Toronto, Feb 6 - Most athletes would swear by the pain-relieving, muscle recovery-promoting benefits of massaging, which has now been validated by scientific evidence.

On the cellular level, massage reduces inflammation and promotes the growth of new mitochondria (cellular powerhouse) in skeletal muscle, says a new study.

Toronto, Feb 3 : Heart failure could also be linked to thinning of bones (osteoporosis), an offshoot of old age.

"Our study demonstrates for the first time that heart failure and thinning of bones go hand in hand," said Sumit Majumdar, University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, who led the study.

Toronto, Jan 30 - Attentiveness in kindergarten (KG) is the key to developing "work-oriented" skills in school children later as adults.

Toronto, Jan 18 - A minimally invasive surgical procedure called renal denervation can significantly lower blood pressure (BP) in patients who are unable to control it with drugs.

The nearly painless procedure has been tried out for the first time by doctors at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC) in Canada. It involves de-activating nerves located on the outside of the artery that feeds blood to the kidney, thereby lowering BP.

Toronto, Jan 18 - A defective mitochondria, which acts as a cellular battery, could be the trigger for a devastating neurodegenerative disease, showing up in toddlers just as they begin to walk, reveals a study.

The research throws new light on the disease and reveals an important common link with other brain diseases, potentially opening the way to new therapeutic approaches for those who suffer from them.

Toronto, Jan 17 - Scientists have found a way to block the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and possibly benefit 170 million people worldwide.

The breakthrough opens the way for new therapies to treat HCV which targets the liver and is among the leading causes of liver cancer and liver transplant globally.

Toronto, Jan 17 - A radical technique that requires only about 20 minutes in an outpatient clinic may replace long and costly eardrum surgery in children.

The quick procedure, requiring only local anaesthesia, will be much easier on patients and parents and also substantially reduce long waiting lists, stretching to 18 months.

Toronto, Jan 12 - Depressed employees become more productive after undergoing treatment than those who don't receive treatment, suggests a study.

The study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) examined data from a large-scale community survey of employed and recently employed people in Alberta.

Toronto, Jan 6 - Writing your most important values on a piece of paper can literally knock you into shape as it might make you feel better and obliterate the need to eat to do the same.

"We have this need to feel self-integrity," says Christine Logel of Renison University College, University of Waterloo.

Toronto, Jan 2 - Scientists investigating rare ovarian, uterine and testicular tumours have stumbled upon on a mutated gene that is surprisingly common to all of them.

David Huntsman, genetic pathologist at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Cancer Agency and Gregg Morin, from its Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, led a team which found mutations in rare, seemingly unrelated cancers, all tied to the same gene, DICER.

Toronto, Dec 30 - Post-menopausal women should think twice before going in for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) because it is tied to breast cancer globally, reveals a study.

The study by McMaster University researchers, that found consistent evidence that use of HRT is linked to breast cancer globally, comes at a time when more women are asking for this medication to control hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.

Toronto, Dec 23 - Drugs that checkmate cancer could also combat pathogens that have become highly resistant to antibiotics - a problem spreading globally.

"Our study found that certain proteins, called kinases, that confer antibiotic resistance are structurally related to proteins important in cancer," says Gerry Wright, professor of biochemistry at McMaster University.

Toronto, Dec 12 - Alcohol consumption, which gives a high, has long been associated with unsafe sex. Now, a new study directly relates it to HIV infection.

In spite of substantial efforts to prevent unsafe sex, HIV incidence in most high-income countries remains unchanged over the past decade or has increased in some instances.

Toronto, Dec 7 - A video game known as Phylo has lent a cutting edge to genetic research, especially understanding the role DNA plays in Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer, reveals a study.

The web-based video game has been developed by Jerome Waldispuhl of the McGill School of Computer Science along with collaborator Mathieu Blanchette.

Toronto, Dec 7 : Infants are quite capable of figuring out whether you are sincere or not -- they will be wary if they have been tricked previously, reveals a study.

Toronto, Dec 6 - Researchers have pinpointed the brain area that controls our ability to correct our movement after we have been hit or bumped.

The fact that humans rapidly correct for any disturbance in motion shows the brain understands the physics of the limb.

"To say this process is complex is an understatement," said Stephen Scott, neuroscience professor and motor behaviour specialist at the Queen's University.

Toronto, Dec 5 - Those who suffer from depression or stress are twice as likely to have a heart attack than those with an even outlook.

A study led by Concordia University has found that the depressed also recover more slowly after exercise than those who are non-depressed.

These findings point to the importance of testing for cardiovascular disease among people suffering from major depression, the journal Psychophysiology reports.

Toronto, Dec 1 - Eating protein-rich foods, especially dairy products, protect bones when overweight or obese young women try to shed weight through dieting, suggests a new study.

The study found bone health improvements were particularly evident due to the high density of bone-supporting nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and dairy-based protein.

Toronto, Nov 17 : High levels of TV viewing by kids can elevate their chances of developing heart disease later in life, but significantly high use of computer does not.

Different kinds of sedentary behaviour produce different consequences for young people's health, according to the findings from Queen's University, Canada.

Canada, Nov 12 : Many people are often barred from eating common grapefruit as it can negatively interact with their prescription drugs, but there may now be some hope for those with a longing for the tangy citrus.

Scientists at the University of Florida have bred a new type of grapefruit that they expect will enable people on meds to enjoy the fruit without any drug interaction.

Toronto, Oct 28 - A fish predator's mere presence can trigger enough stress to kill a dragonfly. Scientists suggest that the finding could be used as a model for studies on the lethal effects of stress on all organisms.

Toronto, Oct 24 - Reconstruction of breasts after their whole or partial removal during mastectomy may help women improve their psychosocial and sexual well-being.

Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely, especially to prevent breast tumours from spreading.

Toronto, Oct 7 : Even three-year-olds can sense that while man-made objects are owned, natural products like pine cones and sea shells are beyond ownership, new research has found.

"This provides the first evidence about how children judge the ownership of things based on whether those things are artificial or natural," said psychologist Karen Neary of Ontario's University of Waterloo.

Toronto, Oct 5 : A new gene could increase chances of developing osteoporosis, a "silent" disease characterised by increased bone fragility and risk of fracture.

Eighty percent of hip fractures are related to osteoporosis, resulting in death in up to 20 percent of cases, and disability in 50 percent of the survivors.

Toronto, Sep 20 : Red wine, popularly touted as a remedy for a host of medical condtions, has no protective qualities to prevent heart disease, says a new study.

"In particular, red wine has no special, protective qualities when it relates to cardiovascular disease," said Kathy Bell, CEO, Heart Foundation (Victoria).