Although migraine is disabling, it’s also very common, with 2.7 million or 8.3 per cent of Canadians suffering from the condition, according to Dr. Farnaz Amoozegar, a neurologist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary. The condition affects one in seven people and is the second-leading cause of disability worldwide, she said during […]
Only eight per cent of Canadian women who are eligible for a vaccine that covers nine strains of the human papillomavirus are actually receiving it. While one barrier is a lack of knowledge among health-care professionals and patients alike, another is the lack of coverage in group benefits plans, said Dr. Angel Chu, an infectious diseases physician at Foothills Medical Centre, […]
With around 270,000 individuals currently affected by irritable bowel disease, Canada has the highest prevalence in the world, according to Mina Mawani, president and chief executive officer of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24. “And this is going to increase significantly. We’re going to be […]
Since diabetes is a progressive disease, it’s important to get treatment in the middle, according to Dr. Thomas Ransom, endocrinologist at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, during Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24. If diabetes is under-treated, blood sugars go up and stick to things — eyes, kidneys, nerves, feet, he said. And if it’s […]
When an employee with diabetes is working in a safety-sensitive role experiences severely low blood sugar, what are the ramifications for employers? This question was addressed at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Chronic Disease at Work conference in Toronto in June. “For you, as an employer, what if this was your employee on their way to meet […]
As Canadians face increasingly competing financial priorities while juggling busy lives at work and home, the overlap between financial worry, stress and employee health is becoming more intense. In 2018, a study published in the U.S.-based Journal of Social Service Research found employees without paid sick leave are more prone to feel stressed about their […]
Compared with people who don’t access employer-provided employee assistance programs, Canadians who use the services have increased workplace engagement, as well as reduced presenteeism and distress at work, according to a study published last month in the U.S.-based Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. The study, which looked at the causal effects of Arete Human Resources Inc.’s EAPs on mental […]
By now, the economic burden of chronic disease in Canada has most likely surpassed $200 billion, according to Sarah Lussier Hoskyn, senior analyst, regulatory affairs and market access at Innovative Medicines Canada. “When you think about the total health-care budget in this country, we spent $250 billion in 2017 alone,” Lussier Hoskyn said during a session […]
For adolescents with atopic dermatitis, or eczema, the burden of illness is high and caregivers face many challenges, according to Dr. Neil Shear, president of the Canadian Dermatology Association. “We’re trapped in a qualitative division of mild, moderate and severe, which doesn’t make sense,” said Shear during Benefits Canada’s 2019 Chronic Disease at Work conference […]
While the definition of type 1 diabetes – the body doesn’t produce insulin – sounds clear and concise, this disease is anything but, said Lisa Geelen, a type 1 diabetes caregiver, during Benefits Canada’s 2019 Chronic Disease at Work conference in Toronto on June 5. Diabetes is more of an art than a science to manage, […]