CMAJ Podcasts

It’s been nearly two decades since the last Canadian clinical practice guideline on managing obesity in children. In that time, the science has advanced, treatment options have expanded, and the need for updated guidance has grown increasingly urgent. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast , hosts Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with three guests who contributed to or were impacted by the...

Urinary incontinence affects about a third of adult women in Canada, yet many never receive a diagnosis or treatment. On this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole discuss the CMAJ review “ Diagnosis and management of urinary incontinence in females ,” which outlines how physicians can identify common forms of incontinence and begin management in primary care. The episode opens with Sharo...

Near-death experiences (NDE) are often described in spiritual, personal or even supernatural terms. But a new CMAJ article offers physicians a clinical entry point into understanding them as a distinct phenomenon that patients may report after cardiac arrest, critical illness or other life-threatening events. Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole speak with Dr. Andrés Delgado-Ron, a senior data an...

Two articles in CMAJ look at endometriosis from sharply different angles. One shows how devastating delayed recognition can be, following a patient whose deep infiltrating endometriosis led to renal atrophy, bowel obstruction, sciatic nerve impingement and a permanent ostomy. The other offers a more reassuring picture, finding only a small increased risk of congenital anomalies among infants born...

While overall cancer rates in Canada continue to decline, reflecting decades of progress in screening and treatment, younger survivors face troubling gaps in their follow-up care. In the research article “ Projected estimates of cancer in Canada in 2026 ” overall cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to decline when adjusted for population size, reflecting advances in screening, early dete...

Transformative therapies for sickle cell disease are redefining what is possible for patients, offering the potential for cure alongside substantial risks. In CMAJ , the article Transformative therapies for sickle cell disease outlines how stem cell transplant and emerging gene therapies are changing the trajectory of a condition long defined by recurrent crises, shortened life expectancy, and ine...

Two research articles in CMAJ examine gaps in how maternal risk is captured and how it varies across populations in Canada. One study shows that extending surveillance beyond delivery reveals a higher burden of severe maternal morbidity, particularly in the postpartum period. A second examines obstetric trauma, identifying differences across racial and immigration groups and pointing to structural...

New prescriptions for stimulant medications used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the years before it, with the largest increases among adults aged 18 to 34 and among women. Dr. Tara Gomes, a professor at the University of Toronto and principal investigator of the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, discusses findings fro...

Ontario’s expansion of online gambling and legalization of single-event sports betting were followed by a sharp rise in help-seeking for gambling problems, particularly among young men. A new CMAJ study, Help seeking for gambling problems following expansion of Ontario's online gambling market and legalization of single event sports betting , analyzes calls to Ontario's 24-hour mental he...

Child physical abuse often presents first with injuries that appear minor, but missing these early warning signs can have devastating consequences. Two recent CMAJ papers examine how sentinel injuries in infants may signal escalating risk and how patterns of severe maltreatment shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they offer practical guidance on when clinicians should escalate concerns...

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham explore new evidence suggesting that rates of psychotic disorders are increasing in younger generations in Canada. Drawing on population-level data and broader psychiatric research, the episode examines how generational trends in psychosis intersect with substance use, social change, and the ongoing youth mental health cris...

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast , Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham examine how large-scale events expose weaknesses in Canada’s health care capacity. The discussion draws on the CMAJ editorial Mass gathering events underscore serious vulnerabilities in health care capacity in Canada , which argues that Canada’s hospitals lack the flexibility to absorb even modest surges in demand. With th...

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham examine the issues raised in a recent CMAJ commentary on Alberta’s Compassionate Intervention Act , which explores the ethical and clinical implications of this approach to involuntary treatment. As governments across Canada turn to coercive measures in response to the overdose crisis, the episode considers what these polic...

On this ENCORE of our most popular episode of 2025, hosts Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with two authors of the latest “ Hypertension Canada guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in adults in primary care ” The discussion reflects a shared urgency: despite past successes, Canada’s hypertension control rates are declining. The new guidelines aim to reverse this tre...

Despite a range of effective prevention tools, HIV incidence continues to rise in Canada, with stark disparities across ethnicity, gender, Indigeneity and geography. Updated Canadian guidelines on HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis reflect scientific advances since 2017 and address both new formulations and persistent barriers to equitable access. Dr. Darrell Tan, lead author and clinician sci...

Celiac disease affects between one and two percent of Canadians, yet many patients wait years before receiving a clear diagnosis. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, the hosts speak with two contributors to the CMAJ review article Diagnosis and management of celiac disease about the condition’s diverse clinical presentations, appropriate testing strategies, and the practical realities of long-ter...

This episode of the CMAJ Podcast explores how physician identity can influence patient expectations, and how those expectations may contribute to gender, race, and immigration status pay gaps. The discussion builds on the CMAJ article “ Family physician pay inequality: a qualitative study exploring how physician responses to perceived patient expectations may explain gender, race, and immigration...

A recent article in CMAJ , Mental health service use among Black adolescents in Ontario by sex and stress level: a cross-sectional study , reveals how patterns of mental health service use among Black youth shift with the level of psychological distress. Lead author Mercedes Sobers, a PhD candidate in epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and research coordinator at the Centre for...

Rates of depression in Canada are rising, but a new CMAJ guideline advises against universal screening in primary care. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care found no evidence that routinely administering depression questionnaires to all adults improves outcomes and raised concerns about false positives, overdiagnosis, and strain on limited mental health resources. Dr. Eddy Lang, lead...

Evidence is mounting that cannabis use can trigger first episode psychosis, particularly among young people. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast , hosts Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with researchers and a patient with lived experience about what the data show, who is most at risk, and how clinicians should respond. Bailey Peterson, a 26-year-old student from Mississauga, Ontario, de...

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), also known as Kennedy’s disease, is a rare, progressive neuromuscular disorder that is often misdiagnosed and diagnosed late. A new CMAJ guideline offers Canadian-specific recommendations for its recognition and management. On this episode we hear from Richard Paul, a former bus driver from Saskatoon, who recalls how his symptoms began suddenly with an in...

Homelessness among pregnant and parenting people in Canada is rising, with grave consequences for both parents and children. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast , Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham explore the scope of the problem and the supports that can improve outcomes for parents and children. Dr. Stéphanie Manoni-Millar, co-author of the CMAJ commentary Tackling the crisis of homelessness...

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. A new clinical practice guideline published in CMAJ on tobacco smoking cessation outlines evidence-based behavioural and pharmacological interventions to help patients quit. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast , Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Eddy Lang, co-author of the guideline, and Dr. Andrew Pip...

—This is an encore presentation of an episode previously published June 30— On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast , hosts Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with two authors of the latest “ Hypertension Canada guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in adults in primary care ” The discussion reflects a shared urgency: despite past successes, Canada’s hypertension control r...

Iron deficiency affects as many as 40% of women of reproductive age, yet the problem often goes undetected—even when patients have symptoms and complications. On this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole speak with hematologists Dr. Michelle Sholzberg and Dr. Rita Selby about their structural solution to this pervasive problem: a province-wide change to how laboratories flag ferritin res...