Heart and Stroke Foundation-funded researcher who uses robotics to help stroke survivors recover. "We use a robotic model - a large robotic chair - that helps measure a patient's improvement over time and helps deliver therapy. It can require tens of thousands of repetitions of a particular movement to relearn how to do it after stroke and the robot can help us determine the type and intensity of the rehabilitation needed for a patient to relearn how to use his arm. We can use this information and turn that into a plan to treat the patient more effectively."
The role that relatives or close friends of stroke survivors carry out is essential to the recovery journey. They help survivors relearn routine activities, regain abilities, cope with challenges and frustrations and do things the survivors cannot do for themselves. They also become navigators of the healthcare system and advocates for services and follow-up.
"After my stroke, my mom was my rock," says Janel Nadeau, a stroke survivor who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at 19 and has gone on to become a doctor. "She was my advocate. She was my communicator. I knew that I did not have to worry about what was going on outside of my little bubble, because my mom would take care of it so I could focus simply on recovering."
Other results from the Heart and Stroke Foundation poll reveal that not all Canadians have a clear picture of how strokes can be prevented. According to the poll, less than two-thirds of Canadians are aware that most strokes can be prevented and nearly one in six believe that once a person has recovered from a stroke there is nothing they can do to prevent another one. And the fact is that up to 80 per cent of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented.
Canadians are optimistic about the outlook for stroke survivors and the possibilities of life after stroke. In the Heart and Stroke Foundation poll, more than four in five respondents said they believe that people who survive a stroke can be treated, recover and live meaningful lives.
Advances mean hope
The story of stroke is not over. Stroke is preventable. Stroke is treatable. And recovery from stroke is possible. For stroke survivors and their loved ones, continued advances in rehabilitation and recovery mean real hope for a better future. There is life after stroke.
For the full report, videos of researchers and survivors, resources for stroke survivors and caregivers, and calls to action for Canadians, government and healthcare professionals visit heartandstroke.ca/strokereport2013.
Heart and Stroke Foundation poll
According to a new poll* by the Heart and Stroke Foundation:
...One in two Canadians report having a close friend or family member who is a stroke survivor.
...One in five Canadians report being directly involved in the support and care of a stroke survivor.
...Fewer than two in three Canadians believe that most strokes can be prevented.
...Nearly one in five believe that most strokes are fatal.
...More than four in five believe that people who survive a stroke can be treated, recover and live meaningful lives.
...Nearly one in six Canadians believe that once a person has recovered from a stroke there is nothing they can do to prevent another one.
...One in three Canadians believe that once a person survives a stroke there is an initial period of a few months of recovery. After than they are unlikely to recover any further.
Heart and Stroke Foundation public opinion polling conducted by Environics by telephone between April 4 and 14, 2013 with a total of 2,002 respondents. Results of a survey of this size can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.19 percent, 19 times out of 20.]
The vital stats on stroke
There are an estimated 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. That is one stroke every 10 minutes.
About 315,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke.
Every seven minutes in Canada, someone dies from heart disease or stroke.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada. Six per cent of all deaths in Canada are due to stroke.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability among adults.
About the Heart and Stroke Foundation
The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke, reducing their impact through initiatives to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery. Healthy lives free of heart disease and stroke. Together we will make it happen. Heartandstroke.ca
The Foundation is asking all Canadians to make health last by taking action today to give themselves, their friends and families longer, healthier, fuller lives. Take the Heart&Stroke Risk Assessment at makehealthlast.ca.
TORONTO, May 29, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - Liver cancer is one of the fastest rising of all cancers in Canada, yet most Canadians do not know enough about risk factors and prevention, according to Canadian Cancer Statistics 2013, released today by the Canadian Cancer Society in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada.
Since 1970, the incidence rate of liver cancer has tripled in Canadian men and doubled in Canadian women, rising every year by 3.6% in men and 1.7% in women.
Liver cancer has a very poor prognosis, with a 5-year relative survival rate of only 20%. While it is still a relatively rare cause of death in Canada (1,000 deaths expected this year), the death rate in Canadian men has doubled since 1970. And worldwide it is the 3rd leading cause of cancer death after lung and stomach cancer, accounting for about 700,000 deaths per year.
