The Dose

Millions of Canadians are without a family doctor or primary care provider. Dr. Peter Lin, a family physician and a director of the Canadian Heart Research Centre, spells out ways people can take charge of their health when they're in between or searching for a primary care provider.

Jen and Neil are a happily married couple in their thirties. From the outside, life is picture perfect. But behind their smiles lies a heartbreaking secret: they can’t get pregnant. Join CBC journalist Jen White and her husband Neil Hyde in this intimate and informative eight-part series on their yearslong struggle with fertility — a journey filled with hormone injections, transvaginal ultrasounds...

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women and some experts want women to get routinely screened after they turn 40. Dr. Paula Gordon, a breast radiologist and a clinical professor in the University of British Columbia’s radiology department, breaks down how often women should be screened, how to be breast aware and why knowing your breast density matters.

This week on The Dose, we hear from one expert on what we know and don't know about the health effects of vaping and how it could help smokers quit cigarettes. David Hammond, a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, answers some of those questions and more.

Diet plays a significant role in our risk of getting cancer. But what foods are good, and what food and drink should we only eat in moderation? We’ll cover the latest research on cancer risk and red meat, alcohol, and sugar. All with the help of Rachel Murphy, assistant professor in the School of Population and Public Health at University of British Columbia and scientist at BC Cancer.

It's that time of year again: Time to get the annual flu shot. But this year, the influenza vaccines will roll out along with the bivalent shots and people have questions about timing of their vaccines. Dr. Brian Goldman spoke with Ashley Davidson, a pharmacist and owner of a Shoppers Drug Mart in Alberta.

A new, decade-long study published in the British Medical Journal suggests artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose could put us at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study joins many others with similar unfavourable findings. Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian and columnist, breaks down the potential risks of the sugar substitutes.

Health Canada approved a new COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster from Moderna earlier this month. The updated shot builds on the original vaccine by adding protection specifically against the Omicron BA.1 variant. Dr. Lynora Saxinger, infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta, shares what you need to know as the boosters roll out.

The number of kids up-to-date on their routine immunizations has been dropping. Meanwhile, vaccine-preventable diseases have reappeared, with a confirmed case of polio in the U.S. The virus has also been detected in wastewater in the U.K. and Israel. Dr. Sloane Freeman, a pediatrician at St. Michael's Hospital, shares what she's seeing in her practice — and what parents can do to get their kids ca...

Balance is crucial to our overall well-being. But it can be challenged at any age, and we start to lose our balance in our 50s. The good news is that simple exercise can help maintain and even restore balance. Lisa Hoffart, a physiotherapist with Canadian Sport Institute Calgary and Group 23 Sports Medicine helps answer: Why is it important to maintain my sense of balance as I age?

Intrauterine devices, also known as IUDs, are a popular form of birth control in this country. This week on The Dose, Dr. Renée Hall, medical director of Kelowna General Hospital's Women’s Services Clinic, shares what you need to know about IUDs.

Mask mandates have been lifted in several provinces, though some hospitals and long term care homes are still insisting on masks. But Omicron and subvariants have not disappeared. So this week we’re asking: What should I do when the mask mandates are lifted? Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, helps us navigate.

British Columbia has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of illicit drugs like opioids, cocaine and crystal meth. This move is part of a big idea called harm reduction. So how much could drug decriminalization help with harm reduction? Dr. Hakique Virani, an addiction medicine and public health physician in Edmonton, explains.

There are plenty of ads for supplements that supposedly boost our memory. If you’re worried about memory loss, you might be tempted to give them a try. But how well do they work? Dr. Sandra Black, cognitive neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, has the answer, as well as the latest research on other ways we can boost our memory.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that’s usually found in parts of Africa. But the current outbreak has shown up in countries including the U.K., Spain, Portugal, Australia, the United States and Canada. That’s just one of several things that has doctors puzzled. So this week we’re asking: What do I need to know about monkeypox? We get some clues from Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialis...

More than a dozen possible cases of severe acute hepatitis in children have popped up in Canada and many –including parents and researchers– are trying to figure out why. This week, we speak to Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

Running or jogging is said to be one of the best cardio exercises you can do to stay in shape. But it’s not for everyone. This week we spoke with Dr. Jane Thornton, sports medicine physician and Canada Research Chair in Injury Prevention and Physical Activity for Health at Western University, about how running can help us stay healthy, how to start running and proper form.

Vitamin D has been touted as a "wonder treatment" with a lot of health benefits. But what can vitamin D actually do for my health? This week on The Dose, Dr. Peter Lin, a Toronto-based family physician, speaks about what the research shows, dosage amounts, and much more.

Since the first days of the pandemic, people who have recovered from the coronavirus have complained of long COVID symptoms. There’s still a lot to learn about the condition, but researchers are looking for answers. We spoke with Manali Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University and affiliate scientist with the Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton.

This year's allergy season has come early in parts of Canada, with some specialists saying there's growing evidence to suggest a connection to climate change. We spoke with Dr. Anne Ellis, professor of medicine and chair of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Queen's University.

The sixth wave of COVID-19 has seen an increase in hospitalizations and more ICU admissions. What’s different this time is that we have a new medication called Paxlovid that can keep at-risk people out of hospital. We hear all the details on Paxlovid from Kelly Grindrod, a pharmacist and associate professor at the school of pharmacy at the University of Waterloo.

COVID case counts are once again climbing in many parts of Canada along with hospitalizations. This week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine be given to all Canadians ages 80 and up.

You may have heard of prebiotics and probiotics, but now there’s a new term used by researchers: postbiotics. This week we’re asking: What do we know about postbiotics? We speak with Jennifer Stearns, assistant professor at McMaster University’s department of medicine.

Psychedelics are no longer just illegal street drugs. A lot of research has come out about their benefits as treatments for people with mood and other mental health disorders. So what do we know about how psychedelics can treat mental illness? We hear from Dr. Robert Tanguay, clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary and Chief Clinical Medical Officer at the Newly Institute.

Countries in the European Union are seeing a steep rise in COVID-19 cases, just weeks after lifting COVID-19 measures. Meanwhile, in most parts of Canada, pandemic restrictions are being eased. So with provinces lifting mask mandates, should I still wear a mask? We hear from Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of The Germ Files.