Disability News and Research

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Over one-third of British population cannot name a famous disabled person

Scope, the national disability organisation, has surveyed the British public to test their attitudes towards disabled people. Despite the achievements of Home Secretary David Blunkett, Professor Stephen Hawking and sportsperson Tanni Grey-Thompson, 36 per cent of those questioned in a YouGov survey could not name one single famous disabled person.

7 Jun 2004

HHS identifies States for Medicare demonstration of new, less restrictive homebound definition

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced the three states where Medicare will conduct a demonstration project involving a new definition for homebound that would allow Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health benefits to leave their home more frequently and for longer periods without risking the loss of those benefits.

7 Jun 2004

Treatment with atorvastatin cut incidence of stroke by almost a half

Patients with Type 2 diabetes and a CV risk factor would benefit from a cholesterol-lowering medicine according to results from the first ever specifically designed UK primary prevention statin trial announced today at the American Diabetes Association (ADA)2.

7 Jun 2004

Smokers who quit before the age of 35 have a reasonable chance to regain their health

A new analysis of data on smoking and health finds that smokers who quit before the age of 35 have a reasonable chance to regain their health over time and to live as long and as well as people who have never smoked.

5 Jun 2004

Innovative type of brain scan can determine where blockages of blood to the brain lie

It's a no-brainer that the brain needs a constant supply of blood to keep it going. But some medical conditions can block or reduce that life-giving flow. Whether it's a stroke, a clogged artery or a brain tumor, any situation where blood can't get to the whole brain can lead to death or permanent disability.

2 Jun 2004

Health surveys find mental disorders highly prevalent and often untreated

Reallocation of treatment resources could substantially decrease the problem of unmet need for treatment of mental disorders among serious cases in developed and developing countries.

1 Jun 2004

WHO launches this year's campaign for World No Tobacco Day

The World Health Organization (WHO) launches this year's campaign for World No Tobacco Day with the slogan: Tobacco and Poverty: a vicious circle, stressing the enormous economic costs of tobacco use and cultivation to families, communities and countries.

1 Jun 2004

New assistance grants to help people with disabilities

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced five new demonstration grants aimed at helping recruit, train and retain direct service workers who provide personal assistance to people with disabilities who need help with eating, bathing, dressing and other activities of daily living.

30 May 2004

Bird flu vaccine

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded two contracts to support the production and clinical testing of an investigational vaccine based on a strain of avian influenza, H5N1, which might have the potential to cause pandemic influenza.

27 May 2004

Researchers identify molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in multiple sclerosis patients

Yale researchers and collaborators have identified molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that cripples nearly three million people worldwide. The new findings are the first observations in humans of molecules that contribute to degeneration of nerve fibers.

27 May 2004

Inadequate hospital staffing affecting death rates in the birthing unit

Inadequate staffing levels and ineffective deployment of midwives are key to many adverse events and near misses in birthing units, according to an international researcher in midwifery.

27 May 2004

₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research

A ₤16.5 million investment in stem cell research was announced today, 27th May, promising to speed the development of new treatments and cures from the laboratory to the clinic. In total, 57 multidisciplinary research grants have been awarded as part of the new monies allocated via the 2002 Government Spending Review to the UK Research Councils.

27 May 2004

Nelson Mandela backs call for equality amongst disabled people

Scope, the leading national disability organisation, today launches its Time To Get Equal campaign to end discrimination and prejudice against the UK’s 10 million disabled people.

26 May 2004

People in Michigan with low incomes may be more likely to develop brain cancer

The study, which looked at more than 1,000 cases of people with brain cancer during a two-year period (1996-1997), was published in the recent edition of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 May 2004

People with low incomes are more likely to develop brain cancer

People with low incomes are more likely to develop brain cancer, according to a study published in the May 25 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 May 2004

Results from first Canadian study of patient safety in hospitals

The first national study of patient safety in Canadian hospitals estimates that 7.5 per cent of people hospitalized in Canada have experienced an adverse event as a result of their care.

24 May 2004

Mothers who are concerned about their own health may unwittingly be passing their anxieties on to their children

A new study of parenting suggests that mothers who suffer from certain illnesses like Irritable Bowel Syndrome are more likely to take their babies to the doctors for a range of minor problems.

24 May 2004

World health officials adopt global health strategy

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was today endorsed by Member States at their annual Health Assembly in Geneva. The strategy addresses two of the major risk factors responsible for the heavy and growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which now account for some 60% of global deaths and almost half (47%) of the global burden of disease. NCDs include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and obesity-related conditions.

22 May 2004

Using gene therapy to fight rheumatoid arthritis

Guided by a similar principle, arthritis researchers at the University of Florida and Harvard University hope to use gene therapy to help joint cells pump out a harmless protein that parks in receptor sites, leaving a notorious inflammatory agent “circling the lot” and unable to cause pain, swelling and possible joint damage.

21 May 2004

Research reveals that children with mild head injury may be at risk of long-term complications

New research from the University of Warwick reveals that children with even mild head injury may be at risk of long-term complications, including personality changes, emotional, behavioural and learning problems.

21 May 2004