The main risk factors for liver cancer are chronic hepatitis B and C infections. However, hepatitis is not well recognized as a serious health threat. In addition, many people don't know that they have hepatitis. Approximately 600,000 Canadians are infected with hepatitis B or C, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Heavy alcohol use, obesity, diabetes, smoking and several other factors are also associated with a higher risk of liver cancer.
If more isn't done to address the risk factors for liver cancer, incidence and death rates are expected to continue to rise in Canada.
Recommendations from the report
To lower the rising rates of liver cancer cases and deaths, it will be important to:
...Find and treat people who have hepatitis B or C. This can reduce progression to chronic infection, which can lead to cancer.
...Encourage primary healthcare providers to offer the hepatitis B vaccination or appropriate testing and treatment for hepatitis B or C to at-risk people, including newcomers to Canada if they come from parts of the world where hepatitis B, hepatitis C or liver cancer are common
.
...Raise awareness among Canadians about the risk factors for liver cancer, especially its links with hepatitis B and C, how to reduce the risk of liver cancer and how to get tested and treated for hepatitis infection if they belong to an at-risk group.
...Encourage primary healthcare providers to counsel patients about alcohol use, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking, which can reduce the risk of liver cancer, in addition to having other health benefits.
...Conduct more research in Canada about the most effective ways to educate the public about the disease and to better understand the needs of liver cancer patients and survivors.
...Have more Canadian data to understand the best strategies for hepatitis B and C screening, and how best to engage communities in promoting screening for hard-to-reach populations.
"It's important to draw attention to the rising incidence and death rates for liver cancer so that we can tackle this important public health problem," says Dr Prithwish De, epidemiologist with the Canadian Cancer Society and the lead author of the special topic on liver cancer. "The good news is that liver cancer is largely preventable by modifying risk factors."
More about liver cancer in Canada
...In 2013, it is estimated that there will be over 2,000 new cases of liver cancer and about 1,000 deaths from the disease.
...The incidence rate is higher in Canadian men at 6.9 cases per 100,000 than in Canadian women at 1.9 cases per 100,000.
...Liver cancer is challenging to identify and treat because there are usually no symptoms until its later stages when the prognosis is poor. As a result, the death rate is high and the 5-year relative survival rate is low.
...Treatment can involve surgery, radiofrequency ablation, chemotherapy and/or radiation.
About the Canadian Cancer Society
For 75 years, the Canadian Cancer Society has been with Canadians in the fight for life. We have been relentless in our commitment to prevent cancer, fund research and support Canadians touched by cancer. From this foundation, we will work with Canadians to change cancer forever so fewer Canadians are diagnosed with the disease and more survive. Visit cancer.ca or call us at 1-888-939-3333 (TTY 1-866-786-3934).
CALGARY, Alberta May 22, 2013 /Canada NewsWire/ - Wait times in the Canadian healthcare system have been manufactured by out-of-date and technically corrupt approaches to capacity management and planning. That's the conclusion of "Full House", the feature article of the latest Six Sigma Forum, a peer reviewed publication of The American Society for Quality.
"Every provincial jurisdiction in Canada has its own wait time creation myths," says author Robert Gerst of Converge Consulting Group. "In Alberta, it's population growth. In Ontario, budget cuts and restructuring. And across Canada, the emphasis on public over private funding. But the reality is our excessive healthcare wait times were manufactured by outdated approaches to capacity management and improvement."
For example, Full House details how utilization targets created the access crisis in emergency rooms and seniors care facilities in Alberta. Traditional capacity planning holds that utilization can be increased without impacting wait times. But modern, science-based approaches, recognize this isn't true. Increasing utilization produces exponential increases in wait times and cost. The result, Alberta spent millions manufacturing excessive wait times and millions more making them worse. Even recommendations made by the Health Quality Council of Alberta last year to address wait time issues were based on outdated methods and have almost no chance for success, the research concludes.
"In the current economic climate, increasing system capacity, doing more with less, has become a challenge, not only in healthcare, but in other areas of industry and government," according to Gerst. "Meeting that challenge requires a modern, rational approach to maximizing capacity and throughput."
Converge Consulting Group Inc. is a independent Canadian management consulting firm providing evidenced-based performance improvement and change leadership services to clients in North America, Europe, and Australia.
