Chronic Illness

It’s not all pretty in pink: To prevent breast cancer, let’s stop missing the forest for the trees

Breast cancer rates, even among young people, are on the rise. For this Breast Cancer Awareness month, there's more we could be doing to prevent the disease before it starts.

Yes, patients and caregivers are experts

Does being a patient make you an expert on your condition? Does formal education and credentials to comprehend a disease outweigh the rigor of experiencing life with the disease? There may be more room for patient-expert buy-in in health care decisions.

Mushrooms, nuts and collard greens: Nutrition and how to lower the odds of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the product of many factors over a lifetime. While some of those factors are out of our control, others like diet offer opportunities to mitigate risk.

Housing first: The case for social prescribing of housing in emergency departments

Providing permanent housing is not only something that can and has been realistically implemented for unhoused patients in emergency departments, it also has been shown to reduce ED visits and hospitalizations and produce health benefits.

Should “magic mushrooms” be legalized? Experts weigh in

Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms", is making waves for its therapeutic benefits in treating psychiatric conditions like major depressive disorder and end-of-life anxiety. But does that mean it should be legalized? We asked a panel of experts to weigh in.

Why Canada must amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

MAiD is currently available for those with mental illness. But there are treatment options that exist that have yet to be legalized. It's time to increase access to psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Access denied: Pandemic highlighted issues in accessing sexual and reproductive health for persons with disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a number of people with disabilities missing health-care appointments due largely to health and safety concerns on transit. But there are measures we can take to provide accessible, disability-affirming care.

Safeguarding our children: Vaccination’s crucial role in navigating the coming school year

As we embark on the new school year, the lessons we have learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic serve as our compass, guiding us toward effective strategies while helping us discern the ones that fall short.

Reducing opioid use for back, neck and shoulder pain starts with interprofessional collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic has added fuel to the opioid crisis, particularly in treating chronic back pain. But there are several ways to address musculoskeletal pain that don't require medication.

Lung-cancer screening – primum non nocere (first, do no harm)!

Lung cancer is the number one global killer among cancers. Early detection can help patients' chance of survival but current screening measures also come with mixed benefits and risks.

Despite convictions, harmful health products like MMS bleach continue to be sold

Policymakers have begun to address health disinformation and harmful products on social media, signaling hope that it could become easier to stop operations like Genesis II. But we still need to address the desperation that drives people to reach for these products to begin with.

We have the tools to prevent ovarian cancer. Why aren’t we using them?

About 20 per cent of the ovarian cancer cases in Canada diagnosed each year are in people who carry a mutation and are most likely preventable. Genetic testing can become more accessible. Why are we waiting? 

If public health is not there to protect the vulnerable, then why bother?

Documents reveal that though the risks could not have been stated more clearly, in 2022 the Ford government ignored the evidence and lifted public health measures. This should worry all Ontarians.

Long-term care in Ontario in need of an overhaul

Money alone won’t fix the long-term care crisis in Ontario. While it is true that increased funding is part of the solution, the reality is that a paradigm shift is essential.

Postpartum depression isn’t the biggest issue for mothers. Postpartum anxiety is

Postpartum anxiety is more than three times more prevalent than postpartum depression yet we hear about it far less often.

Sometimes the truth is unbearable

The health-care system is failing Canadians with lethal consequences. Policymakers need to make urgent changes now to address delays in access to care.

How should we handle the toxic drug-supply crisis? Experts weigh in.

While political debates have muddied the water on effective policy options to address toxic drug deaths, we asked a panel of experts what they see as the best path forward to address the ongoing crisis.

Loneliness and hunger ache: Community group teaches medical students a valuable lesson

Loneliness and hunger were two major ravages of the pandemic. We need to link medical education with social determinants of health in order to bridge gaps in care.

Finding your energy envelope: Long COVID patients urged to ‘pace’ themselves back to health

For many long COVID patients, returning to activity can cause debilitating "crashes." But symptom management techniques like pacing can offer relief and may even help some patients slowly recover.

The real cost of not adopting universal pharmacare is Canadian lives

Pharmacare has not yet been implemented and the pandemic – and the supply and confidence agreement – only further entrenched Big Pharma’s power in Ottawa. But patients need access to life-saving medications.