Clinical and investigative medicine. Médecine clinique et experimentale
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of substituting dietary soybean protein and oil for milk protein and fat in subjects with hypercholesterolemia.
To determine whether, in individuals with hypercholesterolemia, substituting dietary soybean products for cows' milk products improves the plasma lipid profile and whether any change in the profile is due partially to soy oil. ⋯ In people with hypercholesterolemia, the plasma lipid profile improved after treatment with a soybean-product diet, and this improvement was partially due to soy oil. The degree of responsiveness was associated with initial risk factors for coronary artery disease.
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Historical Article
Relationships between the academic community and the pharmaceutical industry: the legislative background and its effect on spending on medical research and development.
Patent legislation governing drugs has evolved through a series of amendments to the Patent Act. From 1923 until 1993, Canada operated a system of "compulsory licensing," allowing generic copies of patented medicines to be manufactured within Canada and, by 1969, to be imported. In 1987, the act was amended (Bill C-22) to provide patented medicines with a fixed period of market protection before a compulsory license could be issued and to create a price review board to monitor and control prices charged. ⋯ The act also prohibits Canadian manufacturers from exporting a generic drug to a country where it is not protected if it still protected in Canada. Brand-name manufacturers want some means of patent term restoration if regulatory authorities prolong the time taken before marketing a drug. This legislation is being reviewed by parliament beginning in 1997.
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To determine the incidence of carbohydrate intolerance during pregnancy and its impact on neonatal outcomes, which have not been formally established in Canada. ⋯ In this population, carbohydrate intolerance during pregnancy is a significant problem. Not only is the incidence rate higher than that usually estimated, but the impact on neonatal morbidity is also significant.
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The legal status of assisted suicide and active euthanasia are receiving increasing attention among physicians, legislators, the judiciary, and public lobby groups. Many seem to assume that these forms of assisted dying reside naturally within the practice of medicine but, surprisingly, comprehensive data about the opinions of Canadian physicians are not available. We report the results of a survey of the opinions of Alberta physicians about assisted suicide, compare their opinions to those about active euthanasia, and determine their relationships with various demographic and bioethical matters. ⋯ Strong relationships were found between opinions about assisted suicide, and age and religious activity. These data demonstrate no ground swell of support by Alberta physicians for the decriminalization of assisted suicide. Our data confirm the need for a national study of the opinions of Canadian physicians about physician-assisted dying, and caution against precipitate changes in relevant legislation and health policy.