MNU looking to ‘grey list' Health Sciences Centre
Members of the Manitoba Nurses Union are voting on whether to designate the Health Sciences Centre as a grey list workplace due to safety concerns.
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CTV News
12 minutes ago
- CTV News
Weight-loss drugs show promise for other diseases, study shows
A new study reveals that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic may help treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, and addiction. The injectable drug Ozempic is shown, July 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could help treat heart failure, Parkinson's disease and even addiction, according to a new study from McGill University and the Jewish General Hospital. The research, published in eClinicalMedicine, reviewed evidence from dozens of studies to assess whether GLP-1 drugs could be beneficial in treating other illnesses. Areesha Moiz, a research assistant at the Centre of Clinical Epidemiology at the Lady Davis Institute, part of the Jewish General, said some of the findings were surprising. 'It's quite interesting to see the pleiotropic benefits of this drug beyond what it was designed for,' Moiz said in a recent interview. She noted researchers wanted to create a roadmap showing where the science is headed regarding GLP-1 drugs. According to Moiz, the benefits of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are now well established in patients with obesity-related cardiovascular and kidney disease. Additionally, ongoing clinical studies are investigating their effectiveness in conditions commonly associated with obesity, such as heart failure, sleep apnea, liver disease and knee osteoarthritis. 'But what's actually interesting is that we found other conditions. We found neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, that are also being investigated, as well as addiction, meaning substance abuse disorders,' Moiz said. 'Some of these are linked somewhat to the weight-loss effects, but there are also other mechanisms at play here that are independent of weight loss, which are actually providing some beneficial outcomes in certain populations.' Moiz explained that GLP-1 receptors are found throughout the body, affecting multiple organ systems. For example, in type 2 diabetes, these drugs act on receptors in the pancreas, brain and gut, slowing digestion and suppressing appetite, which leads to weight loss. 'There's a certain mechanism where it acts on the reward system of the brain, so that kind of brings down the pleasurable effect of eating. But that's also kind of related to addiction, right? 'Like alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, opioid abuse — all of that kind of ties together. So that's why, because of these receptors found in these underlying mechanisms, they're being investigated for other conditions that might also be related to these biological rationales,' she said. As more benefits are uncovered, Moiz said that serious risks previously feared have largely been ruled out by recent studies. Nevertheless, side effects, especially gastrointestinal, have been observed. 'There are some side effects related to the gallbladder, which have to do with the slowing down the digestion and the rapid weight loss. But this is not as common as you expect,' Moiz said. 'Recently, there were some signals for optic neuropathy and for aspiration risk, but these are, again, very, very rare side effects, and there haven't been big trials that were designed to really look at this, so we can't say that the drugs are causing this.' GLP-1 drugs are quite expensive and are not currently covered by Quebec's public drug plan unless it is prescribed for diabetes. So Moiz said the first step in making it more accessible is for obesity to be declared a chronic condition by the province, like Alberta did this year.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta government appeals temporary injunction of transgender health care law
Alberta is appealing a temporary injunction of a law banning doctors from providing gender-affirming care to youth. A judge granted the injunction in June, ruling the provincial law raises serious Charter issues that need to be hashed out in an ongoing court challenge of the legislation. Court of King's Bench Justice Allison Kuntz said the law is likely to cause irreparable harm to gender-diverse youth and she didn't find the contrary evidence submitted by the province to be overwhelming. The government, in an appeal filed to the Calgary court last month, argues the injunction was premature, since it wasn't fully in effect. It also claims the judge made a mistake and 'mixed fact and law' in deciding the legislation would cause irreparable harm. The Decibel: The legal fight over gender-affirming health care in Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery's press secretary, Heather Jenkins, said the law was passed to protect children from making potentially irreversible decisions about their bodies. 'Alberta's government will continue to vigorously defend our position in court,' she said in an email Friday. Egale Canada, one of the groups challenging the law along with five transgender youth, says it respects the province's right to appeal but believes the judge made the right decision. 'The Court of King's Bench, relying on extensive expert testimony and evidence, affirmed what we have long argued – that denying gender-affirming care causes irreparable harm,' Egale's legal director, Bennett Jensen, said in an email. 'The context of this case remains clear: the government is interfering in the relationship between doctors and patients by seeking to ban medically necessary, evidence-based care for an already marginalized group of youth.' The law bans doctors from providing treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to those under 16. Opinion: The real health care wait-time scandal? Political meddling Kuntz wrote in her decision that denying treatment could cause youth emotional and psychological harm and expose them to permanent physical changes that don't match their gender identity. She also said the ban would reinforce the discrimination and prejudice they already experience. 'Intentionally or not, the ban will signal that there is something wrong with or suspect about having a gender identity that is different than the sex you were assigned at birth,' the judge wrote. The province had argued against the injunction, saying claims the law would harm youth were speculative because the ban hadn't been enforced yet. The government also said any psychological harm would be a result of puberty, though the judge largely rebuffed that argument. The Canadian Medical Association and three Alberta-based doctors are also challenging the law's constitutionality in a separate case. The doctors argue the law violates their Charter right to freedom of conscience. MHCare demands AHS investigation results The law came from a trio of bills affecting transgender people that Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party government passed last year. The other pieces of legislation ban transgender women from competing in women's sports and require children under 16 have parental consent to change their names or pronouns at school. Parents are also required to opt in their children for school lessons on sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity. Alberta's law followed Saskatchewan, which passed its own law in 2023 that requires parental consent for students under 16 who want to change their names or pronouns. That government invoked the Charter's notwithstanding clause in response to a court challenge launched in part by Egale Canada as well. Despite Saskatchewan's use of the notwithstanding clause, a judge ruled that a challenge could continue on the legislation, though that decision was appealed by the province. A decision on Saskatchewan's appeal is expected Monday. Smith has said invoking the notwithstanding clause isn't off the table to ensure Alberta's gender-affirming care ban is enforced.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Ontario announces new publicly funded surgical and diagnostic centres in Windsor
A new investment from the provincial government is looking to slash wait times for certain procedures in the city. CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell explains. Three new community surgical and diagnostic centres in Windsor have been approved to deliver publicly funded procedures as part of the Ontario government's plan to reduce wait times and expand access to care. Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie made the announcement Friday at RAAMP Endoscopy in Windsor, noting that the local expansion is part of a broader $155-million provincial investment to add 57 licensed centres across Ontario. The province said the initiative will connect up to 1.2 million patients to faster access for MRIs, CT scans, and gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopies over the next two years. The newly approved Windsor facilities include RAAMP Endoscopy and Rose City Endoscopy, which will offer GI endoscopy procedures, and GMNI MRI/CT Windsor, which will provide MRI and CT scans. Licensing is expected to begin as early as summer 2025. 'The Government of Ontario is proud to strengthen and expand access to health care by delivering faster, more convenient diagnostic services in Windsor-Essex,' said Dowie. 'The launch of RAAMP Endoscopy and Rose City Endoscopy, along with expanded MRI and CT services at GMNI MRI/CT Windsor, marks a significant step forward for our region and the province as a whole.' RAAMP Endoscopy is expected to be licensed in 2026, while Rose City Endoscopy is scheduled for 2025. GMNI MRI/CT Windsor is expected to begin providing both MRI and CT services in 2026. Dr. Wassim Saad, president of RAAMP Endoscopy, said the new centre will help reduce wait times for essential procedures locally. 'The addition of RAAMP Endoscopy means our residents will have better, faster access to essential procedures – right here at home,' Saad said. 'We are deeply grateful to the Ontario government, the Ministry of Health and MPP Dowie for recognizing the needs of our community and investing in solutions that will improve health outcomes for thousands of people.' Ontario surgical announcement Windsor Aug 8 Ontario announced three new surgical and diagnostic centres to offer publicly funded procedures in Windsor, Ont. on Aug. 8, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) Dr. Saad also serves as chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital, a dual role that could raise questions about potential conflict of interest. He said his plans to apply for the provincial licenses were fully disclosed to the hospital's leadership. 'I made my intentions to apply for these licenses very clear to both my CEO and to the board of directors. They were very supportive,' Saad said. 'They understand that this is helping the hospital, and it's offloading the acute care. During the application process, we also took a position at the hospital that we were not going to publicly endorse, or even, as part of the application process, endorse any one particular applicant, including mine.' Rose City Endoscopy, which has operated in Windsor since 2012, is among 22 new GI endoscopy centres licensed across the province. Its medical director said government funding will allow the clinic to further expand services. 'Rose City Endoscopy has been a leader in outpatient gastrointestinal endoscopy in our region with 50,891 outpatient gastrointestinal procedures to date,' said Dr. Vladislav Khokhotva. 'While a significant percentage of our funding is still going to be provided by our doctors, the addition of government funding will allow us to develop our facility further to a top world-class level.' The province said the 22 newly licensed GI centres will add up to 420,000 endoscopy procedures over two years — more than triple its original target. Meanwhile, 35 new MRI/CT centres are expected to provide diagnostic imaging for up to 828,000 additional patients. RAAMP Endoscopy RAAMP Endoscopy seen in Windsor, Ont. on Aug. 8, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the announcement builds on efforts to clear surgical and diagnostic backlogs across the province. 'When it comes to wait times for surgeries and procedures, the status quo is not acceptable,' said Jones. 'That's why our government is taking bold, decisive action to protect Ontario's health-care system by boosting access to vital surgeries and diagnostic imaging so that families can conveniently access the care they need sooner.' As part of the government's broader plan, titled Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, community surgical and diagnostic centres have increasingly been used to deliver publicly funded care outside of hospital settings. According to the province, these facilities are not allowed to charge patients for insured services or allow patients to pay for faster access. Quality assurance inspections are carried out through Accreditation Canada, with new standards introduced in 2024. There are more than 900 such community-based facilities across Ontario, most of which provide diagnostic imaging.
